“No! Not like that! Repeat the phrases of the spell even as you pour mana into the matrix!” Kel’Thuzad snapped. Sunset, on the other hand, managed to not lose control of her spell despite being surprised by her mentor and continued chanting the words of power as she poured her mana into a crystal floating between her hands. A translucent purple dome covered the area around them, shimmering ever so slightly as a bolt of purple energy spiked out from the circle and struck it.
The two of them were in one of the open fields outside of Dalaran, a ritual circle before them. It was a rather elaborate magical matrix, one that Kel’Thuzad had Sunset commit to memory for at least the past week, one that consists of a spell that hides one’s presence, another that protects one from physical object and a third that conceals both spellworks. Individually, the three spells were very simple to cast, but to combine them together was a feat that ‘only the insane could accomplish’, were the words that Kel’Thuzad said. And Sunset agreed with him, the mage, or magi, that had managed to invent this were definitely crazy enough to find a way to mesh all three spells together perfectly enough that the matrix feels flawless.
“Yes,” Kel’Thuzad smiled, apparently satisfied “very good. Now continue to channel the spell.” He ordered as he held up a red crystal with one hand and traced a number of sigils with the other. Even as she continued chanting the words of power, Sunset kept an eye on her master, watching as he finishes casting his spell and gaze intently at the red crystal. After awhile, he nodded and kept the crystal before turning to his student.
“Well done. You can stop now.” Sunset breathed a sigh of relief as she released her hold over the magic. Fatigue rushed into her body and it was not a surprise, considering that she had been maintaining the matrix for the past two hours straight. It was a vast improvement compared to when she had first started, but as Kel’Thuzad had said, she still had a long way to go.
Kel’Thuzad, however, remained oblivious to Sunset’s exhaustion, probably on purpose and had retrieved another crystal from his robes as the purple dome dissipated around them. He barked a couple of phrases in an unknown language and studied the crystal for a fraction of a second before returning it to his robes. Turning, he faced Sunset and scowled.
“The nerve of our security! How that useless mage convinced Antonidas to become-” Sunset took the time to shut down the higher cognitive functions of her mind, especially those that had been overworked in the past hour. No disrespect to her mentor, but while he was probably one of the most powerful people that she had met, he had a tendency to express his dissatisfaction about the state of the world around him, especially his immediate surroundings.
Kel’Thuzad continued his rant for a full five minutes before he stopped, not even pausing to take a breath, he turned to his silent apprentice, glaring with the intensity of the sun. “And what about you? What are you still standing there for? Clear up the circle and return to Dalaran at once! I have a new assignment for you!”
Without waiting to see if his orders were followed, Kel’Thuzad gestured with a hand, his form shimmered and he was gone, leaving Sunset alone in the open fields. His apprentice looked on, irritation written clearly on her face.
“Insufferable old coot…” Sunset grumbled. While she holds a healthy amount of respect for her master, sometimes he just makes her feel like committing homicide, not that she would do it. Probably. Hopefully.
Pulling a packet out from a pouch at her side, Sunset pulled out a piece of dried beef jerky and placed it in her mouth, chewing quickly. The meat had been a gift from Jaina, and while Sunset had been averse to meat at the start, she found that her body had required other nutrients that this world’s flora could not provide.
At least the cows here aren’t sentient. Sunset grimaced as she guiltily savored the small treat, feeling abit of her fatigue clearing away. Casting spells, especially over a long time, was a tiring experience, often leaving her in need of a nap and a small meal. Unfortunately for Sunset, Kel’Thuzad seemed intent on having her increase her spellcasting stamina, a training that while Sunset could not bring herself to like, she could see the necessity for.
Deciding that she had taken long enough of a break, Sunset returned the packet back to her pouch before turning her attention back to the circle. Muttering an incantation under her breath, Sunset traced a quick symbol in the air, her hand glowing with a bluish aura as she swung it out in the direction of the circle. The color spread out from her hand like a net tossed out into the sea, covering the circle, as it did, the inscriptions faded from view.
As soon as the deed was done, Sunset retrieved a simple white stone from within her robe, a blue rune inscribed upon it. It was a hearthstone, a simple teleportation device that would send a person to the last location it had been attuned to, that being her master’s room. Speaking the required words, Sunset watched as her surroundings went hazy only to be replaced by the all too familiar sight of Kel’Thuzad’s office.
Except the owner was not to be seen.
