Metamorphosis

[Hiver]

As it turned out, we didn't actually need to be quite as ready as we were, as none of the mercs was in the mood or even in condition to fight.

We stepped out into the courtyard and looked up towards the main keep, "We should move on, there is no way they didn't hear tha-"

That's as far as I got before an explosion rocked the fortress and rocks rained down from the roof of the keep. I quickly raised my left arm and channeled magic into my vambrace, projecting a dome shield over the group.

"Get back!" Zeek yelled and I thought that seemed like a very good idea as we retreated back across the courtyard as I kept the shield up above us.

Energy crackled across the air as a shape slowly descended, energy arching off him, "You are too late!" a voice boomed across the fortress.

"You're not getting away with this, Mundus!" Samuel yelled back, "you can't handle that much power!"

"Samuel!" the shape answered as it sank down to the ground, the light fading from around him to reveal a man with a short black beard and wearing dark robes with a hood hiding most of his face.

Seriously, did he shop at the same store as Palpatine?

Though, admittedly that cloak was kind of cool.

"You can't defeat me now!" he laughed and spread his arms, energy crackling around him, "You always were a weak fool, unwilling to grasp power when it was there!"

I slowly lowered the shield as Samuel stepped forward,

"Mundus, that tome is evil! It contains power that no mortal can contain!"

The warlock simply laughed, "I'm going to be a god!", and dark energy whirled around him for a second before exploding out across the courtyard in all directions. I quickly raised the shield again, but the energy didn't touch us.

It wasn't meant for us.

The mercenaries that were still alive redoubled their screaming as the energy ripped into them and their fricking skeletons ripped their way out of their bodies, the ones already dead and in pieces flowed together and stood back up, the flesh sloshing off them onto the floor.

What the fuck.

I felt a wave of disgust flow through me. His complete disregard over the life of his men was disgusting on its own. What more, that was necromancy. I found that despicable on pure instinct, not just ethically.

Growling, I readied my weapon before I got a feeling and froze, glancing to the side.

Zrazta were standing next to me, the fire of the spell she had readied in her hands flickered out and her face was very blank.

I had never seen her like that before.

No. No that's not right. I had seen here like that once before, during the fight against the Legion. Zrazta was beyond angry or furious.

"You really shouldn't have done that," I said quietly and took a couple of steps backwards and away from my Consort. I love Zrazta and I know she loves me, but I really, really didn't want to get in her way right now or I might lose a limb again.

She started to walk forward, "You dare…" she snarled.

"Zrazta, be caref-" Zeek managed to say before Zrazta broke into a run and spell smoke exploded out from her in all directions a split second before she emerged from it in her real form.

Her wings spread, spreading the smoke as her armour deployed across her body, covering her red scales with silvery metal.

Beating her wings down, she pounced.

I wasn't sure exactly what kind of phenomenal cosmic power the guy was hopped up on or how good he was, but nobody expected 'suddenly dragon in magical power armour'.

I'd have to give him his due though, evil necromancer or not, he apparently was pretty good as he managed to get a spell off against her.

The blue ball of crackling energy hit Zrazta right in the chest. But my new armour design did exactly as it was meant to and grounded the energy away, and then it was too late.

She hit the warlock like a bengal tiger on a rabbit.

I couldn't help but cringe at the sound of snapping bones. The skeletons didn't have a chance as they tried to assist their creator, Zrazta really went to town on them, grinding them into dust before going back to batting the would-be 'godling' around.

"That's a red dragon!"

I looked over at Samuel, "Yeah, don't worry. She just has a thing about necromancy," before I frowned at him, "...you're not a necromancer, right?"

His eyes went a bit wider and quickly shook her head, "That's a red dragon!"

Why do I get the feeling that he's more stuck on the 'red' than the 'dragon'?

 

[Hiver]

"She's a red dragon!?" Zeek hissed to me as Zrazta gripped the necromancer with her jaws, his legs in her front paws before outright ripping him in half, batting the halves off in different directions.

"Yes?" I asked with a frown, "Why?"

"They're evil!"

I sighed and shook my head, "You have been getting to know her for a couple of days, did she seem evil to any of you?"

"...no, but that doesn't mean anything…" Samuel said carefully, and then cringed.

I followed his gaze over my shoulder as Zrazta flung what remained of the would-be necromancer away from her and against the wall of the keep before letting loose a stream of fire that as it faded away revealed the stones covered with thick moss, grass and flowers having exploded out from every crack between the rocks.

"Love, I think he's dead!" I yelled to her.

She looked over at me and snorted before padding over, her armour retracting back into the low profile it usually had, "I may have overreacted," she admitted.

"Gee, you think?" I asked with a grin, reaching up to scratch a bit beneath her left eye.

Zrazta licked some blood off her snout before moving in to nuzzle at my shoulder, and I kept scratching softly before I raised an eyebrow at the rest of the team.

Darius looked between us, having retreated another couple of steps from us, "...You're a dragon too."

"Indeed," I agreed with a smile.

"You're a red dragon too," Zeek slowly said, and also backed away slowly.

I rolled my eyes and walked a bit away before I turned back to my real form, groaning and stretching my wings wide before turning to look at them.

