Metamorphosis

[Hiver]

We had portalled back to back to Stormwind with less than a day left before we could leave for back home.

Luckily the rest of the time we had been able to stay away from orcs messing with our alone time or anyone as well for that matter.

Now I stood on top of one of the walls of the castle overlooking the human capital, the ocean glittering in the distance.

Crossing my arms in thought, I frowned slightly with a small sigh.

Sheila. If we timed this right, I should get back in time to be there for when you emerge from the ritual. It worked with me. The modified version had worked with Jaina. But I still couldn't help but worry.

A lot

It was the single most complicated spell I had ever even seen and I had never been able to pull it off. A month long ritual spell.

Kalecgos had done it twice and I honestly had no idea if I would ever be able to get that good.

Lifting one hand, I idly channeled some blue mana into a spell, casting one little illusion, causing an illusionary hamster to form in the palm of my hand.

I felt the weight of it, the warmth of the little mammal. The movements, the small scratches of the little claws.

In every way that mattered, it looked, felt and even smelled real.

Even the inside looked real. It even bled. I had tried it when I first created this variation of the spell. The more effort I put into making it, the more detail, the more real it felt.

But even a tiny bit of… I lifted my other hand and sent a tiny little spell onto it, just a simple little light spell and the small rodent dissolved into sparkles.

Even a tiny bit of directed magic caused the matrix to collapse.

So while they were a lot better than Azerothian illusions, they were just… way too easy to dispel. Then again, this was the easiest thing they handed out to basically everyone.

Perhaps there was more advanced stuff that didn't do that? That would easily make this worth using… a lot actually. Easier to modify, easier and faster to cast than actual summons.

Maybe I could even figure out how to do that myself, without needing to purchase it or trade for it?

I raised my right hand, "Library, project spell diagram for butterfly illusion."

The circular mana diagram appeared before me, glowing lines flowing in the air between power nodes and metamorphic capacitances.

A spell diagram was almost like an enchantment diagram, except not at all. But the basic theory behind it was similar on its own.

Rubbing my chin, I frowned and flicked my right hand to bring up a flat screen of light on my right, letting me start noting things down.

Library was fucking awesome and by far my most useful creation so far.

"Atregos."

I glanced back and then gave the dragon walking up to me a nod, "Wrathion," I said in greeting and as he stopped next to me, I flicked my right hand causing the matrix to slide in front of him instead as I reached out and pointed at a cluster of mana strings, "Does this make sense to you? This part doesn't seem to do anything."

He blinked at it in surprise before he frowned in thought, "I'm… uncertain," he admitted before looking at the spell diagram for several long minutes, "It's some kind of illusion spell?" he asked, glancing at me.

I nodded, "Yes. Ravnican. Been practicing on it for the last few days. This particular one creates a simple blue butterfly. Been looking at the spell diagram for a bit to figure out the basis for the spell, and even made a couple of variations of it myself. But this part of it has bothered me for days. This part," I said and pointed at the offending knot of spell threads, "This part doesn't seem to do anything," I said, "But if I try the spell without it, it fizzles. What is it and why is it in my spell!?"

Wrathion looked amused and shook his head, "I'm afraid you are asking the wrong dragon. Spell theory of this level is not my expertise."

"Yeah, going to check with Jaina and Kalecgos when we get back home," I admitted and flicked my right hand, causing the holographic projection to shut down, "See if she has any ideas, she is pretty brilliant at this stuff."

"We are ready to leave then?" Wrathion asked quietly.

I nodded, "Tonight."

"...Very well," he agreed, "I will be ready. I came looking for you as Zrazta asked me to find you. Something about seeds."

"Seeds?"

"Seeds," he repeated, "I didn't ask for details but I think she's looking to transport several heavy bags of it."

"...Ah."

That'd be tricky. Living materials didn't like the Blind Eternities. Small amounts weren't a problem as I could keep them close enough to my skin, but bags of the stuff?

"I better go find her."

 

[Hiver]

Reality crashed down around me and I spread my wings quickly for balance as I stumbled.

Fuck! That's never getting easier!

If you could just aim your destination easier it would be way better, but…

Starting to extract myself from the heavy bush I had landed in which took considerably longer than I liked, mostly because it was full of sharp thorns. Oh, they couldn't really hurt my scales, but they could damage the bags strapped to me.

I really didn't want that, if those seed containers leaked, Zrazta would be so pissed.

Finally looked around as I finished wiggling out of the heavy brush. I was basically ankle deep in soft powdery snow and in the middle of what looked like a pine forest.

Taking a second to enjoy the well below freezing temperature, I stretched before turning my head to lift out the two soulstones from one of the bags, giving them each a small burst of magic to signal the all clear.

