The sound of boots against stone immediately to Kyle’s left pierced through the darkness, slowly dragging him from his sleep. As he woke, other sounds also reached his ears - the rustle of clothes and leather armor, the dull murmur of sleepy individuals making idle conversation, the distant sounds of magic and sparring.
Kyle grunted and opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Or rather, the underside of the bed above him. He glanced off to either side and saw an identical set of bunk beds in each direction. To his right, a Dwarf sat up and stretched before hopping out of his bed and walking towards the door.
Kyle sat up as well and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, trying to remember where he was. The constant moving around and sleeping in a different location every night for the past few nights had left him slightly confused as to his current whereabouts. Not to mention the fact that everything after his meeting with the Masters seemed to pass in a blur…
The Council… of course. Kyle glanced around once more. Memories of the night before came back to him, and he finally recognizing the room. This was the dormitory for the new Alliance initiates who had yet to become an apprentice to a Master Monk. After the meeting with the Council, he and Scootaloo had gone to get some noodles to eat, which were a welcome change from the salted pork and oats they had been living on in the mountains. Afterwards, he had spent the night in here since there were no spare beds available in the Masters’ quarters.
Plus, he didn’t think Scootaloo would appreciate being left alone in a strange place.
The Pony in question stirred on the mattress above him, having been disturbed by the sounds of the rising initiates as well. She pushed herself to her hooves and flapped her wings, fluttering unsteadily down to the ground. “Mornin’ ,” she yawned.
“Hey.” Kyle swung his legs out of the bed and pushed himself to his feet, reaching over for his armor. He found it next to the bedside table where he had left it the night before. He quickly put it on, nearly falling over as he tried to put on the legguards. Finally, he clasped the cape around his neck and adorned his hat. An appropriate hat to wear, now that I’m a master…
Master Kyle…
The title still felt foreign to him, like it didn’t belong. He had always assumed that becoming a Master somehow made you instantly wiser, stronger, better. But he didn’t feel any different this morning than he had the morning before.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. The morning before, he had been nervous. Fearful, even, about the meeting with the Council. The outcome had been unknown, and that uncertainty had been frightening. But now, on the other side of the meeting, he felt wonderful. Even his sleepiness didn’t seem to cling to him nearly as long as usual.
“So, what’re we doing today?” Scootaloo asked, breaking Kyle back out of his thoughts.
“I’m not entirely sure,” he admitted. “King Varian said the summit would be held the day after we and the princesses arrived here. That would have been two days ago. But if I know politics - which I don’t, but I know this much - then I’m guessing there was either some kind of delay, or the summit is still going on today. Either way, I think it’d be best if we go to Ironforge and join them. And if by some chance the summit is already over, then we’ll head back to Equestria and go from there.”
“Can we get some food first?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m starving.”
“Really?” Kyle chuckled. “I’d have thought the amount you ate last night would have lasted you for the rest of week.”
“I was hungry!” Scootaloo protested. “And those noodles were really good, especially after eating nothing but oats for three days!”
“You think that was good?” Kyle smirked. “You just wait until we get to Ironforge. If there’s one thing those Dwarves know how to do, it’s cook. And drink. And smith.”
Now fully armored, Kyle and Scootaloo headed out to find the washrooms. They were just a few steps outside of the dormitory, and they entered their respective washrooms and did their morning routines. Kyle finished a moment before Scootaloo, and met her back outside.
“They kept staring at me,” Scootaloo complained as she and Kyle walked back towards the dormitory to collect their bags. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to do your business when somepony is whispering about you just outside your door?”
“Yes, well,” Kyle cleared his throat. “Remember, no one here is used to seeing a Pony in the washroom, much less one that can fly and talk. You remember how it was when I came to Equestria, right? Same idea here, just reversed. Just give it some time.”
Once back inside the dormitory, the pair quickly gathered up what few belongings they had removed from their bags the night before and stowed them away again. They picked up their bags and walked out once more, headed towards the eating area.