Samuel stared at me, "B-blue!"

"Blue," I agreed and moved up next to Zrazta, giving her a small nuzzle before I looked at them again, "I take it you believe Blue dragons are also evil?"

"Yes!"

"Do they get along with red ones?" Zrazta asked, and then nuzzled me back.

Darius slowly edged further away and glanced to Samuel, "Well, Wizard?"

"...Not in general, no…" the wizard admitted, "If anything, they are mortal enemies."

"So at the very least, we aren't usual dragons," I said and shifted a bit closer to Zraztas larger side, leaning slightly against her.

It felt so good to be back in our real forms, and right now I just kind of wanted the humans to go away so I could curl up with her.

I felt Zrazta tense slightly and I shifted to follow her gaze behind the group. There was an ogre standing at the exit into the rest of the fortress.

He woodenly looked between Zrazta and me, the humans and dwarf, as well as the general mess we(or rather Zrazta) hadmade of the courtyard, "Boss dead?" he finally asked, looking at Zeek.

Zeek nodded, "Boss dead."

The ogre nodded, "I leave now. Want no trouble."

Then he backed away and disappeared back into the dark of the hallway.

"...I think ogres may be smarter than some think," Darius grumbled but didn't take his eyes off of us, his warhammer held tightly in his large hands.

I snored and shook my head, "The point I was making," I said and looked at them, "We have no plans of killing, eating, crushing, or otherwise harming any of you. The entire point of coming with you on this trip is that we were looking to hire you. That would be somewhat counter productive."

"Okay."

That was Samuel, he was staring at us, eyes still wide.

I sighed and have Zrazta a quick nuzzle before focused on channeling my magic into turning into my mortal form once more, it seemed like our real ones was simply too intimidating for this, "We're not going to force you to do it either," I said as Zrazta transformed next to me as well, "It's an offer, that's all it is."

Zeek looked at us for a long moment before he slowly sheathed his sword, "...Okay. I think it's time we hear that offer."

Zrazta smiled at him, "Sounds good to me, but perhaps not here? Or at least find somewhere defensible for the night?"

Darius nodded as well but didn't lower his war hammer from a somewhat defensive posture, "...Inside the keep?" he suggested, "Most of it is still standing."

I smiled, "Sounds like a plan."

 

[Hiver]

Samuel looked up from his notes before looking at me across the fire, "If I understand this right, you and your wife are representatives of an organization, a guild really, that's dedicated to gathering knowledge?"

Zrazta nodded to him where she sat next to me, "That's correct."

"But not just knowledge," I said as well, "Artifacts are also interesting. And when it comes to buying and selling knowledge, it's not only rare magical lore or spells. Anything you can possibly think of is interesting to us and worth preserving. Be it your grandmother's recipe for apple pie or the secret to creating thinking golems, we gather and collect it all for preservation, restoration, and sale."

"So not secrets as such?" Zeek asked with a frown, "There are groups that trade in knowledge, but that's more state secrets and such."

I shook my head, "I don't care who embezzles from whom or who is sleeping with whose wife. If they have a new or unknown way of making flour, though, that's interesting."

"And then you sell this knowledge to… anyone that asks?" Samuel asked with a frown, glancing down at his book.

"Yes," Zrazta agreed, "The Azure Consortium is neutral to all parties and conflicts. If the farmer from outside town wants to buy necromantic rituals, if he can pay or trade equally valuable knowledge for it, we'll be more than happy to sell it to him," she said, then grimaced, "Despite my personal feelings on the matter. We'd warn him it's a bad idea and the price would be very high, but he would be free to buy it."

"Same as if 'Doom, warlord of the dread horde and slaughterer of the innocent' or someone similar makes contact and wishes to buy new weapon designs or books and scrolls on tactics," I told him, "He has as much right to purchase from us as the baker from across the street looking for a new recipe for apple strudel."

Zrazta fished through her satchel and passed me an apple.

I blinked at her in surprise before I turned back to Samuel, "The only knowledge we don't readily sell or trade with anyone else is spells, artifacts and similar with no purpose other than to cause extreme and widespread destruction. Such as for example a spell to summon a plague to exterminate all humans. We would of course still buy and store it, because who knows when you need the original spell to find the counter spell, but we wouldn't sell it on to anyone else."

Samuel frowned and then shook his head, "To just sell magic spells like that, it's dangerous. Without the training and discipline to use them right..."

I shrugged, "A small price for preserving it for future generations and ages. How many spells and other knowledge has been lost to the ages because the guy that knew it fell over dead one day? Or because a library collection burned down?"

The wizard looked uncomfortable for a long moment, "I don't know. But it seems… irresponsible."

"More so than risking that the cure for an illness becomes lost?" Zrazta asked him, "Empires, kingdoms, cities… they all rise and fall like the waves. Civilizations, just like people, forget things. What if a cure for an illness is well known two thousand years ago, but because the illness was rare, the cure stopped being used as much, and with time, forgotten. Books and scrolls lost to age or accident. And now the illness flares up again and spreads across the land with nobody knowing how to prevent it anymore. The goal of our organization is not to simply trade and hoard knowledge, it is to preserve it forever. All of it."