Seconds later, both Wrathion and Zrazta reformed in smoke and fire into their mortal forms. We always traveled like this, it just made things easier as sometimes when they reformed there was little extra space, especially as I had to Walk in my real form so I had wings in case of a sudden volcano or something.

Zrazta stumbled slightly but at least she didn't end up on her knees like Wrathion. Wrathion shook his head and struggled back up before he groaned and rubbed his eyes for a second,

"That is… unpleasant."

"It is," Zrazta agreed, "And it never gets any better," she continued before she returned to her own form in a cloud of spell smoke.

Wrathion snorted and rubbed the back of his neck before he did the same before he moved a bit away and started to cast the spell to open a portal back to the Tower.

Zrazta instead moved up to peer into the bags strapped to my side.

I looked at her, "Did they survive?"

"Seem to have," she agreed and gave me a quick nuzzle, "We had some, but the low amount of viable seed of important plants made the growing experiments take a lot of time."

"Hopefully that'll help then," I said and nuzzled before looking over as Wrathion got the portal open, "We should head for the Tower."

Zrazta nodded and moved past me and Wrathion, moving through the portal. I followed her through, letting him hold the portal open for us.

"World Walker," a dragonkin said as we walked through as he stood guard by the portal chamber, "You are required in the ritual chamber."

Already? But there was still a few da- something was wrong. Something must have gone wrong!

Fear colder than the core of Icecrown gripped me and I nodded, "Of course," I said and shared a look with Zrazta.

She reached up and hooked her claws into the carrying harness I was wearing and just slashed it off me, ignoring the buckles, "Let's go," she said and quickly led the way out of the chamber at a speedy trot.

I rushed to follow.

The path wasn't that long, five minutes maybe. But it was the longest five minutes in my life even if for the life of me I couldn't remember them afterwards other than as a sort of hazy blur.

"Atregos!"

I looked up and spotted Rengosa in her human form as she quickly moved up to us, "Ren! What-"

"She's fine!" Rengosa said and put a hand on Zrazta's and my snouts, "There were… complications to the ritual but Sheila is out, she's alive and she's moving and talking. She's fine."

"Where is she!?" I asked but didn't try to push past her, "What complications!?"

Rengosa frowned, "Lay down, I'm not going to have you rushing in on her like you are now."

I almost growled at her before I took a slow deep breath; she was likely right. It wouldn't help anything.

"That goes for you too, Zrazta," Rengosa continued and looked at her.

Zrazta sank down next to me, "What happened?"

"In short, the Fel that clung to her soul didn't like being purged when the ritual reached it," Rengosa explained calmly, keeping her hands on our heads, stroking calmingly, "Much more energetically than we predicted. Kalecgos managed to adapt to it and change the ritual on the fly to compensate for it, but it still had some strong effects before it was purged."

"Like what?" Zrazta asked before I could.

"Mostly cosmetic it seems so far," Ren answered, "She doesn't look like the Black dragon the blood was donated from."

"Like what?" I asked and swallowed, nosing at her tail.

"She's still a drake," Rengosa said calmingly, "Just not a Black drake. If you two can keep calm, you can go see her. Just don't wake her up, she just went to sleep."

I nodded, "I'm calm. I was just worried."

"I know," Ren said softly, "Come with me."

I got up with Zrazta and followed Ren to and into the chamber next to the ritual chamber and I paused as I spotted Sheila.

Rengosa had been right, she didn't look like a black dragon. But… it wasn't as I had feared and that the Fel had turned her into a demonic monstrocity either.

She had the same shape as a Drake and I could see the lines of a Black drake in her, the shape of the tail and the tail club were almost all Black dragon. But there were differences, a lot of them.

The first thing that hit me was her scales. While at her back she was close to the Black it was meant to be, but the closer to her underside it got, the closer to purple it got. Her wings were almost normal if on the purple side, the flight skin of her wings almost seeming somewhat translucent.

The last major change I could spot was her head. The top of her head seemed more armoured going down between her eyes and she lacked the normal nosehorn. Instead, where a drake her age would normally start to grow a pair of curling pointing horns on each side of her head, shehad three.

She almost looked like a mix of a black drake and a nether drake.

I slowly moved into the chamber, moving closer as I watched her. It was… it was strange. But Rengosa was right, it could have been worse. A lot worse.

Sinking down next to her, I rested my head on the floor, looking at her.

Sheila. Please be okay. Please.

I blinked and glanced up at her. She was bigger than me, too. Okay, that was expected, we were about the same age and female dragons of the same age were bigger than male dragons. But she looked a bit bigger than expected, even.
She stirred slightly and her eyes opened. They were the expected yellow and they found me almost instantly and she struggled to lift her head, "Arelu…"

"I'm here," I said and shifted closer, nuzzling softly, "We're here. Just go back to sleep, okay? None of us are going anywhere."

