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Every Color, Chapter 1: Lakeshire

Redridge Mountains, Lakeshire
613 on the King's Calendar, between the Burning Crusade and Wrath

"Daddy, why does Alex have to go?" Kara whined at her father as he gathered up the wood chopped for the week.

Jeremiah tousled the teenage girl's blonde hair. "Alex wants to do what I do, Kara. She wants to join the Stormwind Army and fight for our people here at home and abroad."

Kara pouted as she picked up a log as tall as she was. Ever since being adopted by the Danvers family as a teenager, she'd shown unnatural strength, especially for a girl of 13 years old. After picking up an axe, she cleaved the log in two with one mighty swipe, splinters flying in every direction. "But why does she have to leave me? I'll be all alone without her!"

"She won't be gone forever, Kara. Once basic training is over and she's sworn in as an officer, she'll be able to visit on the weekends. You know Stormwind is only a day's ride from here." Jeremiah picked up the pieces of wood Kara had so easily split and lay them on the pile. "Now come on, we need to get the hearth re-stoked so that your mother can bake some more goretusk pies for the town hall meeting tonight."

"Will she bake some extra for us?" Kara salivated at the thought of one of her favorite dishes. Goretusk liver pie was usually a delicacy of Westfall, a province far to the west of Redridge, but in a stroke of luck the previous week, a pack of wild goretusks had attacked the Jainrose's farm on the western edge of town. Kara had rushed over to help, grabbing the nearest tool, which happened to be a rake. As one of the goretusks - giant, hulking beasts like boars but with half-meter long tusks - charged Lilly Jainrose, Kara chased it down in the blink of an eye and smashed the rake on the goretusk's head so hard it died on the spot.

Then she'd singlehandedly hauled it back to their farm for butchering, carrying the slain animal almost bridal-style.

Their neighbors were all now used to the unusual girl who had arrived a handful of months ago, capable of astonishing feats. Kara had been dropped off by Matron Nightengale, the head caretaker at the Stormwind Orphanage. Nightengale, a kindly, grey-haired woman, had brought Kara to the Danvers homestead with little more than a flower dress and a small stuffed bear, a donation from the many adventurers who financially supported the orphanage during Children's Week. She'd advised the Danvers that Kara, like so many of Stormwind's orphans, had experienced substantial trauma, but the young teen hadn't opened up about any of it so they had no knowledge of any existing family.

After the first day, Jeremiah and Eliza knew something was very different about the girl. Their older daughter, Alex, had always been a bit of a tomboy, helping out with the heavier chores around the farm. On the second day, one of their horses had broken free of its stable and had started to gallop away. Alex, who had been mucking the stall, chased after the horse but couldn't do much except watch it speed away towards the Lakeshire Bridge. As the chestnut-haired girl knelt on the side of the road, gasping for air, a gust of wind blew by her, almost knocking her over. In the distance, she saw their horse come to an abrupt stop before slowly starting to walk back to their farm. As Jeremiah and Eliza ran down the road to see what had happened, their jaws dropped in shock.

The horse wasn't really walking back.

Kara was carrying it. Not very far off the ground, but far enough that the occasional attempt by the horse to run away was stymied by having no purchase for its hooves to gather.

Minutes later, the horse was back in its stall and the family was gathered around the rough-hewn timber table in their living room, seated on the benches. Alex was the first to speak up, though she hesitated as she struggled to find her words. "Uh... Kara... what... how did you do that?"

Kara shrugged and gave a soft smile. "I heard you yell for help, so I came over and got the horse. Did I do something wrong?"

Eliza shook her head. "No, of course not honey. You didn't do anything wrong. We're so grateful you were able to help Alex, and save Streaky as well."

"Streaky?"

Eliza smiled. "Yes, that's the name of our horse. I think... I think what Alex is asking is, how did you manage to carry a horse all by yourself? That's not... something that usually happens," she said quietly, choosing her words very carefully to avoid implying there was something wrong with the orphan.

"I uh, I don't know? I just heard Alex and I ran to help." Kara wrung her hands nervously, still afraid she'd somehow offended her new foster family.

Jeremiah laughed. "Well, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Kara's willing to help out around the farm, I certainly won't say no to her and any special skills she happens to bring with her." He clapped the girl on the shoulder, expecting her to budge or dodge as Alex always did, and instead found his hand sore, as though he had clapped a boulder instead.

From that fateful day, Kara was made to feel every bit a part of the family as anyone else, up to and including learning Eliza's secret recipes for dishes like goretusk liver pie.

625 on the King's Calendar

She walked into the farmhouse, greeted by the rich, savory smells of the pies in the stone hearth as Eliza finished putting the dough over one more of the meat pies. "Ah, Kara, you're here. Would you mind running two of these down to the Lakeshire Town Hall?"

Kara nodded with a smile, grabbing the two nearest pies to her, small plumes of steam still rising from the golden, buttery crust. Another quirk of her mysterious upbringing was her seeming indifference to things that should have caused her great pain and injury. Eliza's pies were fresh out of the oven and boiling hot, but Kara carried them as though they'd laid in the windowsill for half a day.

As she walked into Lakeshire's cramped, rustic wooden town hall, she overheard dim shouting coming from inside. She recognized one of the voices as Magistrate Solomon, Lakeshire's mayor and administrator.

"We do not need the Kirin Tor's presence here, Archmage! There's simply no need for it. We are a humble farming and fishing village, as you can well see!" shouted Solomon in his office. Whoever he was speaking to spoke much more quietly than Solomon; Kara couldn't make out anything the other party said. "Yes, I know Stormwind approved this, I can see your twice-damned document with the King's seal on it myself. Fine! Just don't go scaring my people with your- your witch hunt! We've had enough trouble with mages here."

A second later, the door opened and out walked a tall, regal mage of the Kirin Tor - a woman with almost white hair, slightly glowing grey eyes, and beautiful flowing purple robes emblazoned with the Eye of Dalaran, the Kirin Tor's sigil.

The Kirin Tor had a dual reputation through the lands of Azeroth. On the one hand, they were staunch defenders of the world, protecting it against magical threats of every kind. A few years back, a black dragon had taking up residence in a local tower, and the Kirin Tor plus a handful of adventurers had quelled the threat before the dragon could cause any serious damage to the town.

On the other hand, the Kirin Tor were also known as meddlers, tricksters even. One could not trust what they saw, heard, or felt in the presence of mages, so skilled were they at their various illusions and magics. Most people of Azeroth tended to give them a wide berth. Kara had never interacted with any of them, but she'd not heard a word about them from her adoptive family one way or another.

The archmage, powerful though she was, wasn't what drew Kara's attention. It was what - or rather who - was behind her. For a moment, she thought she'd fallen into some kind of magical vortex, that the rumors about the Kirin Tor were true. There was a woman seemingly about Kara's age, mid-20s, behind the archmage, dressed in much simpler purple robes with no adornments. The robes weren't what caught Kara's eye, though. It was the stunning, simple beauty of the girl - brilliant blue eyes, full red lips, a strong jawline, raven-black hair contrasting against lily white skin.

Both the archmage and her companion stopped in the foyer of the town hall. "Ah... can we help you, miss?" the elder asked, eyeing the farmgirl curiously.

"Yes! No! I mean, hi! Hi, how are you, welcome to Lakeshire!" Kara grinned, a hundred words all rushing into her mouth at once. "I hope you have a pleasant stay here and is there anything I can help you with?"

The younger woman looked at her senior, as though communicating in some fashion with her. The elder mage gave the slightest nod of her head, and the young woman spoke up. "Yes, ma'am. We are from the Kirin Tor, the government of the city-state of Dalaran, and we are here on official business looking for the Tower of Ilgalar. Do you happen to know where that is?"

Kara nodded eagerly. "It's about two hours' ride from here to the east, but uh... it's not a very nice place to go."

"Why is that?"

"Well, supposedly a few years ago there was this guy who went by the name of Grand Magus Doane, but he was really a giant black dragon, and there was this whole fight that ended with the dragon splashing down in the lake..." Kara explained, gesturing wildly, flapping her arms, and delivering a condensed re-enactment of the event to the mages' bemusement. "So, uh... needless to say, no one goes up there any more, Miss, um, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

After a few more shaded glances at each other, the elder mage finally spoke. "I am Archmage Modera. This is Apprentice Luthor."

Kara wrinkled her nose. "Luthor? That's not a name from around here?"

"No, it isn't. My family was originally from Lordaeron before... well, before. What's left of my family resettled far away in Theramore, on Kalimdor," the apprentice said, casting her eyes downward as memories of the past swept over her.

Kara impulsively reached out and rested her left hand on the young mage's shoulder, startling the brunette. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Miss Luthor. If there's anything I can do to help you enjoy your time here, please let me know, okay?" she offered with a broad smile. Lena smiled wanly back and covered Kara's hand with her own.

Modera cleared her throat. "Yes, well, thank you for your assistance, Miss?"

"Kara, Kara Danvers," she smiled, reaching out her other hand.

Modera gingerly shook it briefly, a moment of confusion crossing her face before she withdrew. "Now, if you will pardon us, we need to hire some horses from... Penny, I believe. Good day, Miss Danvers."

As soon as the women were saddled up and away from the town proper, on the trails leading east, Modera turned to her apprentice. "Apprentice, did you sense anything unusual about Miss Danvers back there?"

Lena shook her head. She hadn't followed the traditional path of acolytes in the Kirin Tor; most were identified at a very young age and brought to the mages of Dalaran to be raised and trained in the magical arts. Lena had taken a different path. Before the fall of Lordaeron, she was the daughter of Lionel Luthor, a wealthy businessman who ran one of the largest trading companies in the Eastern Kingdoms. As the Scourge began to raze all of the north, her parents put Lena and her brother Lex on a ship to Kalimdor led by Jaina Proudmoore, hoping that they'd survive the journey.

Shortly thereafter, Lex did his best to set up the family's business again in the harsh lands of Kalimdor. On her arrival, Lena - still a teenager - had found she had some latent magical abilities manifesting under the stress of fleeing her home. A passing mage visiting Lady Proudmoore had noticed the trace of arcane energy slowly wafting off Lena and encouraged her to come back to Dalaran.

A dozen years later, Lena was nearly at the end of her apprenticeship and ready to sit for the exam to Adept. Magic had not been her first calling, but it was all she had left, and she'd thrown herself into her studies with ferocity. All she needed was one final case study of some magical phenomenon to present to the Council of Six. Her teacher and mentor, Archmage Modera, had suggested something straightforward like identifying an unusual magical signature in the Redridge Mountains.