“What…” Sunset blinked in confusion, then sighed ruefully in understanding. Sometimes, she wondered why she even bothered putting up with her fickle minded man of a master. Walking over to the door, Sunset pointed two fingers at it and muttered a phrase of codewords that had been taught to her. True to the nature of magi, Kel’Thuzad had placed a rather complicated spell upon the archway that forces the person who walked through it a puppet to his commands. While it would not work on those with strong magic or will, Sunset had found herself to be a victim of it the few times she forgot to utter the phrases before she passed through. Her master, on the other hand, had delighted in punishing her most thoroughly, mostly by paralyzing her limbs at inconvenient spellcasting moments as a way of ‘training’, in his own words.
One day, she would be so powerful that he would fear her presence, Sunset swore.
The door shimmered, then disappeared, Sunset waited a bit, long enough that she was sure the spell had ended before she exited the office into his personal library. Which was, as usual, in a mess. Scrolls and tomes were lying unused on the floor and table, as per usual after every single little research project briefing, pick up or conclusion.
Sighing, Sunset Shimmer that she better start cleaning up, lest her master turned up and gave her a hypocritical lecture about neat and tidy. It was disillusioning that the lead researcher could keep his projects in perfect order while his workplace was the equivalent of a pigsty.
At least his teachings made it all worth it. There were plenty of spells that he had taught her that she could definitely see it being useful, like the one that summoned a disc that pretty much was a trolley. Of course she had her fair share of combat spells that she had learned at Kel’Thuzad’s insistence. She could grant a coat of flames onto an object that burns those who touch it, turn a drop of water into a lance of ice, fling fire and send a solid arcane wall in any direction she wished, though the last one drains Sunset more than she would care to admit.
Perhaps, one day, she might even manage to wrest control of the sun in this world, Sunset wondered as she picked up another tome from the floor.
She was halfway done with the room when she heard her master’s call from the office room. “Apprentice, attend me! Now!” How did he..? Sunset grimaced as she remembered that her knack for sensing spellcasting was not as effective here then in Equestria. That would probably explain how he teleported in without her noticing. Putting down the tomes in her arms, Sunset returned to the archway, repeating the password before she walked into the office.
Kel’Thuzad was not alone, this time, he was accompanied by a man dressed not in the violet robes of the Kirin Tor, but a set of red and brown robes. He looked middle-aged, at least for a human, and had a white beard. Her mentor noticed her arrival and said,
“Apprentice, this is Magus Helcular of Hillsbrad, one of my acquaintances and apprentices outside the order.” He gestured to the red-robed mage, before pointing at Sunset. “Helcular, that is my apprentice, Sunset Shimmer.”
“A pleasure, Apprentice Shimmer.” Helcular bowed deeply. “It is good to see another of our master’s students.”
“The pleasure’s mine.” Sunset returned the bow.
“Now that you have met each other, I would like to get right back to business.” Kel’Thuzad barged in testily. Looking at Sunset, “we are advancing to the next part of your training,” he said, “as Dalaran mages and essentially part of the Alliance, we are beholden to our oath to aid our partners whenever they require magical aid.” He explained, though Sunset could hear the distaste evident in his voice, “Sometimes, it’s something larger, like aiding the army in their skirmishes against lingering orc warbands, other times, it would just be us having to help deal with a local gnoll threat or a rogue wizard.”
Whipping out a map of the kingdoms, Kel’Thuzad pointed at a region, “this is Southshore, a quaint little village that has a vague distrust of wizards. Apparently, the local militia had been having some trouble recently with ogres raiding their village every so often and are petitioning the Alliance for help. The generals in charge decided to ask us for some magical assistance and Antonidas told me to send you.”
“Wait, what?” That was fast, I was barely a month into my apprenticeship!
“No objections, I do not have the time for this” Kel’Thuzad cut her protest short irritably before continuing, “Helcular here will be your ward and direct superior for this mission in my absence. The two of you are to rendezvous with a small group sent by the Army in an Inn near the Hillsbrad Fields and be under the command of the Knight in charge.”
Fixing his apprentice with a stare, Kel’Thuzad said, “this is a good chance for you to start learning more about the structure of the Alliance of Lordaeron. Do not squander it and use it as a way to foster good relations.”
Sunset was not so sure how to feel about this. While she had not expected her education here to be the same as when she was under the Princess, it would be the first time she actually was flung into a combat situation. Not to say that she was nervous or anything, she just had a vehement dislike of being thrown into violent situations, especially ones that were life-threatening, to her, like all other sane living things!