Making a small tired sound, she let her head drop again and she let out a sigh, her eyes quickly fluttering closed again.

I shifted closer, closing my own eyes as I felt Zrazta and Rengosa both settle down on either side of us.

 

[Hiver]

"It's good, I promise."

Sheila turned her head and looked at me, clearly not believing a word before she turned her head back to look at the dead deer laying on the stone floor before her, "unow."

"Sheila, deer are good," I said from next to her, "It's fresh too, I took it myself less than an hour ago. Nice and warm still."

"U no eling," she said and looked at me again, "is issiult enou iou u aging it orse."

I cringed slightly, "...Sorry. Wasn't trying to make it worse. It's just..."

She sighed and shifted, giving my head a small nuzzle, "I now. il no elp."

"Maybe I can help instead," Jaina said as she padded inside, "Atregos has been a dragon too long to really remember how it is at the start. My experience is a bit more fresh," she said before she looked at me, "Besides, Alexstrasza sent for you."

I hesitated. On one claw, Sheila needed me. On the other, Alexstrasza wanted to speak to me and at the moment I just seemed to be getting in the way."

I looked at Sheila who nodded to me,

"o. i wi e fine."

Giving her a small nuzzle, I got up and looked at Jaina.

She shifted her wings in amusement, "Don't worry, I'll get her eating," she said and then looked towards the new dragon, "He's right you know. It might not be easy to adapt to, but deer really is tasty once you get past the entire 'eating them raw and whole' thing." she said as she moved past me and settled down next to Sheila.

After one last glance back at them, I then moved on towards the side of the tower, looking for an exit.

Alexstrasza liked to spend time at the top of the tower where the Wyrmrest Accord usually met. Both because it was one of the few places that let her take her real form when she wanted too, but because she also enjoyed being under the open sky, especially on a day as clear and sunny as today.

Reaching the landing opening, I took three quick steps and then spread my wings as I threw myself out into the cool and clear air outside the tower, quickly catching the wind and started to slowly circle upwards around the tower.

The massive monolithic stone tower rose out of the surrounding pine forest like a small mountain, surrounded on the ground by shimmering blue forcefield bubbles with green plants in them. The herbalist projects that were breeding and working on getting the yield up on Azerothian plantlife, working to see how they worked on this Plane before preparing them for release out into nature.

While introducing out of Plane life to this Plane may seem... ill advised, it really wasn't. The plants in question may outcompete some local flora or it may not, but they were all significantly more beneficial. All of the ones we brought were magically powerful or had other useful properties such as healing ones.

Of course, we'd still have to be careful to avoid a rabbit scenario.

Mmmm. Rabbits. Tasty. Too bad they were so tiny and fast or I'd eat them like popcorn. Mmm… popcorn.

...I may need to go hunting for myself later. I'm hungry.

Beating my wings, I reached the top of the tower and went in for a landing. There were three dragons there already.

A red and a green dragon were to the side of the tower in their real form, discussing something. The third one was Alexstrasza. She was in her mortal form and standing by the other edge of the tower, looking out over the forest below.

I crossed over to her and sat down behind her to the side and just waited.

A moment later she glanced back to me, "Atregos."

"Alexstrasza," I answered and moved up next to her, looking out over the forest, "It's going to snow."

"Looks like," she agreed and rested her hand on top of my head, scratching gently, "How is your Consort adapting?"

"Well," I said and shifted my wings with a small sigh, "But it is difficult. We're helping all we can, but…"

"And the… complication?" she asked with a small frown, "I examined her myself and there is no trace of Fel, but…"

I shook my head, "It seems to be just cosmetic so far. I worry for her, but it seems to be fine. Kalecgos… he's just asleep, right?"

She nodded and sighed softly, "He is," she agreed, "I examined him as well to be sure, he is just exhausted. That ritual… it's too much. I'm going to talk to him when he wakes up, that ritual, it is too tiring. It could kill a wyrm to do it, even him."

I just nodded. Not like she wasn't right.

"I read through the spell books you brought back," she then said, changing the subject, "They were interesting, if only covering some very basic spells."

"It's what was available," I admitted, "Most spell books on Ravnica seem to be restricted to the members of the different Guilds. You only gain access if you join one of them. I think there are other Planes where we may have better luck. While there may be fewer spells, they may be easier to access."

Alexstrasza nodded, "I believe you may be right, at least until the Consortium is able to gain a foothold on Ravnica."

"Perhaps," I agreed, "but Ravnica makes it difficult because of the structure of the Guilds. But if it worked, it would definitely be worth it."