"No, Archmage. I didn't sense anything extranormal about the girl, though she certainly was... friendly?" Lena responded cautiously, turning over the image of Kara in her mind and finding the memory almost as captivating as the woman herself.

As the two rode down the dirt road, Modera smirked. "Perhaps your attention was... diverted elsewhere, my young apprentice? The woman's outfit, perhaps? She did wear a rather revealing halter top and trousers."

Lena's cheeks colored as she recalled the exact details Modera was referencing. Though plain, Kara's outfit accentuated her form in all the right ways; a cream-colored halter top over light brown pants that looked almost like sackcloth, so coarse was the fiber. Typical apparel of rural farmers in Stormwind. "No, of course not, Archmage! I was doing as you had asked, but I still couldn't sense anything. I was not distracted by that girl's beautiful - uh, I was not distracted by that girl, Archmage. Did you sense something?"

Modera nodded her head. "There is something about that girl that is different, but I am unsure what it is. She has the aura of magic around her, but it is so tightly bound that it is practically invisible, almost as though she were cursed or something - but clearly, she seems unaware of it."

"Do you think she's a threat somehow?"

"I'm unsure, Apprentice. Certainly, there didn't seem to be anything malevolent about her, and generally speaking, people with ill intentions aren't quite so... sunny," Modera said with a hint of a smile. She urged their horses onward, passing by several crumbling ruins and what looked like an abandoned military encampment. Another couple of hours and they'd reach the object of their search, the supposedly cursed Tower of Il'Galar.

Author's Notes

This fic began, as so many do, as a simple conversation on the SuperCorp 2.0 Discord Server between myself, Senario, and Blue. Originally, it was a one shot... until it wasn't. The first 14 chapters are already written, so I'll aim to publish one per week until we're caught up.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 2

Redridge Mountains, Lakeshire

As Modera and Lena approached the Tower two hours later, packs of gnolls started to appear along the sides of the road. Gnolls were a menace to most of the Eastern Kingdoms, but rarely were these human-sized bipedal rodents so aggressive. Modera slowed her horse and turned to her apprentice. "It would be best if you shielded yourself, Apprentice. Things may get a little violent; nothing you haven't been trained for at least a little."

Lena nodded, her lips pressed thin in determination. She closed her eyes and murmured the words to her arcane shield spell, following by her lithe fingers tracing the rune of the spell in the air. A purple bubble appeared around her, and not a moment too soon as a crude arrow bounced off it. Before she could mount a counter attack, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Witness the power of an archmage!" Modera shouted, and dozens of arcane missiles erupted from her fingertips in every direction, seeking out their targets and landing true every time. As the dust settled and the smell of charred flesh and burnt hair faded away on the wind, the two women dismounted from their horses in front of a stocky stone tower.

A magenta shield protected the doorway, swirling with arcane energy like a giant pink glass bubble. "Most unusual," Modera muttered. "I thought Miss Danvers said there was nothing up here any more." She reached out, tracing a rune in the air which crackled against the shield but did not break it.

Lena looked around, her stomach jumpy at a sensation she couldn't put a finger on. Certainly, the gnolls had posed no real threat to them, but seeing that many of them unsettled her, as did being shot at. As Modera worked to bring down the shield, Lena cocked her head. A deep rumbling sound echoed through the rocky canyon walls. "Is that thunder I hear, Archmage?" she asked quietly.

Modera turned her head, looking at the bright afternoon sky free of clouds. "No. No, that is most definitely not thunder. Prepare to defend yourself, Apprentice." Modera raised her hands, arcane pwoer crackling from her fingers like violet lightning bolts as her eyes glowed bright white.

The pine trees nearest them splintered and fell over as a massive creature, easily the height of ten men, charged through the woods. Its two heads swiveled around until it spotted Modera and Lena, then one of the heads rocked back, laughing with a mouth full of broken teeth. "PUNY CREATURES!" it roared, picking up a 20 meter tall tree and throwing it at them with no more effort than a person exerts tossing a stick to a dog.

Modera grunted as the tree impacted her shield; wood shards sprayed in every direction as the tree exploded against her arcane barrier.

"Archmage, what IS that thing?" Lena cried as she summoned fire magics to her fingertips, sending firebolts hurtling towards the monster. Fear threatened to blind her, to wrap its hands around her eyes and her throat; as the creature attacked outside, she fought fear inside herself with equal vigor, her magic beginning to flow as her mind settled.

"That's an ettin, my Apprentice, and it- " she stopped momentarily, straining as another tree hit the shield, "-does not belong here. There shouldn't be any ettins in this part of the Eastern Kingdoms." Just as she prepared to mount her counterattack, another gigantic tree hurtled into her. This tree, however, collided against both her shield and Lena's, but Lena's shield was substantially weaker.

Behind her, Modera heard a soft grunt and saw Lena fall, the weight of a massive chunk of tree atop her. Before she could help, the ettin roared again and lifted another enormous pine tree to fling at them. Modera froze; on the one hand, her apprentice might be near death from such an injury, but on the other, the ettin was about to double down on its attacks against them.

And then Modera saw a pine tree flying at the ettin.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" came a booming roar from behind the two mages, followed by another large chunk of tree. The ettin batted the first away, but the second struck it in the shoulder with a heavy, wet thud.

As another tree flew overhead, Modera took advantage of the distraction to cast an arcane blast, shattering the fallen tree away from Lena's prone form. She saw that several large shards of the tree had impaled Lena's shoulder, but none appeared to be over any vital organs, and her pulse and breath was still strong. Satisfied that her apprentice was not in immediate danger, she turned back to see the battle underway and nearly dropped her staff.

Before her, wielding a dead tree trunk practically like a club, was the girl from Lakeshire. Not only was Kara not being pulverized into Westfall stew by the ettin, she actually had it on the defensive. Kara swung the tree club into the ettin's knee, shattering bone as it struck true. The ettin dropped to its other knee, both heads crying out in pain. Modera snapped out of her shock and launched a flurry of arcane missiles at both heads, dropping the creature to the ground.

Kara rushed over, gently grabbing Modera's shoulders. "Are you all right? Are you hurt, Archmage?"

"I am not, young lady, but I am afraid my apprentice is. Does the town have a healer?"

"No, we have a few herbalists, but the nearest healers I think are either in Northshire Abbey or all the way in Stormwind. What hap-" Kara started, before seeing Lena's prone form, blood beginning to seep out of the staves impaling her shoulder to the ground. "In Tyr's name, Miss Luthor!"

"As you can see, we are in need of a healer. Stay with her; I will teleport back to Dalaran and see if Matron Alesso or Mistress Olisarra can come with me. Assuming one of them can come with me, my Apprentice should make a full recovery. I should not be long; if she wakes, do not permit her to move. Can you do that, Miss Danvers?"

Kara swallowed as she looked at Apprentice Luthor; the young mage appeared to still be breathing, albeit unconscious. There were some roving packs of gnolls, but Kara had passed several large groups that she'd assumed Modera had dispatched, so other than the wayward fleshrippers that occasionally flew overhead, they wouldn't be in too much danger. "Yeah," she laughed nervously, "as long as there aren't any more of whatever that creature was!"

Modera nodded curtly. "Very well. Keep her as safe as you can. I should be back in no time at all." With that Modera quickly traced the runes for teleportation in the air and brilliant blue light surrounded her, followed by what looked like glowing clouds. In a few moments, the clouds swallowed her up and she was gone, a scent of ozone on the breeze the only evidence left.

A few minutes later, Lena began to regain consciousness, crying out quietly in pain. What began as a gently, barely audible sob became more full-throated as pain flooded her body, her shoulder on fire and her chest aching as though someone were seated on her. "P-pl-please stop," she breathed, her eyes still closed as she struggled to raise her hands in front of her to ward off danger, "...please stop, I yield, you don't have to kill me."

Lena had known pain before, but not like this. Mages incurred all sorts of mystical energy injuries in their training, but they were often ill-prepared for the rigors of physical combat. Compared to her peers, Lena had slight advantages; growing up, her brother had done his share of tormenting her as siblings are wont to do. Then during the hasty evacuation of Lordaeron, she'd had to fight her way through the crowds of people to make it onto one of the boats, receiving an elbow to the face at one point.

This pain, though, was leagues beyond any of that. Her entire upper body felt like it was on fire; she couldn't even move her right arm. Flashes of hot pain stabbed at her every time she moved even a little, telling tales of serious injury elsewhere in her body. Her left leg ached as though someone had dropped a boulder on it, and her chest heaved at the mere effort of drawing breath.

"Miss Luthor, please try not to move," Kara urged, resting her hand gently on the woman's uninjured arm. "You're very badly hurt, and Archmage Modera went to get a healer. Just, just don't move, all right?" Kara knelt down and clasped the mage's left hand in her own, trying to reassure her as best as possible.

"Please," Lena choked, "hurts... so much...". Lena coughed, then seized up as wracking pains rippled through her body, triggering fresh agony.

Kara's heart ached at the poor woman's plight, but she was only a farm girl, not a priest of the Holy Light or a druid attuned to nature's healing. She desperately wished she could ease Apprentice Luthor's suffering somehow. Flashes of sorrow, grief, and pain echoed in her own mind, indistinct images of fire, of her own body being broken somehow, of being trapped, drowning in pain, having to break free of her prison.

"What was it that traveling paladin had said?" she murmured to herself. A year ago, a paladin from Northshire Abbey had passed through Lakeshire on the way to a battle somewhere. Kara had been out picking up supplies in town when a cart toppled over onto an elderly woman and before she could rush over to help, the paladin hoisted the cart off the woman, laid his hands on her leg, and chanted some words of power. Brilliant golden light had bathed the woman's leg, and within moments she was able to stand again.

The next cough broke Kara from her reminiscing as the mage spit up blood, crying out as she did. Her light purple robes now were mottled crimson with all the injuries she'd suffered becoming apparent. Kara looked around in desperation, wishing for Modera to return already with the help she'd promised. She squeezed her eyes shut, gently laid a hand in the center of the mage's chest, and strained her memory for what the paladin had spoken in hushed prayer.

"In the Light, we gather to empower our..." she looked down, closing her eyes, "our sister. In its grace, she will be made anew. By the grace of the Light, may our brethren be healed."

Kara breathed. The rays of the afternoon sun warmed her back as she knelt on the ground, a tingling sensation growing in her hands. She opened her eyes to see the light almost bending around her, suffusing the mage's body in a golden glow. Excitedly, Kara began to repeat the prayer over and over again, the light growing brighter with each repetition.