A few minutes later, the two were seated at a table along the edge of the room, enjoying a bowl of noodles. As they ate, Kyle became aware of a confused and suspicious murmuring running through the other initiates in the room. He occasionally glanced around the room and caught several of them staring at them when they thought he wasn’t looking. It’s gonna take a while for them to get used to these Ponies...
Scootaloo apparently heard the mutterings too. She was quiet and reserved throughout their meal, not speaking and barely making eye contact. It was only when they finished eating and stepped back outside that her mood seemed to lighten.
Despite the hot springs that warmed the Peak of Serenity, the air outside was quite chilly. Kyle’s breath rose away from his face as fog, which quickly faded in the brilliant glow of the Kun-Lai sunrise. Directly across the Peak from them was the main building, where they had met with the Council. They aimed themselves towards it, descending down a set of steps into the courtyard.
As they entered the courtyard, Kyle saw a small group of students settling down in front of one of the Master Monks. They all sat down, crossed their legs, and closed their eyes, preparing to meditate. Though not required of initiates, early morning meditation was recommended to Monks of all calibers. Kyle frowned slightly as he watched the Master Monk slowly float into the air. I really need to get back into that practice. I’ve been slacking lately…
“Kyle!”
A familiar voice cut through Kyle’s thoughts and drew his attention. From his right, Master Cheng approached, his face already split in a wide smile. In his right paw, he held what looked like his usual staff. “I heard the news last night,” Cheng said, his voice full of pride. “The youngest Master in history. I always knew there was something special about you, Master Kyle.”
Kyle shrugged the praise off, still feeling the awkwardness of his newfound title. “Thanks, but really… it was all your training,” he replied. “I’ve still got a lot of learning to do myself.”
“Well, that may be, but that is also true for the rest of us,” Cheng said. “The mark of a true Master is to realize that even the wisest among us are forever students.”
“Now, I’ve not just come to congratulate you, but to deliver two things to you,” Cheng continued. “Firstly, some news. Grand Master Hight has told me to tell you that the portal to Stormwind is already waiting for you at the big house. King Varian has requested you in Ironforge, so a mage on the other side is ready with another portal to Ironforge.”
“So, the summit isn’t over,” Kyle mused. “That answers that question at least.”
“Indeed, though King Varian also says that the summit will not continue for another two hours or so. But I digress. The second item I’ve come to deliver to you…” Cheng twirled the staff around in his paw before stopping it, with the top of the handle pointed towards Kyle.
“... Is this.”
Kyle’s eyes grew wider as he stared at the bamboo polearm in front of him. “You’re… giving me your staff?” he stammered.
“Goodness, no,” Cheng laughed. “I would never give you a hand-me-down staff, Kyle. Not for an occasion such as this. This is your Master Staff - the one that every Master Monk receives from their old mentor. Normally, as you know, it would have been presented to you at your ceremony, but given the… suddenness… of your promotion, it was not ready until this morning.”
Kyle slowly reached and and grabbed the staff, examining it closely. The staff was about three and a half feet long. The wood was a light brown, with a flask attached to the top via a leather cord - just like every other Windwalker Master’s staff. Two large bands of red-dyed leather were wrapped around the bottom half of the staff, creating a pair of grips for Kyle to hold onto while wielding it. At the bottom, an ornate metal spear tip had been fastened onto the wood, and sharpened to a razor-fine edge.
Kyle looked back up at Cheng, and then down at the staff. He stepped forward and embraced his old mentor in a warm hug. “Thank you, Master Cheng,” he murmured. “For everything.”
“I sense that your story is far from over, Kyle,” Cheng replied as he pulled back. “Go on. The rest of your tale awaits you.”
As Kyle walked away from Cheng, he held the staff tightly in his right hand. He kept glancing down at it, as if afraid that it would vanish if he didn’t keep an eye on it. He gave it a small twirl as he and Scootaloo ascended up the steps towards the main building. It spun gracefully through his fingers, with the flask thudding against the wood as it came to a stop.