"And you are practicing?"

I growled softly but nodded, "I have gotten better," I admitted, "At least with small simple spells. I still have the same problem I always had with the big ones, the spell matrix just collapses for me unless I take my time, even if I do it perfectly. I'm digging more into magical spell theory, hopefully that'll help."

The faster I get good at it, the faster I can go back to actually useful things.

 

[Hiver]

Resting my back against Sheila's side, I held my hand up, a string of light connecting my thumb and index finger, glowing softly in blue light before it suddenly burst into sparkles.

Damn it.

It failed again.

Sighing softly, I let my head drop back against her, "I'm never going to get that working."

Sheila raised her head and shifted to put it across my lap, "Sil ying maig enhanmen?" she asked and then growled softly, "Sil tring magik enshan-t-ment?" before she sighed and gave up for now.

I nodded and rested my head on top of her head, scratching gently, "In theory it should work, I just don't get it."

"Wha out eh new illusion sells? Fom avnica?"

"Don't see how I could do better with those, the moment you hit their spell matrix with directed mana they just dissolve, just like these things," I said and formed the string of magic again before adding a simple light enchantment onto it, causing it to collapse into sparkles.

Sheila frowned and nodded a bit before relaxing again.

"It's too bad it seems to be impossible," I sighed and scratched beneath one of her horns, "It would be so… useful. Oh, maybe not for armour or anything permanent, it would still be fragile, but it would be so efficient for temporary constructs."

Sheila nodded again and closed her eyes, "an hi-t wih mana ol the wi dissamle?"

"Yeah, full matrix collapse," I agreed and gently ran my hand along her scales, "Maybe there is a way around it in the more advanced illusion spells, but so far I haven't found it."

"Wha aou oing it lie uismih?" Sheila asked and raised her head to look at me before she looked annoyed, "Wha-t aou-t doing it lic kwiksmih?"

I looked down at her in surprise before I shook my head, "Work the enchantment into the spell as it forms instead of adding it after? No, that won't work."

"Why?"

"Oh, that's bec-" I started to answer before I paused and frowned. It wouldn't work because… I mean, if you did that it would turn more into a spell than an actual enchantment, but was that really the wrong way to go about it? A spell after all was similar to an enchantment if you looked at the calculations behind them and the actual matrix, just that they were primarily temporary effects. Enchantments couldn't stand on their own either, they required a medium to hold the matrix or it would collapse, such as metal or even wood engravings.

But if you could make the same kind of structure of magic to build the matrix of the enchantment around... which is not what I had been trying to do so far. I had been trying to enchant magic. But what if I instead did the opposite and made the enchantment and molded the magic around it?

"Library," I said and raised my hand, "Notepad."

The construct formed a flat plane of holographic note paper before me and a second holographic pen formed in my right hand. I quickly started to scribble down equations.

Sheila closed her eyes and relaxed with her head in my lap, purring softly as I worked.

It seemed… possible. I idly scratched at her head with my free hand as I scribbled down notes and quick calculations.

"Library, light enchantment spell matrix."

A second holographic pane formed for me next to the first one. I glanced at it and started to draw a new one on the pane, shifting my hand to scroll it up to give me room as I started to draw power nodes, power regulations and matrix configurations.

Instead of trying to make it to work around something, to find a way to create the pathways and other parts of the enchantment, I made the enchantment to instead support itself. The enchantment matrix itself was still the same of course, but around it I made a different kind of spell matrix.

"Library spell matrix of a…. Fireball."

A new hologram appeared, this time on a book page.

I glanced at it to double check my calculations and then went back to drawing for a moment while giving it some modification, "Library, calculate and check my work."

My ring was silent for several long moments before it spoke up, "The calculations seem to be valid, master. As for if the construction will hold up is unknown."

"Yeah, let's find out," I said and closed my eyes, focusing on the spell/enchantment hybrid, starting to very slowly create the spell matrix and feeding it power.

Opening my eyes again as the spell finished, I found a spherical orb of fire sitting in the palm of my hand, shining like a star.

I didn't feel any weight, I didn't put anything like that on it. But I did give it the ability to absorb mana to sustain itself from the enviromental mana so it just kept shining.

Flicking my hand caused it to float away through the air towards the ceiling of the chamber as I grinned.

Sheila raised her head to look up at it and then at me, "You did it."

"Only with your help," I said and pulled her into a hug.

 

[Hiver]

"Have a look at this?" I said and handed a dagger over to Dracien, one of the dragon-kin that worked as a research assistant.