Lena breathed. Kara, the girl from the lakeside town, was kneeling next to her, and even her gentle touch on her uninjured shoulder burned like a brand. She struggled to get her words out; just as she was about to beg Kara to let her be, her pain lessened as the Holy Light shone over her. Eyes widened, Lena stared at Kara. Was this girl a priest? A paladin? How was a simple farm girl manipulating Holy magic? In Dalaran, they'd had to learn all the different kinds of magic, but mages could never access the powers of the Light. More than once, she'd wished she could heal her own injuries, though never with the sense of desperation she'd just felt.

But Kara... Kara was somehow channeling the Light as powerfully as an ordained Holy priest. Lena felt her flesh knitting under its searing energy, the pieces of wood being expelled from her wounds like nails being drawn to a magnet. The light was blinding, scouring her of injury and illness, almost burning in its intensity. She managed to lift herself to her elbows, then leaned over and gently grabbed Kara's wrist.

"Thank you, Miss Danvers. I... I think I'm all right now."

Kara stopped her prayer recitation and briefly hugged the mage before scooting backwards. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I shouldn't have invaded your personal space like that!"

"No, that's... that's quite all right. I didn't know you were a priest?"

"A priest?" Kara snorted and giggled. "I'm not a priest, Miss Luthor!"

"Lena, please," she said, pulling herself up with a grimace to a seated position, her body dully aching as though she'd just woken from a deep sleep. "My name is Lena. So... how did you heal me, if you're not a priest?"

Kara stared earnestly into Lena's eyes. "I- Lena, I don't really know? I just...remembered something." She retold the story of the paladin in Lakeshire as Lena listened intently.

"So you remembered a healing prayer invoked by a paladin." Lena tapped her fingers against her chin. "That... shouldn't be possible. I mean no offense of course, Miss Danvers. I'm grateful to you for what you did but..."

Kara tilted her head. "But what?"

"But those spells - sorry, those prayers take years to learn properly, years of devout prayer and the blessing of the Light. It's not something the common man should be able to do."

"Well," Kara laughed, gesturing at herself with her hands, "clearly I'm no man so maybe that's it?"

Lena smirked. "I will certainly agree to that truth." She looked around for the first time at the clearing in the woods, seeing the fallen ettin a few meters away and the shattered trees, as though a tornado had ripped through the area. "Where is Archmage Modera? Is she hurt? What happened?"

"Oh! She went to Dalaran to get someone named Alesso to help heal you." Kara recounted the events of the battle.

"Miss Danvers-"

"Kara. If you're going to make me call you Lena, then you have to call me Kara."

"Very well, Kara," she said, exaggerating the name with a smile, "may I ask you a somewhat insensitive question?"

"Uh, sure?"

Lena paused to choose her words carefully, wanting to avoid causing offense. "What... what precisely are you?" At Kara's wrinkled brow, she hastened to correct herself. "I mean, what sort of adventurer are you? You clearly have strength beyond that of a normal person, and you can channel the Light. Are you a paladin? Did I miss that fact somehow?"

"No, nope, I'm definitely not a paladin," Kara laughed, a slight quaver in her voice as she shrugged. "I'm just... you know, Kara Danvers, citizen of Lakeshire!"

Lena arched an eyebrow, but decided against pressing the matter further. She could already see Kara was slightly nervous; while the Kirin Tor relied heavily on magic to move through the world effectively, she still had all of the experience and skills of her upbringing as a tradeswoman - including reading people. Whatever was going on with Kara, she probably wasn't about to get into it. "So... Archmage Modera said she'd be right back?"

Kara's shoulders sank with relief at the change of subject. "Yeah, I don't know what happened. She said it would take no time at all and it's been a little while. Maybe she got held up somehow in Dal-"

Both women stepped back as a gust of wind picked up and blue lightning began to arc over the ground. Moments later, a burst of arcane energy deposited Modera and a high elf dressed in black and gold robes in the center of the clearing. Modera had her hands up, ready to cast spells against possible enemies. "Apprentice?" she said, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Alesso spotted the still-fresh blood stains on Lena's robes and rushed to her side, golden white light limning her form. As she began to intone the words to a prayer of healing, she reached out and touched Lena's shoulder. "Most... curious. You are no longer injured, Apprentice?"

"I... suppose not, no," Lena answered cautiously, unsure of what she should and shouldn't say before her superior. "My injuries were healed."

"That's impossible, Apprentice. You are talented, to be sure, and a credit to your people, but not even the most powerful mages of Azeroth can channel healing abilities. What happened?" Modera looked at her sternly, grasping Lena's shoulders and inspecting the absence of her injuries.

"I-"

"I did it!" Kara blurted out. "I remembered a prayer I heard once and I said it over and over again because she was so badly hurt, Miss- I mean, Archmage Modera. She's not to blame for anything."

Modera stared hard at Kara, trying to see past the surface and into the realm of magic at the person before her. Despite her efforts and concentration, she could see nothing take shape or form that indicated Kara's magical abilities. Confused, she turned to look at Alesso and saw the Light flowing from her like the morning sun breaking over the mountains. Alesso saw Modera's investigating glance and looked herself at Kara, seeing nothing there. She closed the distance to Kara and reached out, patting Kara on the bicep.

"And you, young lady, are you injured as well?" Alesso asked, the tiniest hint of violet light around her palm.

"I- ow! What was that for?" Kara asked as she pulled away, rubbing her arm. "You shocked me! Why did you..." she looked at Alesso, who was cradling her hand in great pain, furious red blisters covering her palm.

Alesso took a step back. "Forgive me, miss. I just thought to try healing you, but I see you have no need of it. Archmage, a word please?" The priest gestured with her head.

Kara rubbed her arm as she watched the two elder women walk down the barely visible path in the road. Something bothered her about the priest. Usually priests would ask to give healing first, wouldn't they? And why did it hurt? The prayer she murmured for Lena didn't seem to hurt either of them, and yet when Alesso touched her, it seemed as those the priest herself ended up injured.

“What was that all about?” Lena asked as she sidled up to Kara, her own eyes watching her teacher gesturing in their general direction. “What did she do to you?”

“I don’t know,” Kara shook her head. “One second she’s rubbing my arm and the next thing I know, it feels like a spark. You know when you shuffle across a fur rug in the winter and you get those little sparks and your hair stands up?”

Despite her best efforts to keep her face schooled and neutral, Lena couldn’t help but let a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. “I do know, yes. We used to have rugs like that all over…” her voice trailed off as a memory rushed into her mind unbidden. Their home wasn’t even remotely as large as the royal palace in Lordaeron, but the family keep was still quite sizeable. Lordaeron’s winters were often cold and snowy, as far north as it was, and local merchants seeking favors from her father would often give samples of their wares to their household. One of her favorite rugs had been this enormous fluffy white bear pelt, supposedly from the forbidden continent of Northrend. She pushed the burning embers of nostalgia and sadness down, suppressing the memories until she could deal with them later.

“Are you okay, Lena? You look like you went away for a little while there.”

“Fine, Miss D- Kara. I’m fine. Just not quite myself yet after all this…” she gestured around while taking a deep breath. Why did Kara's presence surface so many memories for her? Was it just how isolated Dalaran life kept her, so focused on her studies that any interpersonal interaction was like a glass of water in the desert?

Far down the road, almost out of sight, Modera came to a halt. “Alesso, what did you do? What happened back there?” She gestured at the priest’s still-injured hand.

Alesso grimaced before casting a flash heal on her hand, restored the damaged flesh back to health. “I sensed you were trying to determine what the girl was, and thought I would see for myself. I conjured the smallest, least injurious rune of Shadow Word: Pain and touched it to her. I expected she’d feel some discomfort and I could just heal it away with no explanation needed. Clearly,” she flexed her hand, “something else happened. It’s as though she reflected my spell back at me tenfold.”

Modera nodded. “Something is not right here. What farm girl can reflect spells and channel the Holy light? That’s impossible. Warriors can reflect a few spells, but not paladins. And her strength, Alesso. You should have seen it. She was picking up and swinging pieces of tree trunks the size of a small wagon as though it were nothing.”

“If only there were a way to bring her before the Council of Six. I’m sure Khadgar would know some way to get to the heart of the matter,” Alesso mused.

"Perhaps we will get that opportunity at some point. Someone as powerful as her should not escape our watchful eye," Modera murmured as the women walked back to Kara and Lena. "I will speak with Khadgar and Kalecgos and ask their counsel on how to handle the situation."

"In the meantime, you could always leave your apprentice here with orders to keep watch over the girl?"

Modera laughed and clapped the priest on the shoulder. "That's brilliant, Alesso. I'm sure Apprentice Luthor would find it no hardship to do so, given her initial reaction to the girl. I'll have to figure out some excuse to make it happen."

A few minutes later, Modera called out, "Apprentice Luthor!" as they approached. "We will be returning to Dalaran shortly to make our report."

Lena nodded, her face crestfallen. "I understand, Archmage. I am sorry I failed you. Perhaps... perhaps next year I can try again?"

Modera turned, her confusion apparent. "Failed how, Apprentice? By all rights, you acquitted yourself marvelously today in a fight against a creature many times your strength and power."

"My study, Archmage. We were to determine the source of the anomalous energy signal here as part of my research for my exam," Lena said. At her heart, she was still a scholar, a scientist even, despite her enrollment in Dalaran's mage academy. Leaving research unfinished sat poorly with her.

Modera's eyes twinkled. "Ah, yes. You are quite correct, Apprentice. We never did locate that energy reading, though it's clear it wasn't coming from the tower. The shield in front of it appears to be obscuring whatever is inside." She made a show of thinking carefully, rubbing her chin with her fingers. "Perhaps, my Apprentice, since the town of Lakeshire itself seems quite safe, you could remain behind to investigate more carefully. As long as you stay away from the Tower itself, you could see how the various ley lines and mana flow through the region, and that might give us a sense of what to look for."

Lena's eyes widened. "Archmage, I... I'm not sure I could do that, not alone. How would I communicate my findings to you, confirm what I am observing?"

"Just use the post, Apprentice. Stormwind is usually quite good about getting mail from its provinces, and once it arrives in the city, you know the mages there simply dump it into a portal to Dalaran."

Lena bowed and saluted. "I will do my best, Archmage. I won't disappoint you."

Modera smiled as she began to cast a portal to take her and Alesso back to the magical city. "I am certain you won't, my Apprentice. I have full faith that you will solve this mystery as you have so many others." With that reassurance, the two elder spellcasters vanished.

Author's Notes

We've made it to chapter 2. Already, some things are happening. What do you suppose Kara is?

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 3

Redridge Mountains, Lakeshire

“I suppose we should head back towards Lakeshire,” Lena said as her promises to investigate the mystery weighed upon her. “I don’t suppose our horses stuck around…?” She turned to find she was talking to herself. A few moments later, Kara came running up the road with the reins to Lena’s horse and the horse Modera had rented in hand.