Zeek shifted a bit where he sat with his back against the stone wall. We had taken up temporary camp in the main keep, mainly because the door actually worked once lifted into place, the fire we had set was burning in the middle of the stone floor, the smoke drifting away through the hole in the wall and broken windows.

"That does sound like a good thing," He finally said and looked at Samuel, "I see your point too, Sam, but we both know you have spent so much time trying to discover lost spells and spell books. Longer than I have been alive."

"That's not the part I have trouble with," the wizard admitted, "But selling them on to anyone that asks..."

"Sadly, we don't have infinite gold," I told him with a smile, "Nor would we want to just gather and store it. Knowledge is meant to be used or it might as well not exist in the first place."

He looked troubled and stared into the fire for a long moment.

"Of course, the local branch leader of the Consortium can somewhat set their own rules," Zrazta said, "While the rules of neutrality are not up for debate, they are free to set their own price or what classification spells get. If you want to set the 'potential world ending, do not sell' on necromancy, feel free. I'm personally all for it. Or if you want to set the price for a specific spell so high that nobody can ever afford it, up to you."

Samuel looked up at her in surprise, "Me!?"

"You," I agreed with a nod, "Zrazta and I are not branch leaders, we, among others, are the ones that are tasked with recruiting branch leaders."

He was silent for a long moment before he shook his head, "No. I...I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but I'm not the one you want," he said before he looked to Zeek, "You do it."

Zeek gaped at him, "What!? I don't know anything about magic or research!"

"No, but you know money and business better than I do," Samuel told him, "I've been a researcher all my life, I know nothing about those kinds of things."

Zeek shook his head with a frown, "...I'm not saying no, but if we were to do that, you better be right there to handle anything else.," before he turned his head to the dwarf, "What do you think?"

Darius looked thoughtful at the fire for a long moment before he sighed, "Why not? I'm getting too old to run around hunting or guarding things. About time to settle down, I think."

Zeek grimaced slightly, "That… would be nice," he admitted before he nodded and turned to us, "How would this work?"

"Simple enough," I explained, "You will be provided with a basic copy of rare spells and other information to get you started as well as a bit of gold. After that, it's up to you how you do it. But I can tell you this much, some of the other branches have gotten rich. Very, very rich. From time to time one of the agents such as my wife or myself will stop by and deliver further scrolls, books or similar with more collected knowledge as well as pick up a copy of everything you have acquired so far. Any actual gold or other valuables you collect will stay with your branch of the Consortium."

Zeek looked at me warily, "How much gold?"

"Depends on how much you manage to make. The Consortium isn't looking for gold, we want knowledge."

 

[Hiver]

We took a day or so to teach Samuel how to fly the magic carpet and to hand over the book with spells they would need.

Then we bid them goodbye and left them to it.

The wind howled and rain beat down hard in sheets, making it almost impossible to see out from beneath the thick branches of the tree above.

Zrazta shifted slightly, resting her head across my neck, curled up next to me. I opened my eyes, looking out into the twilight before closing my eyes again with a small yawn as I relaxed, enjoying the feeling of the cool rain dripping down on my scales.

Nice and cool.

After leaving the would-be merchants to make their way back home with the carpet, we had spent a couple of days just flying and hunting.

It had been nice to just… do nothing for a bit. Even if it got me… us… too much time on our minds to worry about Sheila.

I slowly started to slip out from beneath Zrazta's wing, causing her to blink at me,

"Hrm?" she asked as she raised her head.

"Get some more rest," I told her, giving her a small nuzzle, "We're leaving today, I was just thinking about getting some spell practice done first. I did promise Alexstrasza."

Zrazta nodded and settled back down as I got up and stretched, moving away across the clearing, glancing up against the clouds for a second. It didn't look like it would stop raining anytime soon, which really was a good thing.

Not only was it nice and cool, but it would also make sure the forest didn't burn up.

Shaking some water off my wings, I started to go through all the spells I knew before settling on the new ones I learned on Ravnica, and I knew just which to focus on right now.

Focusing, I channeled red mana and I fed it into the spell.

Fire flickered before me. Just a little spark, not even enough to call a fireball. Fire spells were not really my kind of deal. Which was exactly why I picked it.

I sent the bolt of fire at the closest tree and fire splashed against the soaking wet trunk before flickering out.

Alexstrasza wanted me to get better at my spell casting and… she was right. It was lagging behind my abilities with enchanting and artificing hard, and as the elf bitch had shown me, I couldn't always rely on my equipment.

But this was so much harder and felt like such a waste of mana.

For the same effort I put into that little firebolt, I could make a sword that cut through almost anything while also on fire.

What I really needed was a way to do both. Just somehow…

Half closing my eyes, I sat down and folded my wings, focusing and channeling more red mana into another firebolt.

If I just could do both. Pull things out as I needed them like a spell, but make them less of a waste of mana.

I sent the bolt of fire at the same tree as before as I channeled blue instead, sending a fluttering butterfly flying around my head.

I couldn't help but purr softly in memory as I looked at the butterfly as it landed on my nose. I remembered the first time I cast a butterfly illusion. Of course, that was when learning how to use Azerothian magic when I was still with Venir in Outland.