The large dragon-kin took it as he looked down at me before examining it, "Iron dagger, enchanted with… unbreakable blade and extra sharp as well as increasing the dexterity of the wielder. Wooden handle, simple craftsmanship. Possibly procured from one of the local mortals and then enchanted."

I nodded and leaned against my workbench, "Hit it with a magic spell."

He blinked and then cast a dispel at it. The dagger instantly dissolved into sparkles.

Darcian startled in surprise, "What?"

"A magic suspended enchantment matrix," I said, "I solved it."

"You really solved it, World Walker?" He asked, sounding a bit stunned, "Magic cannot support an enchantment matrix, it is not possible."

Half closing my eyes in focus, I channeled blue mana into the modified enchantment spell propped up by the illusionary spell wrapped around it before I tossed the new knife over to him.

Dracien caught it easily and stared down at it before he moved over to the 'test dangerous shit here' corner of my workshop and stabbed it into the wooden boards there.

I left him to his testing as I raised my hand, "How're those calculation checks going, Library?"

"Well, master," the construct answered, "But they are quite complex, especially with the cross checking I have to do."

"Excellent," I said and then left him to it and turned back to Dracien, "How's it going?"

"It seems… real…" he admitted as he returned, holding the dagger in one hand, "I can feel the cold and the wood. And still…" he continued and hit it with a small spell and it dissolved into nothing.

"Enchantment matrix held by a mana structure," I agreed and cast another one, this time leaving the materials out and just keeping the structure, leaving me holding a dagger made from sparkly blue glowing magic.

Having left any materials out of it, the massless magic construct floated over to him to examine and analyze as I turned back to my workbench for a second before I sighed.

I had promised Alexstrasza to focus on my spell casting. Okay, magic was involved in this, but regular enchanting didn't involve that.

So working on improving my weapon was right out and my idea was way too big to try before Library had double checked my theories and calculations. It was just way too complicated to wing it for that one.

Which means…

No putting it off anymore. Sheila had more or less chased me out to get me to stop fussing over her and Zrazta backed her up on it.

So I had no actual excuse not to go practicing.

Still, I might as well go hunting while I did it, so…

Walking out to one of the outer tunnels, I blinked towards the bright sunlight and started to turn into my real form only to be interrupted by a large black bird smacking me in the face.

Cursing in surprise, I stumbled back, gracefully tripping over my own feet and landing on my arse, cursing as I batted the large black bird away.

"What the fuck!? Shoo!!"

Then I recognized it. That black bird was Alexis' summon.

It wasn't carrying anything, but why would she use one of her tracking summons to find me rather than just portal to the portal room. She had a key to it.

Something was wrong.

Hitting the bird with an unsummon, I struggled back onto my feet. I wasn't wearing my armour either, it was back in the workshop. Just some pants and a shirt.

Fuck it.

Casting the tracking spell for the tracker built into the enchantment for her sword.

Nothing.

That was bad. I couldn't conceive of her ever being without her sword without a very good reason. Casting the spell again, this time seeking the enchantment of her necklace, I was relieved to find that I found it.

It was pretty far away, across the sea.

I hesitated for a second.

But no. No time to go running for my armour or anything, if things seemed as bad as they seemed, there wasn't much time to lose.

She was still alive, the fact that the summon had still existed was proof of that, but…

Something was definitely wrong.

My first instinct was to portal to the closest portal key stone in her direction and then fly towards the signal, but…

Taking a deep and slow breath, I turned and ran into the tunnel again. I needed my armour and I needed backup.

Just in case.

 

[Hiver]

"How much further?" Zrazta called across the wind from next to me, beating her wings hard as we flew hard towards the setting sun.

We had portaled as close as possible and then flown the rest of the way.

Quickly casting the spell again, I looked to her, "Another few kilometers, not long," I answered before looking to my other side.

Wrathion rested on his wings for a second before going back to flying hard. He had volunteered to help. Not that I was actually sure anything was going on, I was just… highly suspicious.

But I could also have seen two and two and gotten twentytwo.

Scanning the rocky and sandy ground beneath, I rested on my wings for a moment, casting the spell again.

She should be here somewhe- there!

I folded my wings and dove hard, picking up speed before spreading my wings wide and banking hard in S curves to bleed it off quickly before I landed hard in a run, sliding to a stop in the sand, "Alexis!"

She was laying on the sand, her right arm seeming misshapen, mangled and her face was a giant bruise. Her sword was missing and there was a rip in her leather chest armour, revealing cloth beneath it soaked in blood.

The sand around here was soaked too.

"Alexis!" I yelled and started to charge a healing spell. Don't be dead, don't be dead!

"Out of my way!" Zrazta snarled, already in her mortal form as she pushed my head away, practiced hands quickly checking lifesigns even as she cast a healing spell at Alexis' side.