“Found them! Want to head back?”

At Lena’s affirmation, they saddled up and began the two hour ride back to Lakeshire. “It’s too bad your teacher couldn’t have made us a portal back to town. Would have saved us a bunch of time,” Kara remarked as she dug through a saddlebag, finding some dried jerky to chew on.

“Indeed. Well, I suppose we had to return the horses to Penny one way or another.” Lena paused in thought as she held the reins, her horse trotting along without a care on the rough-hewn dirt road. They passed the gnoll camp she and Modera had cleared out on their journey to the tower, carrion crows already picking away at the bodies. “When we get back, I will need to secure lodging. If I recall correctly, Brianna is the person to see in town, yes?”

Kara managed to laugh in a way that sounded like a boar with hiccups. “Lena! You can’t be serious.”

Lena turned her head, holding her reins steady, as she regarded her companion with a frown. Why was this woman laughing at her? True, she was from Dalaran and Lordaeron before that, but that was no reason to ridicule her. “Of course I’m serious, Kara. I’m not exactly prepared to simply go camping in the woods near the town.”

“No, silly. I mean, you should come stay with me! I mean, stay with my family, on our family farm. We’ve got plenty of room, especially since my sister moved out when she joined the army.”

Lena shook her head with a small smile. “Oh no, Kara. I couldn’t impose on your family like that. Besides, I do receive a small stipend from the Kirin Tor as part of my apprenticeship. I’m sure the rooms at the inn aren’t that expensive, right?”

“Uh, cost isn’t the issue,” Kara snorted as she slapped her thigh, briefly startling her horse. “The inn attracts… uh… all kinds of people in their travels on the way from Stormwind headed up north to the Badlands and Loch Modan. It’s a little… on the rowdy side,” she laughed as she smoothed her hand over her horse’s mane to calm it.

“And you’re certain your family won’t mind?”

Kara belly-laughed. “Please, Jeremiah and Eliza are desperate for any company and anything new and exciting. They’ll be thrilled. It’s been so quiet since my sister went off to Stormwind to join the army. I think we’d all like some company.”

“All right, if you’re absolutely certain that it won’t be an imposition, then I gratefully accept your hospitality,” Lena agreed. Secretly, her stomach flipped and her pulse quickened. She still couldn’t understand what made Kara so intensely magnetic to be around, but she hadn’t looked forward to returning to Dalaran at all. In her head, she’d already worked out no fewer than three angles that she would have used to justify staying in Redridge; she was astonished when Modera had suggested it proactively.

An hour and a half later, they’d made it back to town, returned the horses to Penny at the town stables, and started the walk back to the Danvers farm in the hills just above the town.

“If I may ask, how long have you lived here?” Lena wondered aloud as they kicked up rust red dust on the gravel road, passing by fenced fields.

“Well, Jeremiah and Eliza settled here probably… twenty years ago, maybe?” Kara leaned over to pick up a flat, smooth rock, tossing it from hand to hand as they walked.

“I see. So you’ve lived here almost all your life, then?”

“Oh, me? No, I’ve lived here for the past… twelve years now. I’m adopted, Jeremiah and Eliza adopted me when I was thirteen.”

Lena’s eyebrows rose, surprised at the revelation. “Really? I was orphaned around the same age.”

Kara stopped walking, reaching out to gently touch Lena’s forearm. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. That must have been very traumatic. What happened?”

Lena sighed and recounted the tale of the fall of Lordaeron, fleeing to Theramore, Dalaran, and her life since the Third War. “It was, as you can imagine, very painful. Loss does strange things… and I’ve lost a lot of people. How… how about you? What happened that you were adopted, if you don’t mind sharing?”

Kara shrugged. “I honestly don’t remember. I was 13 when I came here but… I feel like it’s been longer than that somehow.”

“I- I don’t understand?”

“I can’t remember my life before waking up in the orphanage in Stormwind. I woke up there, Matron Nightengale took care of me, of all us orphans for a while, and then the Danvers adopted me. But before that, I… I’m not sure? I have little flashes here and there, but that’s about it.” Kara kicked at a few stones in the road as the Danvers farmstead drew closer.

“What flashes? Perhaps there’s something magical blocking your memories?”

Kara’s eyes shone as tears began to pool in them. “I… it’s hard to talk about because the flashes themselves hurt.” She took a deep breath and without thinking, reached out her hand and took Lena’s in hers, the way she always did with her sister when old memories hit her particularly hard.

For her part, Lena barely managed to keep walking instead of stumbling over her own two feet. Why was this woman, who she admittedly found quite beautiful, suddenly holding her hand as though they were siblings or comfortable lovers? She shook off the confusion. “Go on?”

“I remember… I remember feeling so much pain. Like the pain you probably felt being stabbed by all those branches under the tree earlier today, you know? But I can’t remember what was causing the pain, just that I was in a room somehow, a white room, and I was in tremendous pain. There would be all these different flashes of color, and then it would hurt. I’d be curled up in a ball. Towards the end of my memories, I remember having to break out of where I was. I think I was imprisoned somewhere?” She shuddered at the memory, the feeling of claustrophobia, of not being able to breath and smashing down the walls of her prison when her strength surged.

Lena instinctively squeezed Kara’s hand. “That must be quite painful. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

Kara turned to her, tearful. “It’s okay, Lena. I…” she exhaled loudly, “I remember bits and pieces but that’s all. And I’m okay, really. I made it through whatever happened, and I found a wonderful foster family to take me in. I wish you could meet Alex, I think you’d love her.”

“I’m sure I would, if she’s anything like you,” Lena murmured. “You’re an amazing woman, and I owe you my life literally for what you did today.”

“No you don’t,” Kara said, giving Lena a playful shove. “You would have done the same for me, and it’s not like I was doing all the work anyway.” She looked up, stunned that she’d lost all sense of space and time while talking to Lena and found herself at the front door to her home. “Come on, let me introduce you to my parents.”

Kara dismounted and tied up both their horses, then shoved her way through the front door of the ranch house with glee. “Mom! Dad! I’m home and I brought company!” The unmistakeable clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen directed Kara and her guest.

Lena looked around with a critical eye as Kara led her through the modest home. Made from rough-hewn logs, the Danvers homestead was like many in Redridge; single-floor, floors made of pine boards, hearths of stone and iron. Everything had a delightful, rustic feel to it, unlike the cold, grey stone keeps she’d grown up in as a child. A painting hung over the fireplace of what she presumed Kara’s parents looked like along with her older sister, and Kara herself when she was a teenager. Even then, the artist had managed to capture her sunny disposition.

As they walked through the living room to the kitchen, Lena noted a full suit of Imperial Plate armor, the unmistakably distinct blue and silver of Stormwind’s army. Based on Kara’s comments, that had to have been her father’s uniform and not her sister’s. The armor shone like a mirror in spots, and in other spots had clearly seen some damage requiring repairs.

“Well now, who’s this?” a friendly, gruff voice asked behind her, breaking Lena’s concentration.

“Daddy, this is my new friend Lena. Lena, this is my father, Jeremiah,” Kara smiled, introducing the two. To her surprise and shock, Kara’s father lost any hint of friendliness or welcome once Lena turned around.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Danvers,” Lena said, holding out her hand.

Jeremiah just stared at it for a long moment before scowling deeper, leaving her hand awkwardly in the air in front of her. “Lena, is it? I’m sorry, Miss Lena, but we don’t have much call for your kind around these parts. We’re honest folks here just trying to make a living.”

“Kind? What kind are you talking about, Daddy? She’s human just like the rest of us,” Kara shouted in confusion, her cheeks red with embarrassment at her father’s behavior.

Jeremiah’s lips pursed as though he’d eaten something sour. “Look at her tabard, Kara. That’s the symbol of the Kirin Tor. I’m sure you’re a very nice person, Miss Lena, but the Kirin Tor…”

“…I was with Archmage Modera when we met with Magistrate Solomon, Mr. Danvers. I understand, the Kirin Tor isn’t especially welcome in this part of the world,” Lena sighed. “Kara, I think… I think it would be best if we walked back into town and I secured some lodging at the inn after all.”

“Lena, no, it’s-“

“Kara, you were going to let one of them stay in our home?” her father asked, his voice hard. “Don’t you know how dangerous they are? Everywhere the Kirin Tor goes, trouble follows! They were behind the Dark Portal, the Scourge itself, the Alliance losing the High Elves, even the war in Theramore. They’re nothing but magnets for misfortune!”

“None of that is true and even if it were, my friend did none of it personally, Dad! I can’t believe you! What would Alex say to hear you ranting like this, filled with crazy stupid conspiracies you heard at the bar?” Kara fumed, her face red with anger now instead of embarrassment. She turned to Lena, gently grabbing her elbow. “I tell you what, right now the rooms over the Lakeshire Inn are looking pretty good - for both of us. Let’s go.” She stormed out of the house, shoving the door so hard that it flew off the hinges.

Half an hour later, Lena exchanged a few silver coins with Brianna, the innkeeper. To avoid even more trouble, she’d taken off her Kirin Tor tabard and tied it around her waist as a sash. The ploy had worked; she’d only endured the usual lascivious looks of the bar’s denizens instead of the wrath of local people with a grudge against the Kirin Tor.

With a sigh, she made her way up the rickety wooden stairs to the second floor of the inn, looking for room 4. Casting the door open, she heaved another sigh. The room had a double bed with a threadbare blanket and three pillows on it, a candelabra for light, and a walnut bureau that had clearly seen better days. With no luggage or belongings, she removed her boots and simply laid down on the bed, waiting for Kara to return.

The door to the room burst open with Kara, arms loaded with bags of food. “Lena! You won’t believe what I discovered!” she nearly yelled as she placed bag after bag of food on the nightstand. “There’s a visiting chef from Pandaria in the kitchen downstairs with Gloria and Sherman!” At Lena’s blank look, she elaborated. “They’re the owners of the inn, them and Brianna. Anyway, the pandaren - Chef Ironpaw, I think his name was - was showing them how to make all these exotic Pandaren dishes! Look at this!”

Lena cautiously looked in the paper bags, unsure of what she’d find. To her surprise, there were simply piles of little white boxes with a foreign script on them, and handwriting in Common beneath each. “Charbroiled tiger steak?” she made a face as she started to pull out the boxes. “Swirling mist soup? Steamed crab surprise? Shrimp potstickers? Chun Tian Spring Rolls? Some of this looks familiar - there’s a restaurant in Dalaran that serves food like this - but some of it I’ve never seen before, even in Lordaeron. How did food like this end up in Lakeshire of all places?”