That had been a simpler time. Easier.

Even if I did hate that fucking swamp so much.

Looking at the butterfly sitting on the tip of my snout, I felt its weight. It was there, but just barely. Just a little butterfly.

A few more hours, then we head over to Azeroth and get Wrathion, we'll be back in time for Sheila to emerge from the ritual.

Just another week and a bit longer.

Of course, that assumed we didn't need to hunt down Wrathion and beat his tail until he stopped resisting being carried back.

Somehow I think the odds of that wasn't the best, that's the reason he was there in the first place, being worried for Anduin with the war going on.

With any luck the mortals have chilled out by now and we could just roll up, tell Wrathion to gather his gear and then visit Venir and spend the week in Stormwind, just taking in the sights and such.

Heh.

Yeah, right. I predicted needing to hunt Wrathion down across half the planet and then over to Outland or something to even find him.

I looked at the butterfly. I'd have to give them that, Ravnican illusions were really good, it felt real sitting on my nose. Almost like if…

I eyed it and started to channel my mana into it. Almost like it was real enough to ench-

Pop.

The little illusionary butterfly dissolved into nothing as soon as the enchantment matrix touched it.

I just sighed and started to channel land mana again for the next spell. A few hours of practice and then we'll get going.

 

[Hiver]

"Easy, easy…" I told my summoned horse as we rode through the gates of stormwind, Zrazta following behind me on her own horse. Once again, she was wearing her 'human' disguise. Easily good enough to pass even a cursory magical scan.

We had arrived just a couple of hours ago. Of course we landed in a fucking desert.

But thankfully, the forest outside of Stormwind was just a portal away, and from there we made our way to the main road and summoned a pair of horses to take us to the human capital city.

"You think he's still at the castle?" Zrazta asked as she rode up next to me as we moved along the cobblestone street. Over her armour, she wore the illusion of a simple but elegant red dress, the same way I covered my actual armour with an enchantment, making it look like a simple leather armour.

All to attract less attention.

Reaching up to touch my necklace to check with the enchantment on Wrathion's armour, I then nodded, "Unless he left his armour, he's still there," I confirmed.

If he actually left it behind to avoid us, I would kick his teeth in if he was still alive.

Zrazta nodded and took a deep breath as she looked around, "It's… it's good to be back again," she admitted.

"...Yeah, it is," I agreed.

I missed Azeroth. A lot, actually. Flying over the tundra, traveling with Venir.

Simpler times.

But we couldn't be here, not until we found a way to defeat the Old Gods once and for all, because as proven with Neltharion and a possible timeline of Nozdormu… if we did, we risked corruption. If we stayed, they would sooner or later win and then we would end with the world.

The titans entrusted the Dragonflights with protecting this world. But we couldn't do it here.

Right now, the best we could do was to leave.

Riding up to a set of smaller castle gates, I dismounted and approached the guards, "Greetings. I'm Atreus, this is my wife Sarah. We're here to meet with the King."

The four guards just kind of looked at each other before the closest one shook his head, "I'm sorry, but the king is very busy, if you return down the street and take a left you will reach one of the administration buildings, I'm sure they can handle your business, sir."

I smiled at him, "Just send it on, let your commander make the call. I'm sure we are on a list somewhere."

Annoying as it was, he was just doing his job after all, and rather well it looked like.

He didn't look very happy, but pulled out a small scroll and scribbled something down on it before returning to the rest, handing it to a runner who entered through a smaller sidegate.

We didn't need to wait very long, as some twenty minutes later a guard returned with an answer. The Sergeant took it and read through it before he nodded and turned to us,

"Please, follow me. I have been instructed to escort you to his highness."

"Of course," I agreed and tied my horse up next to Zrazta's, "Lead the way."

I had expected us to be taken to one of the smaller meeting rooms, but instead we were led to the throne room itself. I had actually only been there once before and never for an actual meeting.

King Anduin was seated on his throne, and Wrathion was there as well, standing to the side of the steps up to it. The room had a number of guards at each entrance as well as the usual group of advisors.

"Your Highness, Master Atreus and companion," our guard introduced us with a bow before retreating.

I stepped forward and gave him a small bow, "Your Highness," I said in greeting.

He regarded me for a moment before he nodded in turn, "Master Atreus," he said before he looked around, "Leave us. Rai, you can stay."

A couple of the advisors and the guard in the fanciest armour looked like they were going to protest but a look from Anduin caused them to leave quietly.

The door closed behind them and Anduin smiled, "It's good to see you again, Atregos."

"You as well, Your Highness," I agreed, "You have met my Consort, Zrazta?"

"I have," he said and got up from his throne, "Lady Zrazta."

Zrazta smiled and nodded, "It's good to see you again."

I looked over to Wrathion, "Wrathion."

"Atregos," he greeted me as he walked up next to Andiun, "Here to take me back home?"

Straight to business, was it?

"It's time," I agreed, "Alexstrasza asked me to give you passage back."

Wrathion nodded, "I understand, but now is not a good time. The war is still ongoing and I can't leave right now, I'm still needed."