Stepping back, I dropped my mana and instead started to focus it again, this time for a summon to pull out Paladin.

The summon appeared in a flash of light. She looked around and quickly saw what was going on. Putting her shield and mace down, she moved down to kneel and assist Zrazta.

What happened here? How did she… did she Walk here like that!? Why didn't her angel summon heal her? It was as good or maybe even better at it than Zrazta.

As a matter of fact, why didn't Alexis heal it herself! She was almost as good as that herself!

Wrathion moved up next to me, looking at Alexis, "What happened?"

"I don't know," I answered with a small growl, "But I'm going to find out."

Whomever hurt my friend is going to regret even having been hatched.

Zrazta poured a potion down Alexis' throat and then glanced back at me, "She's alive, but she's badly hurt, dehydrated and she has lost a lot of blood. More than I can heal, but I can keep her from getting worse. We need to get her back to the Tower and to an actual healer as quickly as we can. Make yourself useful and open a portal."

I quickly nodded and took a few more steps back, turning to focus on the portal stone built into my armour, pouring mana into it as quickly as I felt I could risk it.

The blue whirling disk of magic appeared and slowly spread into a circle, revealing the inside of the Tower's portal chamber. Wrathion quickly moved through, "I'll alert the healers," he said on the way past.

I just nodded and focused on holding the portal open as Paladin walked after him a few moments later, carrying Alexis carefully as Zrazta walked with her, keeping an eye on the other Planeswalker.

Letting them through the portal, I then quickly moved to follow, letting the portal collapse behind me before I focused and turned to mortal form and hurried after them to the medical wing.

Alexis was good… whatever could possibly have hurt her that badly? I would not like to fight her for real for one thing.

I wanted to check on her, but I knew way better than to get in the way of the healers as they worked and as such, I stood back, my back against the wall as I crossed my arms with a frown.

"Paladin," I said as my summon returned to me, "How bad?"

"Lady Alexis is heavily injured," she answered and glanced back towards the group of dragons around her in mortal form, "She has internal bleeding, her jaw is broken and I think her cheek bone may be crushed. Every bone in her right arm and hand is broken and so are four ribs on the same side. She has lost a lot of blood and is heavily dehydrated. How long ago, it's hard to say, but the wound in her side shows signs of having been way worse before, it shows signs of healing magic, but there is some sort of magic in it that's fighting healing spells."

I nodded. "Thank you," before I dismissed the summon.

She was in worse shape than I had been when I lost my arm. I took a slow, deep breath and shook my head before leaving the chamber.

Best let the ones actually good at healing work. Me hovering behind their shoulders wouldn't help anyone, least of it, Alexis.

"How is she?" Sheila asked, meeting me just outside the door.

I sighed and shook my head, "...bad…" I answered and slipped an arm around her neck and rested my forehead against the side of her head, "Bleeding, broken bones… some sort of curse I think. Something almost killed her. May still kill her."

Sheila nodded and nuzzled gently, "She's strong, I know she is. She'll make it through this."

"I know," I said and growled softly, "And then I'm going to find whoever did this and eat them."

 

[Hiver]

I glanced up from my book when Alexis made a small sound. Sheila raised her head from where she had been resting it across my lap to look as well.

Alexis stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering before opening, "Wh-" she started before she suddenly coughed and I could see her face distort in pain..

"Easy, you're good," I said and reached for a bottle of water, holding it so she could drink.

She relaxed back, "...Atregos."

"It's me," I agreed, "You made it. But something messed you up badly."

"How long?"

"Over a week. Our healing magic has its limits, especially if you want to use that arm again."

Alexis glanced to her right arm. It was completely hidden from view, wrapped in bandages and healing wraps, "How bad?"

"The healers can give you the full list if you want," Sheila said and raised her head fully, "But it looked like something crushed most of your right side. They can heal it, but it will take a while."

Alexis blinked at her, "...Sheila?"

Sheila nodded, "I finally went through the ritual."

Nodding, Alexis felt the injured side of her face before she let her head drop back down, "Ah."

"What happened?" I asked and closed my book.

"Was on Decuva. Been there?"

I shook my head, "Never heard of it."

She nodded, "...Ended up in the middle of a civil war. A peasant revolt against the Emperor. They seemed to be doing pretty well at the time actually. I was just exploring and I didn't get involved… at first."

"At first?" Sheila asked.

Alexis nodded, "I was in a village called… Sumetia. Almost a town really. Firmly on the rebellion's side. I did the usual thing, find an Inn, get some food, and listen to the locals."

I nodded.

"Third day, the Imperial forces rolled over the place. No warning, nothing. Foot soldiers, mages, dragon air support-"

"Dragons?" I asked.