True, it was just a simple staff. He could probably make a fairly decent replica, given the materials and enough time. But to him, it was something more. A badge for his newfound title, a symbol for his new responsibilities.
Kyle was forced from his thoughts as he and Scootaloo entered the main building. The large room inside was empty save for a lone female Pandaren in the corner to their immediate right. Next to her, a swirling portal was waiting. She said nothing, but only smiled and nodded as they entered the vortex.
On the other side, Kyle and Scootaloo found themselves in the highest peak of the large tower in the Mage Quarter of Stormwind. Another large portal stood in front of them, which would lead them back down the tower. However, that was not to be their destination. A Gnome was waiting for them at the top of the tower, and waved them over as they arrived. Like the Pandaren, he said nothing, but simply opened another portal to Ironforge.
The two passed through the second portal and arrived in the Mystic Ward of Ironforge. The room they found themselves in was large, with a spiral staircase wrapping around the room counterclockwise. Just outside the double arches that served as doors, Kyle could see a large fountain in the middle of a plaza.
“A bit gloomy here, don’t you think?” Scootaloo commented as the pair walked past the fountain. “The air feels all… hot and stuffy.”
“It’s because of the mountain,” Kyle replied. “The city was built entirely into Ironforge mountain, so we’re actually underground right now. It’s good defensively, but it does prevent a lot of natural air circulation in the city. It probably doesn’t help that the central section of the city is a massive forge, where the Dwarves smith their finest weapons and armor.”
Scootaloo’s feathers spread out a bit, and she flapped her wings to fan herself. “Isn’t there any place that’s not this stuffy?” she complained.
“The Commons. It’s where the main entrance to Ironforge is, and leads out to the main gate. The gate opens up into Dun Morogh, which is quite chilly. I don’t quite understand all of the dynamics of wind flow and stuff, but -”
“Hot air and cold air create differences in air pressure,” Scootaloo interjected. “And the air pressures are always trying to balance each other out, so it’ll create wind. So this Commons place will be getting a good breeze rolling through it from the outside.”
Kyle blinked and stared at Scootaloo, who shrugged. “I pay attention when Rainbow Dash talks about flying,” she explained. “And knowing about air pressure and wind currents is a big part of it.”
Kyle said nothing in reply, but instead led Scootaloo away from the fountain and to their right. The courtyard opened up into a large, wide corridor that curved to the left with a very high ceiling . Buildings lined either side of the corridor. Two paths ran just outside of these buildings, with the very center of the corridor opening up into a large pit. At the bottom of the pit was a metal grate, and below that was a lake of bubbling lava.
“Yeah, don’t fall,” Kyle warned. “That grate doesn’t really do much to help if you fall in. The lava heats it up to the point that it’ll burn you pretty badly if you touch it. And that’s assuming you survive actually landing on it, ‘cause it’s still a pretty long fall. Though I guess you don’t have to worry about it too much,” he added. “Since you can fly and all.”
“Not here,” Scootaloo replied. “I already tried to hover. The air is too muggy for me to get any lift.”
“We’ll get to the breezy section soon,” Kyle promised as they walked along the left-hand road. Sure enough, a few minutes later Kyle could feel a small breeze blowing past him. As the breeze grew stronger, the number of people passing them steadily increased. Most of them were Dwarves, though Kyle could see a fair number of Gnomes, as well as a scattered assortment of the other races.
A fair distance ahead, he saw the large opening in the outer wall that led to the Gates of Ironforge. As they drew closer, the breeze grew stronger and chillier. By the time they reached the central plaza of the Commons, the air had become considerably cooler and less oppressive, and a very pleasant breeze was running through his hair.
“Ahhh…” Scootaloo sighed. “This is more like it. So, what do we do now?”
“Well, by my guess, we’ve got another hour and a half still until the conference starts up,” Kyle replied. “And I’m betting that’s going to be at the High Seat, right next to the Great Forge. So, we could either hang out here and get what relief from the heat we can, or try to get used to it while I give you a tour.”