I almost punched him in the face.

 

[Hiver]

I took a deep breath and met his eyes, "Wrathion, you know why we left Azeroth. Do you really want to risk staying here? Knowing what happened to the last of the Blacks that got involved with 'them'?"

That got a reaction and he growled, "That's not relevant. It's not forever, it's just to the end of the war."

"It's very much relevant," I said and stepped closer, "But put that away for the moment. This is from Alexstrasza and she wants you back."

Wrathion scowled before he sighed and shook his head, "...I understand that and I am going to return, I just can't yet, Atregos."

I sighed, "Look out the window. Do you see Horde forces assaulting the walls? Menacing the population?"

He shook his head and growled before he shook his head again, "The war is mainly fought as border skirmishes and disputed territories." he admitted, "but it's only a matter of time until it gets worse."

I frowned at him, "Which could take years."

"I-" Andiun started to say and we turned to look at him, causing him to stop talking.

Turning back to Wrathion, I crossed my arms, "That's not logical. Yes, the war could turn worse, but anything else could happen too. If it wasn't the war, then it would be something else."

"That's not fair."

"Life rarely is," I said, "But there are a couple of things you aren't counting into this 'I'm staying here' thing."

"Which is?" Wrathion asked as he eyed me warily.

"Umbria," I told him and he just kind of froze.

"What of Umbria?" he asked as he watched me carefully.

I shook my head, "You have to know that sooner or later she's going to attract more attention from somebody else. Or, being who she is, more likely finding Consorts of her own instead of finding a mate."

Wrathion growled.

"There is also the fact that Alexstrasza tasked me with bringing you back with us, and if it takes Challenging you and stuffing you into a soulstone myself, then that's what it takes," I told him plainly.

Wrathion froze again, "...You wouldn't. I'm a Flightleader, you can-"

"And I'm me," I said with a small growl, "I'd rather not, but that's what I'll do if I have to."

"No, you are not," Anduin said and stepped between me and Wrathion, his hand on his sword as he faced me, "I think of you as a friend, Atregos, but I'm not going to let you-"

Wrathion put his hand on his Consort's shoulder, "Please," he said softly, "This isn't for you."

"Rai…"

"Please."

Andiun didn't look happy but took his hand off his sword and stepped back.

Wrathion looked to me again, "...Something is bothering you," he finally said, "What has happened?"

I stepped closer and lowered my voice, "Sheila went into the ritual to turn her into one of us before we left. Rengosa and Zrazta thought traveling for a few weeks would be good to keep me from worrying. Alexstrasza then tasked me with bringing you back… time is getting short as it is, and if I'm not there when she emerges and anything…"

I couldn't say it out loud.

He slowly nodded before scowling at the marble floor for a long moment before he sighed, "I understand," he said quietly and took a slow deep breath, "...I suppose you're right," he finally admitted, "It's time I return. When?"

"Seven more days," I said with a small smile, "So there is plenty of time to say goodbye. And if I did think things would go really badly here, I would have people I would like to evacuate as well. Same as you."

If it looked like the Horde would win, no way I would let Venir and her family stay here, no matter what she wanted personally. She could be as pissed at me as she liked about it as long as she was alive to do it.

But I doubted any side would overrun the other like that.

"And Umbria?" he asked quietly.

"Fine, last time I saw her before we left," I answered, "She is studying the geology of the region with a few assistants. Something about planned redirection of a few rivers."

"...That's good."

I nodded and he looked towards Andiun who was watching us from over next to Zrazta,

"What now?" Wrathion asked.

"Now, I was thinking about taking my Consort out for dinner and looking for a place to stay for tonight," I said, "It has been quite a while since we were in Stormwind after all."

He nodded, "I need to talk to Anduin. But there should be no need to find somewhere, the guest wing of the castle has space."

"Thank you," I said, "But I think we're portaling to Northrend tomorrow and going flying until it is time."

Wrathion nodded again and glanced over towards Anduin for a moment, "Could you and Zrazta return here tonight? There may be some something you could help us with that would make me feel a lot better about leaving, but I want to talk it through with Andiun first."

"Of course."

 

[Hiver]

Wrathion was waiting along with Andiun when we returned later that evening. Another man was in the meeting room as well.

His appearance just screamed 'Mage' to anyone that looked at him. Long blue robes with bottles of potions hanging at his belt, counter balancing a book at his other side and a small satchel. He looked old for a human, long white hair and a beard equally white and long enough to stuff into his belt.

Anduin looked at us when we were announced by the guard. He waited until the door closed though before he nodded to us, "Atregos, Zrazta. This is Archmage Lockdan, he is my main magical advisor and I thought it was important that he was here for this."

I eyed him for a second. "He knows."

"Of course I know, dragon," Lockdan said calmly, his voice slightly dry, "It is easy for those that know to see. You are barely trying to hide it."

...Eh, fair enough.

I nodded to him before I looked to Anduin and Wrathion again, "So, what's this about?"

Anduin smiled slightly, "I would like to hire the services of the Azure Consortium," he told me, "Would that be possible?"

Official then huh?

I nodded, "Perhaps," I agreed, "It depends on what you wish to purchase."