She shook her head, "Two legs, four wings. Looked kinda odd, but I think you'd call them proto-drakes. They had riders."

I nodded, letting her continue.

"Well… anyway," Alexis continued, rubbing her eyes with her free hand, "They forced a surrender in less than an hour. I mean, what were they supposed to do? They barely had any mages and no drago- proto-drakes."

"What did you do?"

Alexis sighed, "Well, my plan was to keep my head down and then leave when I could. I've already gotten involved on one Plane before, I didn't plan on it on another one. That plan didn't work."

"What happened?"

She sighed, "...They gathered everyone outside the city and started mass executions. Everybody in the guard, their families, anyone they suspected of actively supporting the rebellion. Their families too. I couldn't just… stand by and do nothing."

"You fought them?"

"Yes," she agreed and sighed, "With my summons and enchantments, I was driving them back until their commander got involved personally. Remember my squid summon?"

Squid was one word for it. Kraken was more like it.

"Yes?"

"While not as capable on land, it was doing things well. Until he hit it with an unsummon powerful enough to make it pop. Then he pulled out summons of his own," she said and sighed, shaking her head, "A lot of them. Soldiers, mages… demons."

"What else?"

Alexis shook her head, "He kicked my ass."

"What's his name?"

"Tusa Geraka. Ever heard of him?"

I shook my head, "He's a Planeswalker?"

Alexis frowned and then sighed, ":..I don't know," she admitted, "They had primarily Land magic on that Plane, so he could have been local. But he was so good, I don't know. Maybe."

"What happened?"

"...I don't know," she admitted and collapsed back against the bed, "I barely got away. His skills seemed to be in his summons and in supporting them, not personal combat. I was able to run for it, but he got me."

"How many walks from here?"

"...Two," she said and sighed, "I did them back to back, I knew I wouldn't make it otherwise."

While her Walks weren't as tough on her as mine were on me and she could do them more often, she couldn't go anywhere near as far and it was almost as tiring for her to do.

"When I ran… last thing I saw before I Walked," Alexis said, quieter this time as she closed her eyes, "I saw the entire town burning. Ten thousand people...."

Fuck.

 

[Hiver]

"So what's the plan?" Wrathion asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back against my workbench across the room from me.

"Don't know," I said absentmindedly as I kept going through the enchantments laid into his helmet, "Depends on Alexis I suppose. If she wants to go back and rip the guy a new arsehole, I'm inclined to assist her."

Wrathion slowly nodded, "Let me know if you want some more help with that."

I glanced over at him and he shrugged,

"She helped us when we needed it."

I picked the helmet up and peered at it in the light, "And she has a nice arse."

I glanced over at Wrathion, finding him glowering at me,

"That is not why I wish to help her."

Heh.

I shook my head and channeled mana into the helmet, quicksmithing it into a collapsed ball as if I was balling it up like a piece of paper, "This is junk, I had been hoping to transfer the enchantments while simply replacing the metal, but that won't work. Turn back and strip the rest, I'll have to make you an entire new set if we want to get rid of this dwemer crap."

Wrathion snored but nodded, moving into the center of my workshop so he would have room to return to his real form, "I see. How long would that take?"

"Longer than her recovery in any case," I said as the room filled with spellsmoke from his transformation, the air moving enchantments quickly neutralizing it as I continued, "And I advise you to not try to pursue her. That won't end well for you."

"Is that so?" he asked and started to unclasp and wiggle out of his full set of dragon armour.

"Yeah, she's hung up on the entire monogamy thing humans do," I said and shrugged, "We have decent chemistry, something could have happened there I think, but as it is, it wouldn't work. Best to just stay friends."

"Just because she isn't into you..." Wrathion said with a snort, dropping the last of his armour onto the floor with a small crash of several hundred kilos of heavy metal hitting enchanted stonework.

I grinned at him, "Just don't come complaining to me when she slashes your wings. Besides, you are thinking of this all wrong."

He tilted his head in question, "In what way?"

"She wouldn't be your consort. You'd be hers."

Wrathion growled at me before stalking out of my workshop, "How soon will it be ready?"

"Month or so," I said with a grin, "I think you'll like the result anyway, the new version has some nice features."

As he left, I shook my head in amusement. Well, all luck to him but I suspected things wouldn't end too well if he tried.

Turning back to my workbench, I flicked my hand and brought up my notes with Library just in time to hear a voice behind me,

"Hey."

I glanced back and then frowned, "What in the blind eternities are you doing out of bed, woman!?"

Alexis looked like hell still, even after days of healing and being stuffed to the gills with healing potions and spells. The side of her face was bruised and her right arm was bundled up in enough bandages and wraps that it looked twice its normal size. She had managed to get some clothes somewhere, but was mostly wrapped up in her blanket.

