//------------------------------// // Stormwind Highs and Lows // Story: Azeroth's Skies // by TerrabreakerX //------------------------------// They didn’t have to walk much further into what Remy termed the “Trade District” before he pointed at a shop and walked them towards it. It looked well-kept, from the outside at least. A hanging sign from the upper floor depicted a stylised image of a piece of cheese, and indeed looking through the windows they could see a wide variety of cheese on display. So, they gathered, it was a cheese shop. The rather large sign above the door was also bit of a giveaway. “Mr. Trias is one of the most honest men in Stormwind I know… I know.” Remy told them as they approached the door. “Well, mostly honest.” “What—” “Just let me do the talking to begin with.” He led them inside, and they were immediately assailed by the smell and taste in the air of the various products on offer. It was mostly pleasing to the senses, but there were a few brands that were more pungent than the rest. The shop itself was clean and tidy, if a little plain. “Remy?” said a female voice, and a blonde-haired woman emerged from the staircase at the side of the room. Like many of the others they had seen so far in this world, her eyes darted between them rapidly, especially around their hair. “Afternoon, Elaine.” he replied. “Can you fetch Elling, please?” She nodded slowly and ascended the stairs again. They didn’t have to wait too long until she came back down, followed by a man that could only be Elling Trias. His sharp black hair contrasted deeply with Elaine’s, although he wore a similar outfit that was probably some kind of uniform. Most striking about him was the eye patch he wore which completely eclipsed his right eye. He stared at them through the remaining one, his expression too blank to meaningfully interpret, but again, the lingering gaze at their hair… “What’s this, then, Remy?” he spoke after a short silence. Twilight coughed uncomfortably. “These are some girls I just met, who might be the answer to the little problem you told me about. I think it’s best if we have a little chat, Elling. I’ll explain everything.” Trias frowned, and then nodded at last. Remy walked away from the girls and past him, up the stairs, as he turned to his wife. “Elaine, could you—” “Of course.” she said briskly, and swept towards the girls. “Are any of you hungry?” Well, we didn’t exactly fill ourselves up at the inn before… “I’m always up for some food!” Pinkie yelled, bouncing up to the front of the group. “I’m Pinkie Pie, it’s great to meet you!” “I can’t say no if it’s free’n’all.” Applejack agreed. “I hope you like cheese, then…” “I asked you about it on the offhand chance, Remy. I didn’t expect you to bring so many in…” “It’s not just that, Elling. You’re just lucky I was able to give them that excuse, and that it’s true. I was thinking about… other things… when I brought them to you… to you.” “…such as?” Remy shifted uncomfortably, and Trias sighed. “The guard won’t leave me alone, Elling, they won’t let any of my shipments get into Goldshire without a thorough check. Bad for business, it is. Real bad. But you and your connections, you could get me some breathing room.” “I could… but why should I?” “Because.” Now Remy smiled, and smiled deeply indeed. “Because these girls aren’t normal… aren’t normal. Just wait until you hear their names, and, I mean, just look at their hair.” “I’ve seen stranger, ‘specially with all these draenei running around Stormwind nowadays.” “Sure, but this is different. They just wandered out of Elwynn Forest like it was nothing. Completely oblivious, like.” That was quite unusual, Trias had to admit. “They claim they’ve got amnesia, but I’m not sure about that. Certainly don’t seem to know much about Stormwind, or anything, really. Could just be stupid, but I don’t know. “I know you watch out for Stormwind’s safety still, Elling, even if you have retired. This could be a big find… big find. These girls could be very important…” “…” “And if they are…” “You’ll be rewarded, fine. As you want. But I need some time to confirm what you’ve said to me. Give me a month or two.” Remy gave him a look, and he sighed again. “Fine. I’ll let Farley know to give you access to my tab at the inn for the time being. Happy?” “It’ll do. And you won’t regret it.” Remy promised him, smiling as he moved towards the staircase again. “I’d better not.” Trias grumbled, checking his watch as he moved to follow the older man. “And you’d better not blow it all on booze this time. I’ll be watching it carefully.” The two men came back downstairs to find the shop floor empty, the door closed and a sign placed over the door saying much the same. Elaine had closed up the shop and taken the six into the back room. “I’d best be off then… off then.” Remy held out his hand for Trias to shake. “Not going to say goodbye?” Trias raised an eyebrow quizzically as he took