He smiled, "I would like to purchase an artifact capable of projecting an unbreakable shield across this city."

I frowned at that, "Nothing is truly unbreakable. But we certainly can do the next best thing," I agreed, "But it will be expensive. Not necessarily just in payment, but in materials needed."

"You'll have whatever materials that you need," Anduin reassured me, "I would also like you to teach a group of our mages how you made it."

I shook my head, "I'm sorry, but that's not possible. This will be a highly complicated device and it will be impossible to teach them what's necessary during the week available. I could either make the artifact or teach basic enchanting. Both won't be possible."

"Master Dragon," Lockdan said and leaned against his staff, "I assure you that me and my colleagues are more than capable of handling advanced enchanting instructions."

I regarded him for a moment, "Very well," I said and looked around the room before I walked over and picked up a writing quill laying on a shelf.

Picking it up, I ran my other hand along it as I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds, channeling mana into the feather as I wove a quick weave of enchantments through it, none very advanced. Unbreakable, always sharp, making it heavier and just to be fancy, I made it not glow at all.

Then I turned and threw it hard across the room.

The feather whirled through the air like a dagger only to sink a couple of inches into the stone wall when it struck with a solid thunk.

Picking up another feather, I walked over to the archmage and offered it to him, "Your turn."

He looked like I had smacked him with a live fish.

"Archmage Lockdan," Wrathion said softly, "Atregos is the best enchanter I know or have even heard of. Including the Flightleader of the Blue Dragonflight."

"I-I see…"

"His idea of basic may be different from most," Wrathion continued.

"As I said," I told them, "I can do either during this week. Teach basic enchantment theory or make this artifact you like, there won't be time for both."

Lockdan looked after the feather, looking torn before he sighed and nodded, "The… artifact is more urgent."

"Do you think you'll need it?" Zrazta asked with a small frown.

Anduin shook his head, "In truth, no. But just in case…"

"And your food supplies for the city?" I asked, "If I make the shield to do a complete lockdown, there won't be a lot of farmable areas, but there will be a lot of people wanting to eat."

"It would not be easy," Lockdan admitted, "While the conversion of mana to edible produce is too inefficient to be worth it normally, in the case of that emergency, there is a leyline close enough to the surface that would allow us to feed the population. The food would be boring to say the least, but it should be enough."

Conjured food was notoriously difficult to do at scale as well as mana hungry, and while filling, it was boring. Mostly bread.

But if I extended the shield far enough over the ocean and allowed fish through…

That could work.

I nodded, "Then there is simply a matter of payment," I said before I cleared my throat, "Uhm, could I have some water?"

Anduin looked at me with an eyebrow raised. Wrathion looked amused but walked over and poured a goblet of water before handing it to me.

I took a sip, "Thank you. Payment received in full. Where can I work?"

Wrathion laughed.

 

[Hiver]

Well, that should do it.

I rubbed my chin as I looked at the pile of materials in the middle of the room. It took up the top room of one of the castle towers that had been stripped down to bare wood and stone, everything else but the pile of mixed metal bars piled in the middle.

Walking around the pile, I started to count, going through my list. The pile of metal was mostly semi precious metals. Admantite, cobalt, silver, gold, copper.

I picked up a small crown with a bunch of gems set in it. Not as big as I'd prefer, but enough of them will work as long as…

The door opened and Lockdan walked inside, carrying a wooden box.

"You have it, Archmage?" I asked as I turned to the eldery mage.

"We do," he said, "but it was not easy to procure at this short notice," and he walked over to me before unlocking and opening the box, turning it to show me.

I reached in and picked up a crystal as big as my head. A perfect sapphire. I channeled some magic into the shape, feeling for imperfections.

It was close to perfect.

That'll work.

I nodded to him, "It will work, thank you," I said and put it down on the stack of silver bars.

"I do not see how you are planning on doing this is five days," he asked as he looked at the pile of materials, "There isn't enough time to forge the parts, yet alone enchant them."

I grinned at him, "You can watch if you wish. But you would need to stay still and out of the way and it may take a day or so."

He looked a bit mulish, "Where can I observe from and not be in the way?"

"Over next to the door should work," I said and moved over to the pile of materials as I channeled my magic before filling the room with spell smoke as I returned to my real form.

The room was large enough and I wasn't about to do this in mortal form if I could help it.

I glanced over at the human. He did a good job at not looking startled.

Good for him.

I pulled my attention back from him and returned it to my pile of materials instead as I climbed onto it and laid down across it.

More contact made this easier.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the enchantment diagram I had designed and fed mana into it as I felt the metal grow softer beneath me as I focused, blending and flowing it together.

While not the most advanced design, even with the fish acceptance rules, it would cover a massive area of space so it would need to be built at scale.

It would cover Stormwind, be secure against portals, shield breaks and also be a full sphere so nobody tried to dig beneath it.

Because if it wasn't absolutely perfect, it wouldn't last.

It also needed to be adaptive to adjust and absorb new attacks. It was a challenge, despite its at first glance simple scope.

I mean, a shield bubble? Most mages could make that on their own. But this wasn't just a shield bubble.