“I don’t know,” Kara grinned a smile as bright as the sun itself, “but I’m sure going to find out how it tastes!” She cracked open the boxes and the smell of Pandaren cuisine filled the room - rich, savory, spicy foods crafted by a race of people for whom cooking was practically a religion. The first dish she tried was the Chun Tian Spring Rolls - a thin, crunchy fried dough with what looked to be mushan rib meat, leeks, and carrots along with some glass noodles. “Thth amzng!” she exclaimed through her chewing, not even bothering to sit down.

Lena arched an eyebrow after digging around in the paper bag to find six pairs of chopsticks. Apparently this Chef Ironpaw believed that there was enough food to justify utensils for a party of six. Thin sticks in hand, she sat down on the edge of the bed with a container of the shrimp potstickers and a small side of dipping sauce. Gingerly grabbing the chopsticks in hand - she’d learned to use them in Dalaran’s Pandaren cafe in the Commerce Exchange - she ate one of the potstickers… and moaned.

Not a polite, coy, quiet moan, either, but a full-throated, carnal moan that flew out of her mouth like a bird uncaged, followed by her face and neck flaring with heat. She quickly glanced up at Kara and thanked the Light that Kara was in the throes of her own culinary delights, not noticing Lena’s outburst.

Lena marveled at the potstickers. Soft, chewy dough on the outside, steamed and then pan-fried - but the inside must have arcane magic hidden inside somewhere. The shrimp were translucent, barely cooked to retain their juiciness and bite. Inside, bits of sautéed ginger and garlic surrounded the shrimp, mixed with a bit of what she presumed to be some kind of Pandaren wine or vinegar. It was truly a form of magic on its own and a testament to Pandaren cooking skills. “Mmm, Kara, you have to try one of these.”

Kara took the container from Lena with one hand and speared a potsticker, looked at it curiously first, then sniffed it. She hesitantly nibbled on the corner of the dough, the pink tip of her tongue flicking out quickly, followed by her teeth closing down on the soft skin.

And then her eyes widened.

“What- how- where has this been all my life?” she burst out, popping the rest of the potsticker in her mouth. She practically vibrated as she finished the first one, then immediately dove into the takeout container for another.

Lena watched out of the corner of her eye as Kara devoured the potstickers, sauce dripping down her chin. Her hand twitched as she fought the urge to wipe off the food on Kara’s face with her thumb, instead looking down and trying to concentrate on her own food.

An hour and uncounted gustatory pleasures later, Lena surrendered, laying down on the bed as Kara finished off the last of the Pandaren foods. “How did you do that, Kara? I’ve never seen anyone eat that much food all at once.”

Kara hid a burp behind her hand as she glanced out the window into the darkness. “I uh… I was really hungry. Like, REALLY hungry.” After sweeping all the empty containers back in the paper bag, Kara stripped down to just her breeches and undershirt to Lena’s great embarrassment, and then…

… laid down on the bed next to her.

“Kara!” she scooted to the edge of the bed, almost off of it. “Isn’t this- aren’t you- are you usually this, uh… familiar?”

Kara waved her hand in the air briefly before relaxing so thoroughly, she looked like she was about to melt into the straw-filled mattress. “It’s fine. Besides, we’re both women, so it’s fine, right?”

Lena stifled a response and nodded, rolling over on her side with a healthy amount of space between her and Kara. As she took deep, calming breaths, she slowly nodded off to sleep, mentally reciting Kara’s words as a mantra to settle her unease. This was fine. Everything was fine. It’s fine, right?

Author’s Notes

Some more clues about Kara and we find out a bit of Jeremiah’s perspective. The grudge against the Kirin Tor isn’t solely artistic license; there have been mentions of it in canon and the WC movie, IIRC.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 4: Without Permission

Content warnings: blood

Redridge Mountains, Lakeshire 625 on the King’s Calendar

It was not fine. The next morning, Lena awoke with an arm over her stomach and a leg draped over her hip. She lay perfectly still on her side of the bed, eyes wide and staring at the horrendous painting hanging on the clay and wood wall of the inn, some abstract portrayal of Kalimdor’s canyons. A quick turn of her head confirmed the owner of the stray limbs; Kara snored heavily, pressed up against her back.

Should she rise? Should she stay where she is? Should she move Kara’s limbs off of her at least? How could she escape this situation that was creating… feelings in her. She could sense the form and curves of Kara’s body against her back. The warmth… Kara was so incredibly warm, like the heat of Ironforge next to her.

Then Kara began nuzzling her, rubbing her nose against the back of Lena’s neck.

Panic overwhelmed Lena. What was this woman doing? Why was she doing it to her? Had she conveyed anything that would signify her interest in such an… intimate activity? Those thoughts were immediately followed by Lena’s body betraying her, reacting positively to Kara’s sleepy overtures, and Lena knew she had to take action.

Maybe she could teleport. Lena began mentally reciting the glyphs and runes necessarily to cast Blink, to teleport just a short distance. Perhaps if she just… changed the mana expenditure as a way to alter the distance she’d travel. Quietly nodding to herself, confident in her mental equations, she lifted one hand and traced the runes for Blink in the air in front of her…

… and promptly slammed into the wall with a sharp cry, her face, elbows, and knees impacting the clay, cracking it in places. In an instant, Kara sat up straight in bed, hands in front of her chest, ready for a confrontation. Kara almost shouted in a language that, had Lena been paying attention, would have been unrecognizable, all husky, growling sounds before fully waking. “Lena! What happened? Are you hurt? Did something attack you?”

Lena pulled herself up slowly from the floor, small cuts bleeding on her elbows and knees even through her relatively thick robes. “Ow… why did I do that?” she muttered as she got to her feet, before collapsing to one knee in a gasp of pain. Kara clambered over the bed and gathered Lena in her arms, closing her eyes and chanting the same prayer she’d said over Lena the previous day. In another brilliant flash of light, Lena’s injuries mended themselves.

“What happened, Lena?”

“I… um, I…” she stammered. Should she tell Kara the truth? Would Kara laugh at her? She closed her eyes, took a breath, and gambled. “I didn’t want to wake you, so I thought I could… teleport out of bed,” she muttered, looking down at her feet.

“That’s so sweet of you,” Kara gushed, tightening the hug. “You’re so considerate!” Kara’s hug made Lena feel uncomfortable for more than one reason; the casual familiarity of it, the fact that Kara was barely dressed, and waking up with Kara spooning her all added up to Lena feeling confused and awkward.

“Yes, well… I suppose so,” the mage cleared her throat. “Anyway, perhaps we will have better luck today tracing this anomalous magical signature than we did yesterday.” Lena began to gather the few tiny things she had with her, desperately wishing for a bath. The Lakeshire Inn only had a sort of outdoor communal shower and she wasn’t setting foot in that. She dearly missed the apprentice dormitories in Dalaran with all their literally magical amenities, as she wove a tiny spell summoning a miniature water elemental.

Kara’s eyes nearly jumped out of her head. “That’s so cool! What is that?” She leaned down to examine the little blue magical creature, made of water with arms and something vaguely resembling a head, but that was it. Cautiously, she reached out a finger to touch it, feeling only cool, clear water.

“Those are called water elementals; they’re something mages can use in combat. Smaller ones like this are harmless, though,” Lena said as she touched the creature, wetting her hands and using it to scrub her face clean. As she did so, she watched Kara out of the corner of her eye imitating the spell she’d cast. “Kara, what are you doing?”

“I- uh- I was trying to see how you did that, how you made that?” she said with a lopsided grin.

Something nudged Lena’s mind, watching the blonde waving her fingers in the exact pattern she had used. “Well, it takes years of study and practice with an archmage to learn how to-”

A second water elemental joined Lena’s, gently swirling waters flowing through it. Grasping for any kind of words, Lena stared at the young woman. “What- I- Kara- how? How did you do that? You’re not a mage! You shouldn’t be able to-”

“Why not? I just repeated what you said and moved my fingers just like you did. Isn’t that how it works?”

“Well no, it- it usually requires a lot of study. It took me two years to be able to summon elementals and companions.” Alarms were going off in Lena’s head. No normal person should be able to channel the Light AND channel frost magic. A few classes could wield multiple schools of magic; druids could channel arcane and nature magic - but no one ever that she knew of could wield frost and holy magic.

Kara nodded. “Well, I’m sure it’s because you’re so talented that I so easily-” With a gasp, Kara dropped to one knee, clutching her head in her hands. In another heartbeat, she was curled up on the floor in the fetal position, crying and whispering unintelligible sounds.

Lena rushed to her side, holding the women and cradling her head to keep her from injuring it as Kara struggled to breath. “What- what’s happening, Kara? What do I do, how do I help you?”

“… andilar… hurts…” Kara mumbled, her fingers pressed tightly against her temples. “… flash… hurts bad…” Just hearing that immediately told Lena what was going on; on their ride back to town yesterday, Kara had mentioned the flashbacks and how they hurt her - she just hadn’t mentioned how badly. Apparently, it was incapacitating. As Kara groaned again, tears began to drip from her eyes onto Lena’s robes.

Lena gently stroked the blonde’s hair, noting how soft and fine it was in her fingertips, as Kara shivered, her pain only growing. Just as Lena began to wonder if she should find the local herbalist Kara had mentioned the other day, she felt something warm on her knee. Looking down, Lena gasped in shock, her robes stained with a brilliant scarlet liquid. Kara was bleeding out her nose. “Kara, can you hear me? You’re hurt, something’s very wrong - where is the nearest healer?”

Kara gave no response other than moaning in agony, and Lena swallowed hard. She couldn’t leave this young woman like this, and she had no idea who in the town could even help. The only place where she knew for sure she could get help would be the one place she’d get in trouble for going… Dalaran.

Not because she was unwelcome, but the Kirin Tor had strict rules about who was permitted to teleport or portal into the city. Adepts and conjurers were permitted to teleport into the city - at specific locations - without prior permission but apprentices like herself were expressly forbidden to teleport anywhere without their master’s permission.

Should she risk it? After all, she hardly knew this woman, and these flashes apparently happened all the time. Was she really willing to be sanctioned, possibly even expelled, just to help a stranger? Granted, Kara was an unusual stranger, and Lena had working eyes. The woman was beautiful- doubly so in her simple breeches and undershirt. But worth potentially being in a world of trouble?

The acrid, coppery scent of blood intensified as Kara seized up, then voided her stomach on the floor, a mix of bile and more brilliant, scarlet blood. Lena made up her mind in an instant. No matter how unfamiliar or strange this woman was, no one deserved to be in this much pain. She wove the runes for a teleportation spell and gathered Kara in her arms, keeping her head turned as best as she could.