“Understood, Master.”
“Splendid, now leave me, both of you.” Ordered Kel’Thuzad, “and don’t embarrass yourselves.”
Sunset and Helcular both bowed and exited the room, leaving Archmage Kel’Thuzad alone to mutter absently to himself, something about ‘rats and raising them’. Probably one of his research projects. Sunset shrugged mentally before turning her attention to her companion, no, temporary superior.
“So,” She began hesitantly, unsure whether to be formal or not, “what’s the plan, Magus Helcular?”
The bearded mage started and looked at Sunset, awkwardness plain in his eyes. “Errr, just Helcular would be fine.”
“Understood.” Sunset nodded.
“I hope you don’t mind if I call you Sunset?”
“That is okay,” replied Sunset. Better than broadcasting to everybody that I am an apprentice. It’s more likely for people to take her seriously that way. At least until she had achieved a position of note.
“Okay,” Helcular beamed. “Well, first let me tell you that it’s an honor to work alongside an apprentice of Lord Kel’Thuzad’s from within the Kirin Tor. Truly an honor.”
Sunset blinked. Within the Kirin Tor? Something about that phrase does not sound quite right. “Pardon me, but aren’t you from the Kirin Tor?”
“Ah no, never got accepted.” Helcular smiled ruefully. “But I do not regret it, after all, with Lord Kel’Thuzad’s permission, I have access to certain parts of the Violet Citadel that the other magi outside the order does not.”
“Still I am extremely grateful to the Archmage for his teachings. He had taught me much during our time together. Though I have yet to attain his level of prowess.”
“He is very powerful.” Sunset admitted. “I too hope to become his equal some day.”
“Oh, I have no doubt you will reach it one day.” Helcular smiled. “In fact, Lord Kel’Thuzad is looking forward to the success of this mission, especially if you played an integral role.”
Oh really? Sunset frowned internally. She may have been with Kel’Thuzad for only a few weeks, but she was certain she had a good understanding of his character. In fact, Sunset found it hard to believe that Kel’Thuzad would have a greater interest in her than his pet projects. Furthermore, the way the man was talking was extremely familiar, almost like someone from her childhood…
Upper Crust. Realisation dawned on Sunset when she remembered that vain noble ass-kisser of a Unicorn. During Sunset’s time as Celestia’s student, she had constantly showered Sunset with praises, and often spoke highly of her in other social circles in a vain attempt to curry favor with Sunset Shimmer. Too bad that she did not count on Princess Celetia’s former student to have zero interest in the noble’s circles then.
Here, however, Helcular might actually be more of an asset than Upper Crust was in Canterlot, especially since he had caught the eye of Kel’Thuzad. Helcular was probably hoping to use her as another ‘inside contact’ in the Kirin Tor.
And what’s stopping her from doing the same?
The deal goes both ways. It was simple relationship building. She does him a favor, he does her one as well and they become allies, of a sort. Sunset will become another of Helcular’s inside contact for the Kirin Tor, and Helcular will be hers for into the outside circles.
“I thank you.” Sunset smiled at the elder mage in gratitude, “and might I say that I am looking forward to working with you, who had been taught by our master.” Sunset made sure to put enough emphasis on the last two words.
After all, it wouldn’t do to openly look down on a potential ally.
Helcular smiled, “So do I.”
“So, Helcular, what’s our plan?”
“Ah, Master Kel’Thuzad has sent for the supplies already, all that’s left is to prepare our mode of transport.”
“Are we using the portals?” Asked Sunset, “or teleporting?”
“Hardly, there are no portals to Hillsbrad, and teleporting over such a great distance is likely to drain us of our magic, which we may not have ample time to recover should the knights be there already.”
“I see, so what are we to do?”
“We will have to ride.” Helcular smiled, “I will ask for horses from the stables at first light tomorrow. That way you will have ample time to prepare any other items you might need for our mission.”
“Ah,” Sunset did not know where to begin. Horses? “I must confess, I do not know how to ride…” She admitted, a slight blush on her cheeks that were the only indication of her embarrassment.
“Oh.” Helcular blinked, before smiling. “Well, it’s a four day ride. You will have plenty of time to learn.”
While Kel’Thuzad had told her not to make an embarrassment of herself, Sunset desperately hoped that she would not make a fool out of herself as early as tomorrow morning.