Scootaloo frowned, and closed her eyes for a moment. “Much as I like this breeze, I guess I do want to kinda see the rest of the city,” she finally admitted.
“Alright, So this is the Commons, as I’ve said,” Kyle began. “It’s the main residential area of Ironforge. Everyone likes to live here because of the breeze, though the Dwarves tend to stick to the outer edges since they can resist the heat a bit better than the rest of us. And back that way,” Kyle jerked his thumb over in the direction they had come from, “is the Mystic Ward. Basically, Ironforge’s version of the Mage Quarter. It’s where they do their magical research.”
“And what’s that way?” Scootaloo asked, motioning towards the other side of the plaza. Another corridor, almost identical to the one behind them, bent to the left and curved out of sight.
“So both of these long hallways are considered part of the Commons” Kyle explained, leading Scootaloo towards the far corridor. “At the end of this one is the Military Ward, where the Dwarves train their warriors and other fighters. Let’s go check it out.”
As the two walked away from the Commons, a low buzzing caught Kyle’s attention. He glanced around to find the source, but just as quickly it was silenced. One of the Gnomes’ contraptions, no doubt. He thought to himself as they wandered down the large road.
Soon, they arrived at the Military Ward. The breeze from the Commons was nothing but a memory now, and the air was hot and stifling. To make matters worse, the large pit in the center of the Military Ward was roaring with its usual flames, heating the air further still. Kyle felt himself break into a sweat, and he had to wipe his forehead. Scootaloo seemed to be faring little better, constantly flapping her wings to try and generate some sort of air circulation.
“Alright, moving on,” Kyle said quickly ushering Scootaloo to the other side of the large plaza. “This way is Tinker Town, where most of the city’s Gnomes congregate.”
The pair moved through a relatively narrow passageway into a much smaller plaza, surrounded on all sides by various alcoves in which multiple Gnomes could be seen tinkering on their projects. Kyle pointed to a hallway that jutted off to their right. “That’s the Deeprun Tram. It links Stormwind and Ironforge, running under the mountains and the sea.”
The Tinker’s Town was a welcome relief to Kyle and Scootaloo. The Gnomes apparently disliked the heat of Ironforge, for their shops were all cooled by various fans or magical devices. The two were loathe to leave, but agreed that it would be best to continue. So rather than hang around and enjoy the relief from the heat, they pressed onwards towards the next section.
As they moved through the narrow passage that lead away from Tinker Town, Kyle heard that same, high-pitched buzzing again. He whipped his head back towards the sound, but again found nothing. Something stirred in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it as they emerged into another wide-open plaza.
“So this is the Hall of Explorers,” Kyle said as they ventured into the open area. “This is where all of the Archeologists of the Alliance convene. Dwarves are naturally curious and good archeologists, so they dedicated an entire section of their city to delving into Azeroth’s ancient past. They record all of their findings there, in the Explorer’s Library,”
“Alright. Now can we get back to the Commons?” Scootaloo asked, fanning her wings again. “Sweet Celestia it’s hot in here.”
“Tell you what, the next area has a pool you can take a dip in,” Kyle offered, already walking away from the library. He and Scootaloo wandered over to the far end of the plaza and entered into a narrow, rocky tunnel.
Kyle’s ears perked up. There it was again. That buzzing noise that he had heard three times now. Not a Gnome construct… he mused to himself. We’re too far from Tinker Town for them to wander over here… Warning bells began to go off in the back of his mind, and he instinctively gripped his staff a little tighter.
Scootaloo seemed to notice his apprehension. “Something wrong?” she murmured so only he could hear her.
Kyle slowly shook his head. “Not yet,” he replied. “But this is the Forlorn Cavern. Darkest section of Ironforge. There’s quite a few shady characters in these parts. There’s normally not much trouble, but be prepared just in case there is.”
The two wandered past a row of buildings on their right. Kyle pointed to their left, towards a large pond. “There. If you want to go for a dip, that’s the place.”
