Warcraft: Darkshire Village

Year 25, Day 5

I woke up with a parched throat, a crick in my neck, badly frayed occlumency barriers, and the knowledge of a brand new Blueprint weighing heavily on my mind. The first three were not unexpected––I felt like I’d been lying on my adequate but not overly comfortable ‘bed’ for a while and I hadn’t really been in much of a state to meditate and repair my barriers when Kent had portalled all of us back to Darkshire.

The fourth was something of a surprise, but ultimately not that big of a shock. Though I’d only held the blasted thing for at most a few seconds before Glynda had wrenched it out of my grasp, there had been a lot of magic rushing back and forth in those moments. I hadn’t consciously intended to create a Blueprint of the scythe, though that had been the eventual plan, but I’d gained plenty of Blueprints unintentionally in the past.

I was going to have to be careful with that one. The small amount of knowledge that came with the Blueprint told me just how dangerous the artifact I’d so recklessly snatched up off the floor could be. Without any experience wielding the local nature magic, I’d been completely unprepared to feel the wild, unrestrained might of Goldrinn, not even just the echo of it that persisted in his long-removed fang.

Still, it was a valuable addition to my collections. Just the raw materials alone marked it as something special; the fang of a ‘demigod’ combined with a staff blessed by another powerful being. Perhaps Ysondre would be able to tell me more about its history and powers, and hopefully whichever druid she introduced me to would be capable of wielding it. If not, it would still make an excellent display piece, though I’d need to very thoroughly ward and otherwise safeguard the thing or else I risked unleashing the worgen plague onto my new home plane. That would be an irritating issue to deal with.

I sat up to find Peach sitting by my bedside, her focus completely captivated by the abomination of a plant she was growing in one of my enchanted glass terrariums. It was proportioned like a bonsai tree, but clearly contained elements of a half-dozen different species. Its trunk was thick and gnarled, bands and patches of differently-colored bark peeling back in some places to display the pale, vaguely vine-like ‘wood’ beneath it.

It had at least three different types of leaves, one of which I was pretty sure matched the great tree in the Twilight Grove, and four completely unique flowers blooming amidst them. One was almost identical to the light flowers from the grove, but its petals were red instead of white. Another reminded me of one of the flowers on the vines she carried on her shoulders, while the last two were multi-colored, strangely-proportioned hybrids.

It was also moving. The trunk was swaying back and forth in a non-existent wind, and the leaves were rustling softly against one another. I wanted to think that was simply the result of Peach’s semblance, but the way she kept poking a branch and than curiously watching it wiggle in response didn’t quite line up with that idea.

“Peach,” I asked, my voice hoarse and scratchy, “What in Merlin’s name is that?”

Peach looked up. “Oh, you’re awake!” She tilted her head to look at my wristwatch. “Good timing, you got plenty of rest and there’s still time to prepare before we need to head out. Glynda left some tea on the table, it should still be hot.”

It was, and the hot, caffeinated drink did an excellent job wetting my throat and driving the last traces of sleep from my mind. Still… “That wasn’t what I asked,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

Peach smiled innocently. “Oh, this? Just a little experiment. Something to keep me busy, you know? Do you like it? The plants around her are just so fascinating!”

I looked at the thing warily. One of its branches bent slightly, turning the flower growing on it towards me like a daisy turning towards the sun at dawn. I blinked and the petals twitched.

“Peach. What the hell did you do?”

She laughed. “Just a little bit of science! The biology of those flowers and that tree is just fascinating. I’ve been trying to breed one with my vines until I can awaken its aura, but no luck yet. Still, this life magic they have around here opens up so many possibilities.”

I closed my eyes, considering what Peach was saying. Did that mean her vines had aura? That was…certainly something. I hadn’t even realized plants could have aura. Though that did explain how they managed to be so very durable. Wait, did that mean that a plant could have a semblance? Could Peach mimic having multiple semblances using awakened plants and her florakinesis? Something to look into later.

“It looks…interesting,” I managed after a moment.

Peach grinned and stroked its trunk. I pointedly looked away.

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The next two hours passed quickly. I spent most of that time meditating, focusing on rebuilding my occlumency shields. After some consideration, a mote of Blue mana was carefully channeled into the inner layer of my defenses. It wouldn’t last very long––this was still a use of mana that I was only just starting to experiment with––and I was confident there was a better way to go about using mana to strengthen my occlumency, but every little bit counted.

Just before nine, we all portkeyed from our two houses in the village to the Twilight Grove. We used a number of portkeys that I’d prepared the day before, each timed to activate a few seconds apart. Peach and Kent went first, then Cinder and her group, and finally me and the others.

Once again, I left Count Vertigo behind, not seeing a point in bringing him with us. He seemed to be dreadfully bored, but I didn’t particularly care. He was more useful watching over the house than coming with us, and I didn’t like him very much anyway. He reminded me of the worst sort of pureblood nobles, the sort who let their magic atrophy while they persuade their own meaningless vendettas and agendas.