the proffered hand. Remy shrugged. “’s not like I know ‘em. Have fun, Elling. I’ll warn you now…” he added, a wry smile on his face as he walked out the door. “They’re crazy.” He let the door swing to and started to head back down the street out of the city. Trias watched him go, shaking his head. Great… Just what have I gotten myself into now… Some time later, Trias was pacing back and forth in the dining room, munching on a chunk of Stormwind Brie-encrusted bread. It was normally his favourite place in his shop-home, besides the basement on a delivery day. It was normally a calm place, soothing even. It felt great to relax in a chair by the fire after a hard day’s work. Now, however, he had six young women as guests of his establishment, and he hadn’t a clue what to make of them. They ranged from extreme to extreme, extroverted to introverted, reserved to explosive , always smiling to perpetually scowling. And the names… Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? Pinkie Pie? He’d never heard anything like it before – and he’d had a very interesting career. “Let me get this straight, then,” he addressed the six, now sat around his dining table, finishing off the leftovers of the Trias’s morning meal. Elaine always made extra, bless her. “You’ve got amnesia. You don’t know where you came from, or anything about Stormwind, or Azeroth, or anything like that?” “Pretty much.” one of the six replied; Twilight Sparkle, that was her name. “So Azeroth is this planet’s name?” He could only sigh in response. It was the kind of story one would tell if they had something to hide, and yet, who didn’t? Trias certainly knew that better than most. He had nothing to base suspicion on but the sheer absurdity of their story, and their strange appearances. Remy was right, curse him. Better that they are somewhere I can keep an eye on them, really. “All right. You’re lucky Remy brought you to me, really, as he’s right. I do have an offer to make you.” The six looked at each other, and then Twilight answered again. She seemed to be the leader of the group. “We’re listening.” “My son, Ben, has been training to take over some of the duties of the shop, and become, like me, a master of cheese.” Across the table, Rainbow Dash stifled a giggle at the title. Trias chose to ignore it. “However, just yesterday in fact, he departed for some experience of how other races in the Alliance conduct their cheesemaking. There’s a conference in Kharanos going on right now with some interesting theories about the apparent magical traits of some variations on the traditional Dalaran sharp and…” He babbled on for a little while before realising that he was close to losing half the group’s attention entirely. “Anyway, he’s gone for a month, and at the worst possible time. Cheese is big in Stormwind right now, and Elaine and I are finding it hard to keep up with the trade demand on the shop floor and the like. What’s more, we have a warehouse at the edge of the city that we just stashed a large shipment of various cheeses in. While I would normally have my son do it, or a family friend, we need someone to watch over it… and we’re having trouble finding anyone.” “…and that’s where we come in?” Twilight guessed correctly, brushing a strand of lavender hair out of her eyes. Trias nodded. “Right. Since there’s so many of you I think we can use that to our advantage, too. I’d need someone to help watch the shop floor during opening hours, one to watch the warehouse or maybe two if you want to avoid getting bored, and maybe one more on standby.” “That sounds well-organised.” Twilight nodded approvingly. “Ooh, ooh, I’d be great at helping out with the shop! I used to work at a bakery back home!” Another of the six, Pinkie Pie, spoke up, literally bouncing up and down on her seat. It was mildly fascinating that anyone could have so much energy… But, wait. Don’t they have amnesia? “And you can remember that?” Twilight’s eyes widened considerably. There was a pause, as if some of the six – perhaps the more switched on – were drawing hushed breaths. “Yep!” Pinkie shrugged happily. Remy was right, they’re definitely crazy. I’ll have to watch them carefully indeed. But, back to the matter at hand. “I’d pay you all for the time you put in, and you’d be welcome to stay here and eat and drink for free; I’m guessing you don’t have anywhere else to go.” He was assuming, but assuming correctly, proven so by their swift nods. The money spent on their lodging and wages should be made up by the good season anyway. And if Remy’s right, we could be doing Stormwind more good than a little gold would demonstrate anyway. “Anyone not on duty would be free to do what they want, of course. “So, ladies… are you interested?” They all looked at Twilight, and she looked round at them, looking each in the eyes. Yep, definitely the leader. At last, she turned back to look him in the eye too. “Mr. Trias…” she grinned. “Thank you. I believe we have a deal.” “Call me Elling. And thank you.” “So… we’re definitely doing this, then?” “I didn’t say so for nothing, Rainbow.” Twilight said levelly as she rearranged her pillow. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to get to know this world better. We’ve already fulfilled two of our three objectives! We can start looking for a way home straight away!” “Yeah, I suppose…” “Come on, dear.” Rarity yawned as she spoke. The day had taxed her more than the likes of AJ and Dash and Pinkie (who had surprising reserves of energy), that was clear. They had been forced to split up into two rooms by the simple lack of space available in the upstairs bedroom, the one apparently belonging to the Trias’s son. So, Pinkie, Applejack and Fluttershy had gone upstairs for now, leaving the remaining three in the dining room for the evening, curled up on chairs and across a sofa with soft spare pillows and itchy blankets. They planned on swapping over each night. “Have a little positivity. If we keep this rate of progress up—” “We’ll be home in no time, I get it.” Rainbow sighed as she leaned back into her own pillow. “I just really miss my wings…” “And I miss Sweetie Belle, and Opal...” Rarity joined in after a moment. “And I miss Spike.” Twilight finished. “And my family, Princess Celestia and everyone else. It’s them not being within reach that hurts. But we’ll get through it, and we’ll get back to them. I promise. “Better get some sleep, girls. We start work early tomorrow…” And so they did. Trias had them up for breakfast at six; early for Rainbow Dash to function properly, though the others, for various reasons, were accustomed to limited rest. Twilight and Rarity worked late nights and often got up early the next day; Pinkie had invariably started early to bake the day’s goods. Fluttershy was used to waking up to care for the troubles of some animal or another, while Applejack rose at the first light of dawn, if not before then, to get a good handle on the day’s chores. The master of cheese took Applejack and Rarity off early to his warehouse at the edge of the city, promising to be back soon. Pinkie had enthusiastically volunteered to staff the shop floor first, and that mean checking the shelves and counters for any spoiled food, and replacing what needed to be replaced. Rainbow went first on standby, which meant that she could go straight back to sleep for a few more hours. That left Twilight and Fluttershy. “Your time’s yours for a few hours, girls. I’d make the most of it.” Elaine told the two as she tied her apron behind her and washed her hands. She was a terse woman, but not unkind. They thanked her, and headed outside. It was still a little dark outside, but the sun was clearly starting to rise in the sky. Traders up and down the street were starting to lay out their wares. The day was on the cusp of truly beginning. “I don’t really know where to start, to be honest… Shall we go take a look around while we can, then?” “Um, okay…” The two friends passed through the Trade District quickly; they had no money to spend, after all. They took the western path out, and arrived at… “A canal system, huh?” Twilight bent down at the edge of the water-feature to examine it, as Fluttershy looked around worriedly at their empty surroundings – it was much too early for anyone to really be wandering the streets. “I wonder where they source the water from. I thought I smelled the ocean before, but it can’t just be from there. Fascinating…” They walked on a little further, over the bridge and down another street, until they finally came to a useful sign post. “Mage Quarter… this way. That sounds interesting. Sounds like magic is a key part of this world. I think we ought to check it out. What do you think, Fluttershy… Fluttershy?” Fluttershy wasn’t paying attention; she was too busy staring at the sign above the first. “The Park…” She muttered quietly, then suddenly, manically, grabbed the other girl by the shoulders. “Gah!” “Twilight!” She half-screeched, half-hissed. “You don’t think they’ve got animals at this park, do you?” Well, logic suggests… “Uh… probably?” Fluttershy released Twilight, who rubbed her shoulders gently. The gentle girl took a deep breath… and then promptly took off running in the direction of the park.” “I’M COMING MY FRIEEEEEEENDS~” “Fluttershy…!” Twilight called after her, but it was futile; she was long gone. The former princess sighed and made her own way towards the Mage Quarter. I’ll never catch her now, anyway… Maybe this way leads all the way through? Before long, she had walked through a tunnel and into the district itself. Shops boasting reagents for spells and all kinds of herbs, potions, and equipment lined the streets. Twilight passed by them slowly, drinking in as much knowledge as she could. She found herself behind a group of three women, probably about her age (though it was hard to tell) – one was blond