Scootaloo grinned and galloped towards the pool, launching herself into the cool waters. She emerged a moment later, bobbing up and down in the water happily.
Kyle couldn't help but laugh as he saw the expression on Scootaloo’s face. “Enjoying yourself?” he teased.
“You have no idea,” she sighed. “Come on in, the water’s perfect.”
“Na, I’ll pass,” Kyle said offhandedly. “I don’t really fancy Old Ironjaw taking a chunk outta me.”
“WHAT?!” Kyle could have sworn Scootaloo ran on water as she burst from the pond, dripping wet and hopping away from the pool. “There’s something that can EAT you there?!” she demanded.
Kyle burst into laughter, the noise reverberating through the stone chasm. “Na, just Old Ironjaw,” he said as he regained his breath. “He’s got a hell of a bite, but never hurt anything larger than an insect. Unless you count the wounded pride of any fisherman trying to catch him.”
“Not funny!” Scootaloo huffed angrily as she shook herself dry, flinging water everywhere.
Kyle shielded himself from the flying water droplets and chuckled again. “Ah, but the expression on your face… priceless.”
Scootaloo frowned again as she stared up at Kyle. She opened her mouth,to speak, but then glanced behind Kyle. An expression of terror quickly flew across her face. “Behind you!”
Kyle had already begun moving the instant he had seen her look of fear. He tightened his grip on his staff and jabbed it backwards behind him, the spear head lancing out at whatever was sneaking up on him. A dull crunching sound and a gasp of pain told him that he had hit his mark. He quickly withdrew the staff and spun around, bringing the other end of the staff whirling at his attacker. With a loud crack, his attacker was caught upside the head and flung to the side, spiraling to the ground.
Kyle barely had a chance to glance at his attacker before another shape emerged from the darkness, already poised and ready to strike. Kyle was forced to jump backwards to avoid being impaled by a wicked-looking sickle, and he landed next to Scootaloo as he got a good look at his attacker.
The solid blue orbs of a Changeling stared back at him, narrowed in hatred.
The Changeling lunged forward again. This time, Kyle brought his staff whistling upwards. He caught the Changeling under the jaw and launched it skyward with a sickening snap. Just behind it, a third Changeling rushed forward, only to meet Scootaloo halfway. She dodged under its first strike and hopped over its second before slamming her hoof forward into its face. The Changeling howled in pain as she wrapped a foreleg around its neck and fell forward, slamming its head against a sharp rock in the ground and piercing its skull.
Kyle, meanwhile was dealing with two more Changelings that had emerged from behind the pool. The blade of his staff found its mark again as he ran it through the throat of one, and he quickly withdrew it as the second Changeling surged forward. Kyle hopped backwards and sensed the stone wall only a few paces behind him. Cornered, he watched as the Changeling moved in for another attack.
Instead of letting it, Kyle turned quickly and ran towards the wall. He ran up the wall two steps before spinning and launching himself high into the air. The Changeling stared, dumbfounded, as Kyle brought his staff whistling town onto its head, cracking its skull open.
The final attacker was already engaged in combat with Scootaloo, who danced around its attacks with ease. As it lunged forward once more, she lightly hopped backwards and stood up on her rear hooves. She flapped her wings to balance herself as she spun around, ready to unleash a Blackout Kick.
“Don’t kill it!” Kyle called out as she lashed out. Her hoof shifted slightly so that, rather than splitting its head open, her blow sent it tumbling to the ground, unconscious.
Kyle quickly reached into his pack and pulled out a length of rope, tying the Changelings hooves together as Scootaloo glanced around to see if any more Changelings were around. When none presented themselves, she walked over towards Kyle, who was now holding the Changeling over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“What are they doing here?” she said quietly, almost fearfully. Kyle could hardly blame her. Changelings in Ironforge? In Azeroth?
“I don’t know…” he replied slowly. “But I think we’re going to find out soon enough.”
“And I don’t think we’re going to like it.”