In a brilliant flash of blue and purple, Lena found herself on the amethyst crystalline floor of the Violet Citadel as two Spellbreakers approached her, staves at the ready. Lena cradled Kara closer to her, blood now smeared all over the front of her robes. “Help! Please, someone get help!” The guards hesitated, not seeing an immediate threat as the air crackled around them. In the blink of an eye, Archmage Modera appeared in the room, eyes filled with fury.

“Apprentice Luthor! How dare you! What is the meaning of this, teleporting without permission?”

Lena looked up with pleading eyes. “Archmage, please! Something is terribly wrong with Kara. She- she’s vomiting blood and burning up. I- I didn’t have any other choice, Lakeshire has no healers and the only other place I could think of that might have someone who could help was Stormwind, and I couldn’t leave her.” As Lena explained, Kara seized up again, spitting out more blood and expelling a feeble cry.

Modera’s expression softened, seeing the truth in Lena’s words. She pursed her lips before turning to the guards. “Tell Mistress Olisarra we will be visiting shortly and she will have a patient in dire condition.” Turning her attention back to Lena, Modera looked carefully at the two women, before tracing sparkling purple runes over Kara’s limp body. “There, a featherlight spell. You should be able to carry her with ease. Let us head to the Magus Commerce Exchange with haste to see Olisarra.”

With Modera’s magical help, Lena was able to nearly sprint the few blocks through the magical city to the infirmary, laying Kara down on one of the beds. Mistress Olisarra, Dalaran’s chief healer and a striking high elf with golden eyes and nearly white, flowing hair, began to examine Kara. “Tell me everything,” she said, looking at the stripes on Lena’s robes, “Apprentice. Tell me exactly the sequence of events before you brought her here.”

Lena recounted the morning in the inn, the unusual spell casting, and Kara seizing up as Olisarra waved her hands over Kara, healing energy floating towards her like leaves falling from trees. Olisarra paused for a moment over Kara’s abdomen, then looked up sharply at Modera. “Who is this? Do you sense that, Modera?”

The senior mage reached out a hand and laid it gently on Kara’s stomach, then gasped, pulling her hand back as though burned. “I have never- Olisarra, what is this? What is the meaning of this?”

Lena watched the two women working and conversing from a chair at Kara’s bedside, her brow furrowed at their consternation. “Please, Archmage, what is happening? I don’t understand.”

Modera turned to her apprentice with a grim, thin, humorless smile. “Your friend, Lena… I believe she is the anomalous magical signature we were looking for in Redridge all along. Feel here,” Modera indicated as Lena did so, placing her hand on Kara’s stomach. “Do you feel that, my apprentice? There is some sort of binding spell here - an incredibly strong one. I’ve never felt or seen anything like this before.”

“Do you think that explains how she was able to- to copy my spell casting?”

Modera nodded. “Possibly. There is more here than meets the eye to be sure. You made the right choice in bringing your friend here, Apprentice, and your choice to teleport without permission was justified in this case. We do not permit apprentices to teleport without permission for obvious reasons, but saving a life is cause for an exemption. You will still need to sit before a review board, but I will vouch for you when it is time,” the elder mage offered as she placed a hand on Lena’s shoulder.

Kara rolled to one side, a small line of drool coming from her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut, blindly extending a hand. Lena gently caught the blonde’s hand in her own and patted the back as Kara choked out a few more words. “Lena… hurts… andilar… help…” she begged.

At that, Olisarra’s eyes went wide, her head whipping around to look at Modera. “Fetch Kalec. Now.”

Author’s Notes

We get a bigger glimpse into Kara and find out that all’s not well. Lena, meanwhile, is proving quite resourceful, even despite her apprentice status.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 5: Abysmal Failure

Content warning: gore, character death, implied sexual abuse

The Burning Steppes, just north of the Redridge Mountains

Amidst a landscape of fire and ash, three men in dark purple hooded robes gathered around a summoning circle carved into a stone platform, the sky a dull crimson from the endless volcanic activity in the region. The landscape here was brutal and unforgiving.

“Abysmal failure,” a deep voice rumbled, the figures around the circle quaking. “Cataclysmic incompetence. How could you have let her get away, fool?” A fiery visage appeared in the middle of the circle, that of a human with jet black hair, a goatee, and black robes with red fringes. “You were supposed to keep her away from those blasted mages, the lot of you!” A gust of superheated air knocked the men back, pushing back their hoods and revealing their faces.

“I’m sorry, my lord, we did not foresee the meddlers appearing in our town. I tried to discourage them, tried to send them away!” Magistrate Solomon’s reedy voice pleaded.

Oslow, the town’s construction foreman, joined in the chorus of excuses. “We tried to turn them away, to deny them lodging, but somehow one mage eluded us, Lord Cadmus. Please, be merciful!”

“And you, Danvers? What pitiful excuse do you have to offer, whose failure is the greatest?” the man, Lord Cadmus, seethed through gritted teeth.

Jeremiah hung his head. “I tried, my lord. I thought for sure I could persuade her to spurn the mage, to stay at home and send the mage away. Little did I know,” he spat on the ground, “apparently she had eyes for that Kirin Tor witch.”

“Your failure is utter and complete, and you have risked my plans. Choose which of you will die as penance for failing me,” Cadmus growled, glowing red eyes surveying the pathetic lot.

“Solomon should have had them arrested!” Jeremiah shouted first, literally pointing his finger at the mayor.

“Oslow was supposed to bar the road!”

“Danvers should have kept the bitch locked up like we agreed in the first place!”

“SILENCE!” Cadmus boomed. He grinned, displaying razor sharp teeth found in no man at all, and pointed at Jeremiah. “Your failure is what begot the rest, Danvers. I gave you everything you needed to carry out your plan. I even permitted you to indulge in her body before we erased her mind. And still you failed me.” With a flick of his finger, a red spark flew through the air and landed at Jeremiah’s feet. Instantly, it spread out under him, the rocky ground melting into lava, and Jeremiah screamed as the molten rock began to consume him. He slowly sank into it, fire racing up his clothing as his flesh melted and bones charred, until nothing remained but ash.

“I will tolerate no more failures,” Cadmus bellowed. “This will be your fate if you fail me again. You two will return to Lakeshire and notify me immediately if the girl returns, accompanied or alone. I will deal with the Kirin Tor myself.” In a flash of fire and smoke, Cadmus’ image vanished, leaving Solomon and Oslow on their knees, weeping.

Author’s Notes

A short chapter, thus posting it with both chapters 5 and 6, but this chapter will have repercussions, as you can imagine.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 6: Revelation

Dalaran

It’s well known that dragons have been part of and meddling with the human races since the first humans descended from the vrykul on Azeroth. Even to this day, Krasus - Korialstrasz, the consort of Alexstrasza, queen of the red dragonflight - had part of the city of Dalaran named in his honor. And Kalec - Kalecgos, former leader of the blue dragonflight - serves now as a member of Dalaran’s ruling council.

Kalec was no stranger to magic; scion of Malygos, the former Aspect of magic, he had lived for millennia among the mortal races, shepherding and guiding them. He’d seen every kind of magic there was, from the darkest aspects of shadow magic to the void of the Old Gods themselves. To hear that there was an unknown source of magic within Dalaran itself made him rush to the infirmary.

When he arrived, in his half-elf, half-human form with shockingly bright blue, spiky hair, he saw Olisarra hovering over a blonde woman on one of the beds, while a young, raven-haired apprentice sat next to her, holding her hand.

“Archmage Kalec,” Olisarra inclined her head. “Thank you for coming so quickly. This woman has the most peculiar binding spell on her, and it’s so strong that I can’t seem to even put a dent in it. The spell is so strong, it’s reflecting much of my healing energy.” Glancing quickly at Lena, Olisarra stepped to the side, just out of earshot as she guided the archmage’s forearm. “Before she passed out, she said something I recognized as Draconic,” Olisarra whispered.

“Are you certain?”

Olisarra arched one of her considerable golden eyebrows. “I am young compared to you, but I’ve been around for a few thousand years, Archmage. I know Draconic when I hear it.”

“What did she say?”

“Andilar, I believe.”

Kalec nodded. “Pain. Suffering. She’s in pain of some kind. But why would she be speaking Draconic? Is she one of my people in disguise somehow?” He walked back into the main part of the infirmary and waved his hand over Kara as Lena continued to hold Kara’s hand. “Most unusual. I see the binding spell, but I can’t see what it’s binding. And I can’t seem to dispel it. Definitely not one of my kind, though.” He pushed on the spell a little harder, and Kara cried out.

“Please, Archmage. Whatever you did, it’s hurting her,” Lena pleaded, grabbing Kara’s hand with both her hands.

“Olisarra, I can dismantle some of the binding, but not all of it. That may make it easier to heal her,” the dragon said, tracing runes in the air above Kara. “Be ready, however - there may be side effects that manifest once some of it is gone.” With that warning, he sealed the runes above Kara and vivid purple lightning began to arc from her body.

Lena swore she could hear the sound of glass shattering somewhere, or metal twisting and breaking, but at her level of skill could see little of the advanced magic the archmage was using on her companion. Idly, she wondered why she seemed so attached to Kara’s welfare, as she was still mostly just a stranger. Kara’s hand gripped her own so strongly that Lena cried out in pain and tried to pull her hand away; once the lightning stopped, the pressure around Lena’s hand abated.

Lena cried out in pain; Kara’s grip, even unconscious, was so strong that her hand had several obviously broken bones, the flesh warped and already bruising badly. Olisarra mended her quickly with a Flash of Light, restoring her injuries, then turned her attention back to Kara. The blonde was now sleeping with a small smile on her face, whatever pains she had been enduring had abated with the discharge of the lightning.

After Olisarra completed her work, Kalec walked to the door. “Keep me informed of her status, please?” he asked the high elf, who nodded in return.

Rubbing her hand and wondering just how strong Kara really was, Lena sat back down at Kara’s bedside. The blonde slowly began to wake up. “Hey…” Kara croaked. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to scare you. What happened?”

“You-“ Lena started, “you had one of your flashes, I think.” She recounted all that had happened in the inn, teleporting to Dalaran, and the parade of people who had been attending to her. “And one of the Council of Six himself came to visit you, Kara. Can you imagine that?”

Kara slowly shook her head as she tried to sit up, Lena quickly but gently urging her to stay in the bed. “I don’t know who the Council of Six is, Lena. They sound important though, so I’d better send them a thank you note or something. Mama always said- oh no!” This time, despite Lena’s restraint, Kara sat up bolt upright, her body shaking. “Mom and Dad! They’re going to kill me for leaving Lakeshire! Lena, we have to get back before they notice I’m gone!”