For all that just thinking about my former Lord Black still left me fuming, at least he’d been a better wizard than someone like that fool Parkinson. The fact that that particular family was still included in the latest edition of the Pure-Blood Directory while others such as the Potters and Princes were not was a travesty, plain and simple. Perhaps they had some heavily diluted muggle blood in their ancestry, but everything I’d seen and heard left me convinced that Lord Parkinson was little better than a squib with an enchanted stick.

The grove was empty when we arrived, but I’d been expecting that. Ysondre had just said she’d be here today, not specifying any particular time. As much as I didn’t like wasting time, I had a feeling that wasting the time of an impossibly ancient and powerful dragon that was doing me a favor was a worse idea. And it wasn’t like there weren't plenty of things I could do here.

I spent some time sparring with Amber, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury under Glynda’s watchful eyes, then moved on to honing my ability to harness Order magic with Kent. Emerald’s semblance proved to be an interesting challenge, assaulting my mental barriers from an angle I hadn’t expected, and I spent half an hour testing myself against it.

When Ysondre was still absent, I settled down beneath the great tree, my back leaned against its colossal trunk. I closed my eyes, my wand held lightly in both hands. In…one…two…three… Hold…one…two…three… Out…one…two…three… Hold…one…two…three… In…one…two…three… Kent and Amber both joined me, their soft breathing coming in time with my own.

The flame at the center of my consciousness was brighter than I typically kept it, flickering and casting odd shadows across the bookshelves that surrounded it. I fed the lingering damage I’d sustained into the flames, watching shards of tooth and bone vanishing into nothingness. Instead of growing as I fed it, the fire calmed, shrinking until naught but a perfect candle flame remained.

I inhaled, feeling the magic flow through me. It was hard to quantify, but I felt stronger than I once had. More focused. Magic was will and soul given form, and I’d done much to stretch both in the past months.

I exhaled, watching the shimmer of slytherin green and silver ripple across my mental barriers. Aura was such a wonderful thing, so very potent and flexible. Its capabilities kept surprising me, even as I learned more about it. I did not understand how the people of Remnant could believe it to be anything but magic. The light of the soul given mass and shape such that it could spill into the world.

There was a tap on my shoulder and I smoothly opened my eyes. Glynda was standing over me, Kent and Amber both already on their feet. Ysondre in her elven form stood in front of the green portal, her hands folded behind her back and her odd armor replaced by an elegant robe.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Hydrys. I see you have called forth more of your fellows. I hope you have had a pleasant time exploring the wonders of Azeroth.” she said softly, gesturing in a broad arc to capture all of us gathered in the grove.

“It's certainly been an interesting few days. Rather productive. I hope your time has been well spent?”

Ysondre hummed softly. “In a sense, yes. Rather productive, as you say. My mother yet dreams, but she is eager to meet those who have aided our flight. The Nightmare spreads, but I have managed to alert a number of those that yet waken of its presence. I have…high hopes that this crisis shall be dealt with, though it has already claimed far too many for my liking.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked after a moment. She’d previously mentioned a potential trade of services for further rewards, and both her Blueprint and the Scythe’s told me how much value this Plane held.

“Perhaps. I have ventured through the Dream and seen much that concerns me. Your friend Kent’s services may be of use to my flight in the coming battles.”

That I could absolutely do. Leaving Kent behind when I left was not ideal, but if the price was right… “I’m certain something can be arranged.”

She smiled. “That is good. I fear my siblings may be too far gone already, but there is yet hope for others. Still, I digress. I have promised you my aid, and I will not dishonor my flight by reneging on my word. Is there anything you need before we depart?”

I silently reached into my bag and withdrew the large, warded case that Glynda and Kent had carefully stowed the Scythe in, Then I set it on the ground, took a step back, and used a spell to open it.

“We found this yesterday. I was wondering if you could shed some light on it. I believe it's called the ‘Scythe of Elune’.”

Ysondre paused, tilting her head to the side. “Hmm. The name…does ring a bell. But I fear I do not recall why that might be. However, I believe that those we go to meet shall be able to say more. It is surely a potent artifact, though I find it odd that such a thing would be here. I wonder…” she trailed off, a frown flickering across her face. “No, no, unlikely. Tis’ a fine find. A fine find indeed.”

I nodded, repacking the scythe and stowing it in my bag. “Thank you. I think that was all I wanted to ask. I’m ready to depart when you are.”

“Good.” She turned, gesturing to the portal behind her. “I have promised to show you the wonders of Azeroth and the Emerald Dream shall serve as our pathway. Stay close to me, and my power shall allow you passage through the portal. Now, let us be off. There is much I wish to show you and little time to waste.”