Twilight Goes to Dalaran

by Leila Drake

Level 5 - Fight on a Zeppelin

Twilight stood in awe as the Mighty Wind approached the western dock tower in the middle of Orgrimmar. A giant long balloon floated above her, carrying a boatlike structure with strong ropes. The goblins who ran the airship had painted the baloon skin to resemble a shark in defiance of the dangerous cold winds of Northrend.

Tak led her aboard and below deck where they got themselves more or less comfortable on the wooden floor.

"Thank you for the scarf and also thanks again for the cape", said Twilight. They were the only passengers yet so they could talk openly. "Is Northrend really that awfully cold?"

"Oh yes", sighed Tak. "Though I hope it will be slightly better with the Scourge being defeated. I heard they added some wicked ice magic to the mix."

"Have you ever been there before?" asked Twilight.

"No", he admitted, "but I have memorized the maps for years now. I've always wanted to go there but the Scourge war and my, um, financial situation kept me from going. Both problems are gone now, the Tundra has become more or less safe and I managed to get all the stuff together that I needed for the journey.

"Do you still have the bottle and book I gave you?"

Twilight opened her bag. "Yes, and I even conjured up some water and there was an interesting spell about muffins and cinnamon rolls that I tried. Look, the muffin looks a bit small but the cinnamon roll turned out nicely, don't you think? I'm sure I can try the mana cupcakes and biscuits next."

"Amazing", commented Tak, completely astonished. "Are you aware that this spell is way above the average of a mage and takes years of training? This is incredible... May I taste it?"

Twilight used her magic to float a cinnamon roll into Tak's hand. Her cheeks were red when she could not help but smile at the compliment. He took a bite, then smiled approvingly.

"It's a really good book", she said. "Actually, I chose the spell because I already knew the recipe. I thought it would probably be easier if I knew the components of the object well and..."

Tak's eyes widened. "So you are not just a mage, you're a cook, too."

"No, no", laughed Twilight. "My friend Pinkie Pie taught me. She is the one who knows all the recipes and..." She stopped and sighed, then raised her head again and smiled sadly. "Well, she is the best baker I know if certainly the most unconventional. If she knew about this new spell she would most likely throw a BBPFF party."

"'BBPFF'?"

"Best Baker Pony Friends Forever", explained Twilight.

Tak rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh..."

They got interrupted when the other passengers boarded the airship. Two leather-clad goblins, one wearing a ragged scarf that swung in the breeze, and a wiry troll with a chipped tusk entered the room and sat down in one corner, followed by an undead in a ragged robe who sat down in another corner. Twilight wrinkled her nose.

The corpse smelled terribly, his left elbow was just a bone and his colorless hair was very messy. On his slightly damaged face there was a strange expression. Was it sadness? While the other three creatures just looked plain mean, he looked disgustingly... wrong. Everything inside Twilight made her want to leave the airship so she would not have to bear his presence. The group in the other corner eyed him occasionally, murmuring things that were indistinguishable but certainly not friendly.

Sheer willpower made her stay put and smile a weak smile at him. To her surprise, he smiled back. At least she thought he was. It was hard to tell because half his face was covered by a dark green-grayish cloth. Twilight shuffled uncomfortably.

- - -

The journey north was more boring than Twilight would have thought. She and Tak did not talk to each other, the other group mumbled among themselves and the undead stared at the opposite wall. Once in a while they went to sleep or ate something. Tak insisted on keeping watch while Twilight slept. She did not understand why but decided to trust him.

- - -

The sound of a small explosion made Twilight jump with shock. Tak stood up, drew his hammer and hissed, "Trouble! Stay behind me."

"No", said Twilight. "Not this time."

The goblins and the troll were gone. Only the undead was left, still sitting in his corner. He turned his head slowly and threw a curious glance out the door. With a dusty, crackling voice he asked, "What is going on over there?"

They heard the clanking of metal on metal, then a thud.

"O crap", said Tak.

"Now that's it!" shouted somebody from above. "Get them up here prrronto!"

The wiry troll from earlier and one of the goblins – the one with the long ragged scarf - entered the room. Wiry had armed himself with a bow. He nocked an arrow which he pointed at Tak and pulled the string. The goblin held a crossbow in one hand and a spear in the other with blood glistening on the tip.