“I’m sure they will understand that you needed medical care, Kara. Let’s lay back and rest, okay?” Lena urged, trying to nudge the blonde’s shoulders back down to the bed.

Kara refused. “No, you don’t understand, Daddy is going to be furious! He said I am never to leave Redridge for any reason without his permission. Lena, please, we have to go back!” she begged, gripping the brunette’s shoulders.

Lena shook her head. What was happening here? Kara was acting like a teenager instead of the 25 year old adult she’d claimed to be. As much as she wished she could see her own family again, she couldn’t imagine being so… chained down by them. “You’re still recovering, Kara.”

“I’m fine, I really am!” Kara shoved past Lena and stood up, twirling around. “See? Totally all better! Literally nothing wrong with me.” As though on cue, her stomach growled, a deep, rumbling noise. “Okay, besides that.”

An idea struck Lena. “If I take you to one of my favorite restaurants here, will you stay just a little longer to make sure nothing is wrong? It’s just down the street, and then if you really are fine, and Mistress Olisarra gives her blessing, then we will get you home. Okay?” Across the room, Olisarra gave a silent, approving nod at what the apprentice was trying to accomplish.

Kara looked at Lena skeptically, her eyebrow raised as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What- what kind of restaurant? I mean, I’m not so easily bribed, Lena,” she struggled to say with a straight face, despite literally salivating so hard she had to keep puckering her lips.

Lena watched in fascination, biting her own lower lip. “It’s, umm, what was the question? Oh, restaurant, right.” Her mind was screaming at her to get it together, to focus on the task at hand and not be so distracted by the blonde’s firm, pink lips. Her mouth tugged up into a wry smile. “You’ll see. Come with me?”

Two streets over in the Magus Commerce Exchange was the restaurant, the very institution that not only kept Dalaran’s apprentices fed, but practically alive on their minimal stipends. Kara looked at the foreign script over the door, recognizing it as Pandaren. “What does it say?”

Lena laughed. “Pandaren Express. Come on, let’s get a table.” Pandaren Express was one of the hidden gems in Dalaran, and it owed its bountiful existence to the fact that unlike other shops, the Council of Six (many who had eaten there in their own apprenticeships) found it so valuable, they allowed the restaurant its location free of rent, on the condition that it kept prices low for the apprentices as an unofficial cafeteria of sorts. Anyone wearing Kirin Tor robes or a tabard was guaranteed its lowest prices.

Once inside, Kara’s eyes grew so large, they looked as though they might leave her head. “Is this… what I think it is?” she whispered, breathless. Familiar sights and smells washed over her from the dinner they’d shared in the Lakeshire Inn.

“It is,” Lena said with a nod. “An all you can eat Pandaren buffet. It’s literally how I made it through most of my apprenticeship without starving.” Lena had a feeling the restaurant was going to lose some money on this meal.

An hour and forty-four trips to the buffet later, Kara slumped in her chair, dazed and happy. Chef Ironpaw herself had come out to watch from the kitchen door after hearing that a customer - a human customer no less - had made thirty trips to the buffet, and had applauded Kara at her fortieth. Pandaren express their love through food and eating, and Kara had basically shouted her love to the chef through her actions. “That was… incredible, Lena. My god, I have to come back to Dalaran as often as my parents will let me.”

“About that,” Lena started, wiping the corners of her mouth neatly with her napkin. “Why are they so… strict? You’re 25 years old, an adult who can make her own choices in life. Why do you let them… treat you that way?”

Kara exhaled, staring down at her empty plate. “That’s- that’s just the way it’s always been, I guess. My parents have always been kind of strict. When I was young, it was because we were afraid that someone might have been trying to hurt me. We still don’t know what happened to my original family or how I ended up in an orphanage in Stormwind.”

“Besides the flashes of memory you have.”

“Even those,” Kara shook her head slowly, “even those are more like… dreams? Snapshots? I never remember very much from them, and all they do is give me really bad headaches. Though I have to say, my headache is a lot better this time than it has been in previous episodes. Whatever the healers do here, it’s really effective,” she smiled, absentmindedly twirling her hair around her fingers.

Lena smiled back, then stood up, brushing off her robes. “Well, speaking of, we should stop by the infirmary and have Olisarra bless you-” she smirked at her terrible joke, “-and give you a clean bill of health so we can get you back home, all right?”

Kara made a briefly sour face. “All right, if you insist.” With a sudden change in attitude, she held out her elbow as soon as they were outside in the fresh, warm evening air. Something about Lena’s company made her elated, more chipper than usual, though she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what. Lena cautiously looped her hand through Kara’s elbow and they started walking back towards the infirmary.

As they walked through the Magus Commerce Exchange back to the infirmary, four men in hooded robes began following them, one of them wielding sharp, deadly rogue daggers in their hands. Lena heard muttering behind them but couldn’t make out the words, and quickened her pace. Kara, however, did hear what they were saying.

“Remember, kill the witch, but leave the girl unharmed. That’s what the boss said.”

Before she could react, two men had grabbed Kara by the arms, dragging her apart from her companion while another grabbed Lena. They scuffled into a side alley out of public sight, lest some meddlesome adventurer come along and try to help. Kara wrestled away from her two assailants with relative ease, swiftly kicking both in the legs and shattering their bones. As she turned to help Lena, she saw one of the rogues pulling back to deliver a killing blow with his dagger, aimed at her heart.

Kara screamed, her eyes glowed blue, and the world went white for Lena. Intense heat forced her eyes closed; it felt as though she were standing next to the sun itself. Her mind registered horrible, cracking, wet sounds as the attackers simply… vanished. She could no longer sense them being nearby, and her noise recoiled at the smell of burning flesh.

Once the brightness ebbed, Lena opened her eyes and gasped in shock. There was no sign of the four attackers, save for blackened silhouettes on the wall of the building next to them. Two rogue daggers lay on the ground, badly warped as though the metal had been heated in a forge and then simply dropped to the earth.

“Kara…?” Lena mumbled, in shock. “What happened?”

“I- I don’t know. I saw that man about to kill your and I just- I reached inside with everything I had, to try and stop him and the next thing I knew… they were all gone?” She looked around nervously, wondering if more trouble was on the way.

Lena didn’t wait around either. She grabbed Kara by the arm and they sprinted the remaining city block to the infirmary, crashing through the door and running into the examination rooms. “Mistress Olisarra, some rogues tried to ambush us in the alley a block from here!” Lena exclaimed as she ushered Kara to the table.

Olisarra’s eyes glowed yellow with the power of holy magic. “What happened? Are they behind you? Are you hurt?” She quickly looked over both women and didn’t see any immediate harm that needed mending as Lena explained what happened, assuring her that there was no immediate threat to their lives. The healer found nothing wrong with Lena, but Kara… was a different story.

Before she could dig further, Kalec barged into the room carrying a pair of melted daggers. “What has happened? The Council all felt that and-“ he stopped, realizing Olisarra was not alone. He held up a hand in Kara’s direction. “Olisarra- the binding on her. It’s breaking. It’s unraveling. Do you see that?” In his own vision as a blue dragon gifted with some of the strongest magical abilities in all of Azeroth, he could see magic as though it were tangible, streams and clouds and beams of light and dark. What he saw around Kara were magical chains that had made themselves visible as they weakened, giant purple-black chain links swirling around her.

The healer nodded, her expression grave. “She has been buried in layers of concealing magic. Mummified. What is she, really?”

“Uh, guys, I’m kind of right here,” Kara interjected, waving her hands in the air. “What’s going on with me? Am I dying?”

At the semi-humorous jibe, Lena turned her head sharply. “Are you? Is she? Is she in danger? You have to help her, you can’t let her just suffer. She’s- I-“ she stammered, not realizing the weight of the words coming out of her mouth.

The blue dragon saved her. “She is not in danger. Quite the opposite. Miss-“ Kalec looked before all three people repeated Kara’s name. “Miss Kara here has been bound tightly with magic and our earlier efforts, combined with whatever just happened, have loosened those chains. Miss Kara, if you like, we could remove them entirely?”

“What are the risks to her?” Lena interrupted, unconsciously taking Kara’s hand in her own as they stood next to one of the beds.

Olisarra was the first to answer. “I would guess, and I will defer to the archmage, that it will feel like the sensation of getting feeling back in a limb after you have sat or slept on it for too long. Only much more so. It may be briefly painful, but ultimately it will do her good.”

Kalec nodded in agreement. “Whatever this magic was designed to suppress, we will remove it. Be aware that may involve things like memories as well, possibly bringing back past harms and-“

“Do it.” Kara practically shouted as she eagerly hopped up on the bed. “I have been wondering my whole life - the half of it I can remember- what happened to me. Why I was orphaned. How I came to Stormwind and the Danvers. Who I am, really. So please, whatever you need to do, please do it.” Hope blossomed in Kara’s heart. Would she finally be able to remember what all these painful, migraine inducing flashes were about?

Kalec raised his hands. “Be ready, Olisarra, in case something causes physical harm.” He delved deep into the chains around Kara, cutting them piece by piece with the precision of a surgeon and the grace of a violin virtuoso. As each piece faded back into the Twisting Nether, the magical aura around Kara grew stronger.

Even Lena, as a low level apprentice mage, could see and feel the difference. Kara was starting to physically glow as the archmage worked, and her hand went from just feeling Kara’s incredible (and appealing, her mind gleefully reminded her) warmth to a tingle to pins and needles of her own. Kara was practically broadcasting arcane energy as Kalec freed her, waves of it washing off her.

The final chain broke, and a wave of power erupted from Kara, dropping Lena to a knee and knocking Kalec back a few steps. His eyes were wide in horror. “No… no, no, no… it’s not possible. It’s not possible! None of you should have survived! How is this possible? We destroyed all of you!”

“What is it?” Olisarra shouted at him, trying to rally his attention. “What is she?”

Both Kara and Lena stared at him as he shook in gear, his lip quivering as he held his hands up in front of him in a defensive posture, voice a harsh hissing tone belying his own true nature. “She is the mortal enemy of all our dragonflights, a creation of the mad aspect Deathwing. She is not supposed to exist. We thought we destroyed all of Deathwing’s mad experiments. S-she is a chromatic dragon.”

“Oh,” Kara squeaked.

Author’s Notes

For those who have been following along, this is the revelation you’ve been waiting for. Were you correct in your guesses?

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 7: Memories

Content warning: implied rape

Dalaran

Kara tilted her head. "A chromatic dragon? I'm not a dragon! I'm-"

She froze in place with wide eyes, as though time itself had stopped, as her mind awoke to memories locked away for 13 years.