The metal continued to flow and shift as I focused on it, wrapping it in magic as I wove it and my enchantments, pieces breaking through the stone walls, others wrapping around the tower or piercing the roof, reinforcing the structure.

When I finally opened my eyes, I stretched my wings as far as they would spread in the narrow space, yawning as I looked to the side. The control matrix was at the side of the room. It looked good.

"There," I said and turned my head to look at the eldery mage, "It is finished."

He looked as tired as I felt and had a quill in his hand, still scribbling notes on an unrolled scroll longer than he was tall, before looking up, "It's done?"

"It's done," I agreed and focused my magic, turning into mortal form with another cloud of spell smoke, "I tied it into the leyline, it's not going to run out of magic."

"Remarkable," Lockdan said tiredly as he looked around the now completely transformed chamber, "In all my years, I have never seen anything like it."

"It's a special skill," I agreed and walked over to the control lectern, running my hand across it, feeling the magic flowing up and through it, only waiting for the activation.

"Would it be… possible to learn?" Lockdan asked as he carefully stepped onto the metal covering the wooden floor.

"Of course," I agreed as I turned to look at the old mage, "If you are willing to pay for the information, of course you can purchase it."

"And it would be expensive, I reckon," he said a bit dryly.

"The best things almost always are," I said and motioned for the lectern, "Touch the dome, turn it clockwise to activate the shield. Nothing will enter and leave the city with it active. Turn it the other way to deactivate. But be warned, if you deactivate it, it needs time to activate once more. A full week."

"I see."

 

[Hiver]

Venir, as it turned out, were not actually in town. According to the people at the Azure Consortium branch she headed here, she was off to Pandaria of all places.

Which meant no catching up with her unless I wanted to chase her halfway across the Plane. That just wasn't very practical.

Which in turn meant that Zrazta and I found ourselves with a couple of days of actual free time for once.

Or rather, 'free time'.

I had promised Alexstrasza something after all.

Channeling red mana into another spell matrix, I cast the spell and the little flicker of flame appeared between my fingers, just enough to light a candle.

I had a hypothesis. One of my problems with actual spells, not just because it was a complete waste of mana compared to the permanent effects of enchantments, was that I was just slow at doing it. For the same time and mana as that little puff of flame, I could make a sword unbreakable and flickering with flame.

Maybe not permanently, since as a quick and dirty thing it would only last for a couple of hours, but still.

My hypothesis was that I simply wasn't used to using mana, especially land mana, in such a matter. In which case, just grinding the fastest and easiest spells using land magic I could get my claws on would make it easier with time.

Zrazta was lounging beneath a nearby tree in her real form, half asleep as she watched me cast the spells for what felt like a millionth time today. I alternated. Yesterday I had done it in my real form, today I was doing it in mortal form.

The sound of the jungle filled my ears as I channeled mana again, this time reaching for blue as I flicked my fingers and sent the illusion of a small ball of light circling around the clearing.

Actually having a few days away from having to do anything, we had retreated away from civilization to just go flying, hunting and practicing magic. Just relax for a couple of days.

I wanted to go to the Northrend where it was properly cold with plenty of snow and ice and those tasty, tasty mammoths.

Zrazta wanted to go somewhere warm, full of life and with plenty of tasty things to eat.

So we compromised and ended up going to the jungle at the southern end of the continent, Stranglethorn Vale it was called. I had to admit, for a jungle it wasn't that bad. It didn't rain too badly and while it was hot, it was a kind of heat I could manage.

...And the tigers did taste good.

Lifting my hand, I channeled red mana once more into my left hand this time, twisting it through a spell matrix, and flame flickered between my fingers before I dropped it and dumped a full two mana into a counterspell.

The spell completed and then fizzled, not having any sort of spell to target with it so it just dissolved into thin air.

"Library?"

"Your counterspell finished casting almost one tenth of a second faster than the last time," my magical ring construct said, "You finished casting it in one point four seconds. You have been able to cut almost forty percent of your casting time."

"Yeah, but that's not even that complex of a spell," I said, "Just kind of a power spike into the opposing spell matrix. I have to cast slowly on the bigger ones or they just… destabilize on me. What am I doing wrong?"

"Insufficient data."

"Yeah, I figured," I sighed and nodded, looking down at the ring around my finger, "Well, keep working at it."

"More close observation of other casting of land magic would assist my analysis," he said, "The more datapoints we can gather, the easier it would be."

"...Maybe Alexis could help there…" I said thoughtfully, "Maybe I should go find her after Sheila gets back on her claws. She's not that easy to find though, I think she's traveling more than I am."

"As you say, master."

Shrugging, I shook my head before I channeled mana into another spell, flicking flame through my fingers before casting another after that and another.

I tried mixing it up between all the demonstration spells we picked up on Ravnica. I avoided the Black mana one though. I just found the idea of using it to decay something to be distasteful.

A whistling sound filled the air and I turned quickly, just in time for a heavy arrow to hit me in the shoulder. Instead of piercing what was seemingly leather, it glanced off to the side, the shaft shattering into splinters.

Huh?