"Ya heard the boss!" shouted Rags. "Get up and get going!"

"Who are you?" demanded Tak.

"Shut up and move it! We're taking this Zeppelin!"

Tak groaned and made a sloppy movement with his hammer as if he was annoyed.

The sneer on the goblin's face turned into a grin.

The hammer went up again.

The grin froze.

A fierce wind took the zeppelin and everyone save Tak lost their balance when the floor shook.

"What the hell?! It's a shaman! Get the tauren first!" screamed the goblin.

Twilight started flapping her wings and lit up her horn.

The troll shot at Tak, missing his chest. Twilight heard the tauren grunt. Still, he swung his hammer again and with a deafening sound it came down on Rags's head.

Twilight suppressed the urge to throw up and focused on the troll. She managed to take away his bow, but he merely hissed and crouched menacingly, drawing a long curved knife.

"Ya nevah gonna get me, mon!" he declared. Then he ran over to Tak who was still fighting the goblin. It was a mystery to Twilight how that thing was still alive after such a blow to the head.

She did not have any time to ponder on that, though, as Tak was now being attacked from two sides. Somehow he managed to keep the goblin at bay who was trying to beat and poke him with his spear, the crossbow long forgotten... but he had not noticed Wiry sneaking up from behind.

"Watch out!" shouted Twilight, trying to shoot a beam of arcane magic at the troll. She missed him when he jumped at Tak's back, the knife ready.

A blinding light made all of them stop. Twilight raised her hooves to shield her eyes.

The undead was standing now, with arms outstretched, both hands glowing with bright light. He raised them and Twilight saw a shield of light covering Tak's back. It had prevented the knife from cutting him. The light started to fade away, though, and the troll shook his head, trying to blink away the afterimage. For some reason he and the goblin had been affected by the light the most.

Tak's hammer came down again and with a sickening crack the green menace froze, then fell.

"Ya cheatin' maggothead!" shrieked Wiry and turned to the undead.

Twilight shot another beam of arcane light and this time she hit her target.

Surprised, her opponent almost dropped his knife.

Then Tak swung his hammer again. Twilight looked away as she heard another sickening crack, then everything was still.

The light faded. They looked at each other, Tak huffing and panting, the undead silent. Then Twilight noticed what was wrong.

She perked up an ear. "A-Are we still moving?"

With his teeth clenched, Tak pulled an arrow out of his left forearm. He kept panting and Twilight's eyes widened as she realized that he had kept fighting despite the wound.

"Let's go and check", suggested the undead. "But first - your wound."

Tak lowered his injured arm and picked up the hammer. "I'm fine."

Twilight frowned. "No, you're not. Please... he saved you, didn't you feel the light protect you? Let him take a look, all right?" She tried to put up a begging puppy-eyed look but failed when Tak whinced.

Then the tauren grumbled. "Fine. But do it quickly, we don't know what's the matter on deck."

The undead raised his hand and moved it closer to the wound.

"The light's with you here, tauren, there's no poison."

A sigh of relief escaped Tak which turned into another grunt. "Argh! Still hurts like a mother", he said through clenched teeth. "You know, as a shaman I could-"

"Hold still", said his doctor with a level tone, then he mumbled a prayer. His hand started to glow. As Twilight watched with awe, the glow expanded until it covered Tak's wound which started to heal rapidly.

"Wow", she said. "That's ... amazing..."

The light faded again and Tak tried to move his arm freely. When he felt no pain, he smiled. "Thanks, man. I guess I owe you one."

"Shut up", said the undead. "I am going upstairs first."

Comments

[Mocha Star]

I want a undead for my birthday, mommy!
I'll love him and pet him and name him Gorge because he'll gorge on our enemies!

[FridayPie]

Undead discipline priest. Nice, the best for their party.

Shamans become minitanks on low levels with their shield. Originally they were meant to be tanks but that somehow was dropped, so only druids have four roles.

[A Wild Magikarp]

We gonna talk about how every time a undead channels the light, they put themselves through absolute agony as it burns at their flesh, being the anathema of their cursed being? Undead priests are some of the most strong willed and selfless characters in the Warcraft universe.

Also, I can’t picture a Tauren casually referring to someone as ‘man’. It’s just to comical.