"Had to... do something..." she admitted and took a step only to stumble, catching herself with her good hand against the wall.

I moved to help her but the look she shot me stopped me short. Instead she sighed and shakily sat down with her back against the wall next to the door.

I shook my head and sighed, "Want some water?"

"Got anything stronger?"

"Not much of a drinker," I said, "Besides, I'm not giving you anything without knowing how it would fuck with the gazillion potions in your system."

"...Fair enough..." she sighed and let her head drop back against the wall.

She stayed like that for a long moment and I got her a bottle of water anyway. Enchanted to be self filling. Very practical.

"You lost my sword," I told her as I put the bottle down next to her.

That got a small smile from her, "Your sword, huh?"

"I made it, that makes it mine no matter who carries it around. I suppose you'd like a new one now?"

"If you wouldn't mind?" she admitted and opened her eyes before picking up the bottle and taking a swallow.

I nodded and moved to sit next to her, my back against the wall, "Still going for a rapier style or would you like something else, maybe something a bit more weeabo?"

Alexis had a remarkably good glower, "I prefer a straight and narrow blade."

I smirked, "I'll see what I can do. Any special effect features you'd prefer?"

"...I just want a sword, it doesn't need to turn into a fighter jet or include a lifejacket, Atregos."

I snorted in amusement, "What's the fun in that?"

She shook her head and then touched her cheek, "...I might need something more protective too."

"That I can do. Not a full set of armour?"

"Not my style," she said before she grinned, "But something that could protect my nice ass would be good."

"Oh bollocks, you heard that."

That set her laughing before she stopped with a groan, feeling her side, "Oh relax," she said at my worried look, "I'm fine."

"Are you fine?"

She paused at that and her mood seemed to visibly drop and she sighed, "I don't know. If I had stayed out of it..."

"Hundreds would have died."

"Instead of the ten thousand when I got involved!?" she exclaimed and the bottle she had held crashed into the wall across the room, shattering into a million little shards, "Yes! Good job Alexis!"

"And the tens of thousands I killed," I told her quietly, "That was fighting on our side. Dragons, humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, tauren, pandaren."

She fell silent at that for a second, "That's different. You did it to save Azeroth, they would have died anyway if you had failed."

"Maybe. Maybe not and when I did it, I wasn't sure it wouldn't pop the Plane like a soapbubble. Maybe that wasn't the best way to win, maybe it was the only way?" I said and shrugged, "Only the Bronzes know and they aren't telling. You tried to save those people, you did your best. Sometimes that's all we can do. Sometimes we... just fail."

"...Or make things worse," she said softly and rubbed her eyes with her undamaged hand, "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!"

I was quiet for a long moment, letting her collect herself again before I spoke up again, "What are your plans?"

"You're wondering if I'm going to go back there," she asked and then shook her head, "I... I don't know," she admitted.

"You already have taken responsibilities on one Plane," I reminded her, "You don't need to go looking for more. It wasn't your fault."

"I know, I know," she sighed before looking to me, "But I don't know if I can let it continue like that, let him get away with it."

I nodded, "You realize what'll happen if you go, right? I'd have to come with you. I'm not letting you go up against him alone again. And if we do, we need to be ready."

"You don't need to do that."

I smirked at her, "Oh, and pass up the opportunity to save a damsel in distress again? I wouldn't dream of it."

"It doesn't count if you go into distress with me, lizard! Besides, the knight is meant to save the damsel from the dragon, not the reverse!" she answered, forcing a small smile as she shook her head, "Fuck... I don't know," she then said with a frown, "Maybe it would just make things escalate again. I have to think."

I nodded, "That you can do in your bed," I said and got up, starting to assist her onto her feet as well, "Before Zrazta or one of the healers discovers you missing and decides to come hunt you down. By the time you are healed up, I'll have some equipment ready for you, no matter what you decide."

"...Thank you."

She didn't need to say what for.









AN// And that's it for the moment. We'll continue with Atregos later, but on Wednesday it will instead be Hell to Pay. The continuation of Hell is other angels Hope you enjoyed and take care.

 

[Scia]

a bit getting away from the story are we?
The presence of absence of Chandras abilitys in terms of card types wheres effects in terms of abbilitys are not the core of this thread. So please concentrate on something more on topic. Like giving a detailed feedback to Hiver as thanks for finishing this part of the characters story.

 

[Hiver]

The next part can be found here:

The Sparks of War

This is a continuation of the That First Step... (SI) series, you want to start there or you will be horribly confused. The previous one in the series was Metamorphosis. Big thanks to Arratra and Xandros for betaing this.

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