With a roar a troop of Horde soldiers charged out of the jungle next to the clearing, charging us with their weapons ready. A bear charged with them next to a pair of Tauren. An undead soldier readied his bow to take aim at me again, letting loose another arrow.

Ambush!

 

[Hiver]

No time to change back, instead I let the illusion over my armour drop as I pulled my dagger from my belt, extending it into a staff to block the lunging chop from an Orc's axe.

A rumbling growl from the side revealed that Zrazta was getting to her paws, silvery armour deploying across her body.

There were over twenty of them and only two of us.

I twisted, turning to push the axe to the side as I flashed the staff down into a dagger again. He was wearing heavy embossed and enchanted adamantium armour.

He overbalanced as all resistance went away and I stepped forward, shifting to slam the dagger into the side of his head straight through his helmet.

Crap metalwork empowered and protected by even more crap enchantment. Barely even slowed my weapon down.

They really should have brought more people if they were trying to assassinate us.

Then the next attacker was upon me and I pulled on my mana, dumping it into a Frost Troll and sending it charging at the closest Tauren before raising my left hand and blowing the Blood Elf charging at us into little chunky bits.

A spell flew towards me and I shifted my weapon back to a spear, spinning to intercept the frostbolt from the troll mage to the side. My weapon flashed and the spell grounded out.

I answered by turning it into a throwing dagger and sending it flickering towards him, causing him to throw up a Frost armour spell.

The weapon shimmered back into my hand with a thought and a twist of magic just in time to shift to lift my left vambrace to project a shield as I brought it up to block a blow from a heavy warhammer, driving me back a step.

Motherfu-

I dropped the shield and kicked the orc in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards, but he didn't have time to fall before Zraztas armoured wing caught him in the neck and the cutting edge just made his head kind of go away.

I was no longer their biggest problem as they now had a close-to-invulnerable dragon in their midst. Which pulled some pressure off me, giving me time to work.

Dumping a ton of green mana into the ground, I pulled hard on one of my oldest spells and the roots of the earth answered from the trees around the clearing. Roots and branches lashed up, ripping the earth apart as they seeked out their targets, wrapping around them pulling them towards the ground.

Of course, it didn't do more than slow most people down. Wood could only move so fast after all. But being slowed down while in the middle of being attacked by a dragon in magical power armour was generally a bad thing.

A spell hit me in the back but my armour did its job for once and it shattered into dispersing sparks of magic and I twisted around, raising my left hand towards the troll mage again, this time dumping a full land of mana into the gauntlet on my hand and causing a implosion just in front of him.

He blinked out of the way before it could impact and was out of my sight.

Can't work with that fucker taking potshots at my back!

Growling, I pulled a shield bubble trinket from my belt, did some quick on the fly alterations, dumped some extra mana into it before I tossed it into the middle of the clearing. A second later a shield bubble appeared around the clearing.

That'll only last ten minutes or so, but enough for the fight to be over.

An Orc managed to disengage from Zrazta and came charging at me, shield and sword in hand. I growled and channeled mana, sending Witcher at him before I channeled mana inwards and returned to my real form in a cloud of spell smoke. Before the smoke had even started to disperse, I signaled my armour to deploy over my body, "ENOUGH!" I roared and beat my wings before flicking them backwards and up, causing metal disks to release from the rear of my wings and rain down around the clearing.

They landed on the forest floor and everything exploded into frost like a dozen frost novas, covering everybody but the ones wearing gear of my design up to the waist with thick ice.

Zrazta batted one of the orcs hard enough to break the ice, sending the heavily armoured Orc sprawling across the icy ground before me, "This one seems to be in charge," she said.

Before the orc could scramble to his feet, I slammed a paw down on his back, driving him down against the ice as I leaned in with a deep growl, "Why are you attacking us, mortal?"

The orc was apparently smart enough to answer me quickly, "The Warchief! Standing… orders… find out… where…"

I lifted my weight slightly from his back so he could continue,

"Where the dragons went!" he finished, "Orders! We had orders!"

"And you decided that the way to do that is to attack us?" I growled and shifted, Quicksmithing his full suit of heavy armour into a single piece of metal and weaving some special enchantments into it, stripping them of their old ones as I did before stepping off him, "You never thought to ask?"

"Never mind," I continued before he could answer, "I won't kill you this time as I have a message for her. Tell her that she's going to lose her little war because clearly she is too stupid to have any kind of chance of winning. Tell her that she'll never know what happened to us or where we went. Tell her… that if she tries anything like this ever again, I'm going to personally come find her and rip her undead head off and shove it up the arse of her second in command as a warning to all future generations that some things are simply not a good idea to do. Do you think you can remember that message, Orc?"

He struggled in his fused armour, "You ca-"

I raised my right claws and tightened them like a fist, his armour closing tighter around him, bones creaking loudly as he screamed.

I'm so fucking tired of being attacked randomly when just minding my own buisness.

"Yes! Yes! I'll tell her! I'll pass your message!!"

"Thank you. Most appreciated."

Zrazta moved up next to me, "We should leave," she said softly.

I nodded, "Let's go somewhere where there is less wildlife. These things are a bit too energetic for relaxation," I said and nuzzled her gently.