and the others were redheads, though one had lighter red hair than the other. Their pace was slow enough that Twilight herself had to decrease her speed, and managed to eavesdrop on their conversation quite effectively; although, at the volume at which they were talking, it was rather hard not to. “If we reverse the Essence flows perhaps we can alter the polarity.” “I suppose that could work, if we had twenty people to cast it with.” “The magical wards at that point should be supported enough by the energy flux to contain the entity.” “The resultant energies could collapse though, and that could cause the energy flux to give you a migraine for weeks.” “Always so negative. The chances of that happening are between zero and none!” Hang on, Twilight suddenly realised, they’re talking about… She couldn’t help herself. “Excuse me!” She jumped forward, inserting herself into their conversation. They turned to look at her, surprised by the interruption. “But are you by any chance talking about an essence-binding energy-capture spell?” The three looked surprised. “We… are.” The lighter-redhead replied cautiously. Twilight was suddenly aware of their deep scrutiny; not of her hair this time, but her clothes. “But what would you know anything about that?” “Well.” Twilight grinned, happy to have a chance to display her knowledge. “I know that you don’t need twenty people to cast it with to ensure stability if you arrange the wards in a quadratic pattern; you’d only need four. The risk of energy collapse is a problem, yes, and the results would be much worse than a simple migraine. But you could avoid that by decelerating the rate of casting and thus the energy drain, and so you’d spread the problem out over a much longer and much less dangerous period of…” She trailed off as their stares became piercing. “…Sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted. I’ll be on my way.” She turned to go quickly, but a hurried shout from one of the girls stopped her. “Wait!” They cried, and she turned back. “We hadn’t thought of that before, but…” “You’re almost certainly right!” “She’s definitely right!” The last girl corrected. “That explains everything!” “But, how could you possibly know that? We’ve never seen you at any of Malin’s lessons before… which family do you come from?” “Uh…” She wracked her brains for a good excuse, but was saved the trouble as another of the girls pulled impatiently at the first’s shoulder. “Never mind that, we’ll be late for Malin’s lesson! You!” She barked, jabbing a finger at Twilight and causing her to jump a little. “You’re amazing!” Twilight blushed, hard, but before she could reply she was grabbed by the arm by the blonde. “You’re coming with us to meet Archmage Malin, new BFF!” She giggled, and the other two swiftly joined her in dragging the lavender-haired woman through the streets of the Mage Quarter. Still blushing, Twilight had no idea what to think as she was pulled away. Fluttershy found the entrance to the park without too much trouble. Breathless, she paused to catch it before heading inside through the tunnel. Oops, she thought as she looked back and realised that Twilight was nowhere to be found. I guess I ran too fast and got away from her. But the animals… She was a little worried about being on her own, but found strength in the knowledge that she would get to make some new friends soon enough. She missed Angel and the others already. I hope they’re being looked after. She followed the spiralling path up and came to the edge of a raised platform, where, to her delight, sat a wondrous gathering of animals around a large, odd-looking cat of a species she didn’t recognise. Flanking the cat were two people, a male and a female – but they clearly weren’t human; at least not like any she’d seen yet. The pointy ears and bright glowing eyes gave that away, and they were much taller besides. They seemed to have such an excellent connection with nature, though. She watched them scatter seeds and another little treats to the squirrels, the cats, the dogs and the little birds arrayed around them. She desperately wanted to join them up on the platform. Fluttershy took another step forward… …and tripped, landing hard, face-first on the brick of the platform and knocking herself out. She came to moments later, dazed and confused, but quickly realised what she had just done. Her fall had spooked all of the little creatures, who had backed away and retreated up trees and other high places. The two non-humans were shouting at her in a language she couldn’t understand. Worst of all, the cat growled at her and changed, right in front of her eyes, into another of the tall not-humans, who joined the others in angrily remonstrating with her. With no idea what to make of any of this, and shamed by the disruption she had accidentally caused, Fluttershy hurriedly fled back the way she had come, tears stinging her face as they leapt from her eyes.