The Ruby Sanctum
571 on the King’s Calendar

Alexstrasza watched over her latest clutch of eggs, purring and soothing them. Unlike other creatures, dragons were sentient from almost the moment of conception, the tiny babies inside learning and growing through their connection to their flight’s magic. She could communicate with them telepathically, an ability that faded away once hatched, but necessary to keep them calm and nurtured while in their eggs.

Inside the Ruby Sanctum, her lair where she stored all her eggs and her children grew up, Alexstrasza began the process of naming each of the whelps. With as soft a smile as a giant dragon can muster, she gently touched a claw to each egg, whispering their names in her mind.

Raelstraz.
Vaelastrasz.
Alurastrasza.
Jorelstrasz.
Kalelstrasz.
Zorelstrasza.

She bid each egg a peaceful rest as she took flight, leaving the Sanctum to her duties as Aspect of Life, a guardian of Azeroth’s living creatures.

600 on the King’s Calendar

Zorelstrasza flew across the forbidden, frigid lands of Dragonblight with the rest of her brood, her tiny red wings flapping hard as she kept up with her broodmates. Just ahead and above her, Alurastrasza giggled and soared higher, dancing among the ever-present snowflakes. Far below, they could see the massive bones of one of their progenitors, Galakrond the Mad, preserved forever in Northrend's icy landscape.

Though the last of her brood to hatch, Zorelstrasza was the most spirited, the pluckiest. Always the first into the air and the first to whatever meal their mother had caught, Zorelstrasza's cheerful disposition was a point of amusement to the entire red dragonflight.

611 on the King’s Calendar

“It’s Visage Day, Zorelstrasza!” her broodmate Kalelstrasza chirped with glee, practically bouncing off the walls. Even though they were 40 years old, they were still juvenile whelps, drakes that hadn’t reached full size yet. Still fearsome, still large enough that the mortal races probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them and their adult kin, they were nonetheless the dragon equivalent of gangly teenagers. Kal was exactly that in body and mind, eager for the day’s festivities.

Visage Day was a time honored tradition among all dragons; on Visage Day, dragons from each of the dragon flights chose the forms they would appear to mortals as, their personas when not in their native forms. Every dragonflight did theirs slightly differently; Alexstrasza held hers in the great hall of Wyrmrest Temple, her brood gathered around her.

This day, Zorelstrasza's clutch had their Visage Day, and each drake stepped forward onto the dais, knelt down before their queen mother, and chose their form to raucous cheering. Just before her, Kalelstrasz revealed his form, a human male with jet black hair and impressive musculature, dressed in the red robes of their flight. When Alexstrasza asked him his name, he beamed to the assembled crowd. "My name is Clark, a pleasure to meet you all."

Finally, as the last of the clutch to hatch, Zorelstrasza stepped forward, her stomach doing flips as surely as if she were airborne. She whispered the words of the spell she'd been reciting in her mind for weeks now - dragons usually chose their visage long before the ceremony - and in a cloud of grey smoke like a waterfall, revealed herself. Shimmering blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and a trim, strong human female form was what she chose. "My name is Kara, a pleasure to meet you all," her human voice echoed across the room to more applause.

612 on the King’s Calendar

In a terrifying explosion late at night while the dragons rested, thousands of Twilight's Hammer cultists swarmed Wyrmrest Temple, inspired by their mad leaders to sacrifice themselves for their cult's mad aims to bring about the apocalypse and usher in the End Times. As bodies piled up outside the temple and cultists climbed up the sheer walls, several hundred flooded into the lowest levels of the temple like termites infesting a building, overwhelming the few guardians who blockaded the entrances.

Inside each of the Sanctums, cultists brought forth their dark mages, opening portals to Blackwing Lair, their master's lair. Working as quickly as they could, they cast spells laced with necrotic energy, imprisoning many of the whelps and juveniles, then shoving them through the portal along with as many eggs as they could grab. Zorelstrasza - Kara, now - is among the unlucky drakes captured, and she's consumed by fear as her body, no longer under her control, is thrown through the magical portal like a sack of grain.

Within minutes, the attackers were all slain, each corpse bearing a hideous rictus of glee on their faces as they believed themselves on the way to the dark paradise their master had promised.

Pain. So much pain. Kara was nearly overwhelmed with it, chained in a dank room somewhere inside Blackrock Mountain as dark magic rippled over her skin, bruising and blackening it. Her body, forced into her mortal form by whatever spellcasters had captured her, was chained to some kind of stone dais, and small cuts covered her skin.

"Master! This one is awakening," a thick, dull human voice shouted next to her. Kara turned her head but couldn't make out anything beyond violet and black robes masking the human's face. Another, taller figure approached, this one wearing a golden crown with a blood red ruby in the middle of it.

"Ah, excellent. This one survived the last test. Pity the others we captured with it didn't. Now, let us try infusing it with some of the power from a different dragonflight," the taller robed figure hissed, holding up an azure hexagonal crystal. With an obsidian knife in his hand, the figure stabbed Kara in the shoulder and shoved the crystal into the open wound. In seconds, blue lightning arced over her body as she arched her back, screaming and straining against the restraints.

Once the wave of pain passed, Kara felt... different. Red dragons were known for their life magic, their ability to use fire and spells to heal as well as harm. Images of cold and frost flashed through her mind, and all the arcane magic around her became visible, tangible, as though it were a sheer blue fog she was swimming in. The crystal, now clear, fell to the floor and shattered as Kara's wound sealed up.

"Good, good. This one is strong, quite strong. It was able to take an entire mana crystal from the blue dragons. Acolyte, fetch me one of the bronze crystals next," the robed figure hissed, razor sharp teeth coming into view under the hood he wore as the obsidian knife moved closer to Kara's flesh.

"What... what are you doing to me," Kara croaked, her tongue sticking to the inside of her mouth from dehydration.

The figure smiled as he pulled his hood down, revealing a human man with jet black hair, fiery red eyes, and a goatee. "Why, I'm making you stronger, my little pet. Soon, you will be the greatest weapon Azeroth has ever known."

—-

“Are you sure she won’t remember anything?” a man’s voice asked, somewhere in the distance. Kara couldn’t see anything; the world was simply white as though she were trapped in a blizzard. But she could hear; hear the sounds of her own labored breathing, hear the heartbeats of the mortals around her, hear the quiet whispering of clothes being removed.

“Not a thing. The master grants you this reward as thanks for leading the expedition and capturing so many of the drakes. He is pleased with your success and permits you to indulge in the flesh of this one,” a voice hissed. What was that? It almost sounded like one of her kind.

“Good. I will be ready to guard her afterwards as the master commands,” the human spoke. Kara struggled against her chains weakly, but her draconian powers had long been chained out of her reach. Whatever was about to happen to her, she had no way of preventing.

She felt something liquid - no, just wet and warm against her cheek and a strong, calloused hand on her jaw. Was the mortal… licking her? Kara didn’t understand at all. What was this mortal doing?

“See that you are ready, Jeremiah Danvers. The master requires only success, no failure. Failures of any kind would be… most unfortunate for you,” the other man with the hissing voice say. “The master’s weapon must not fall into enemy hands before he is ready to unleash it.”

—-

The final memories washed over Kara, threatening to drag her down in the undertow. Had Lena not been there holding onto her, Kara might well have been lost entirely. As it was, a wracking sob erupted from her and she collapsed to the floor in Lena’s arms.

At the sudden display of weakness, Kalec slowly lowered his hands, his brow deeply furrowed. “I don’t understand, why did she collapse? She should be at her most dangerous now, with all her powers unlocked.”

Lena glared at him with such intensity that had it been a spell, even as a dragon he might have a hole burned through his face. “Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps she is the victim in all this, Archmage? That she has had no choices of her own since the beginning?” Truth be told, she didn’t know why she was so staunchly defending Kara to not only one of her superiors, but a leader of their entire nation, but it just felt right. Whatever Kara was, whatever she was experiencing, Lena felt compelled to protect her.

Kalec regarded the young apprentice carefully. “There… may be some truth to your words, Apprentice. Nonetheless, she is quite dangerous. Chromatic dragons are masters of every branch of magic and immune to almost any kind of magical harm. However it was that she was created - for they are all created - she was built for a singular purpose: to be a weapon of enormous consequence.” He turned to the Spellbreaker guards that he had summoned before flying over. “See to it that she is restrained in the Violet Hold until the Council can decide what to do with her.”

“Archmage!” Lena shouted, her black hair flying as she whirled on the blue dragon, “you just woke her up for something traumatic and your first instinct is to throw her in jail? That’s ridiculous! This woman needs healing, not punishment. Are you trying to make her into the weapon you’re so afraid of?”

“Enough!" the dragon thundered, his anger shaking the walls. "I will not be questioned by someone who is tens of thousands of years my junior and a mere apprentice at that. I have decided. Now step aside and let us do our work, Apprentice, and I will forget to mention your insolence to your master.”

“If you are taking her to the Violet Hold, then I am going with her, Archmage. If she wakes without a friendly face to see, then we could all face dire consequences. Imprison me too if you must, but she needs a friend now more than ever, and you are clearly not that,” Lena snarled. She replicated the featherlight spell that Modera had used when they first arrived, picking up Kara’s prone form and carrying her like a bride through the streets of Dalaran.

The Violet Hold, Dalaran's prison for magical criminals whose power is too great to be contained in a normal prison, is a magical and technological marvel in its own right. Large stone cells shielded with arcane barriers held every manner of creature from three-headed corehounds to elemental revenants, all of them too dangerous for normal prisons, and too valuable to simply slay. Lieutenant Sinclari, the prison's grey-haired warden, stood watch with her staff glowing like a burning ember as Lena carried Kara into one of the smaller cells in the east wing, laying her down on the threadbare cot within.

"Apprentice, you should step out now so that we can erect the barrier," Sinclari warned, her hand on one of the control crystals in the wall.

"I told Archmage Kalec, I am staying with her. That includes here, Lieutenant," Lena said as she sat down on the floor next to the cot, folding her legs under her in a meditative position.

Sinclari shrugged. "As you wish. Remember that your magic is dampened here and you will not be able to conjure food and water once I close the cell. A word of caution - the arcane barrier will not only repel you if you touch it, but you'll find it a rather shocking experience. We will check on you once a day, and we will be happy to let you out at any of the check-ins."

"Once a day? That's absurd! Are you intentionally starving your prisoners to death?"

Sinclari arched an eyebrow. "In case you hadn't noticed, Apprentice, most of the creatures here require no sustenance at all. They feed directly from the magical energy around them, which is why these cells have to be so overpowered. Now, if there's nothing else, I'll return to my duty station and check up on you tomorrow."

Lena quickly conjured a large pile of cinnamon rolls and a water elemental to provide refreshment before Sinclari activated the cell door. She felt the dampening sink in immediately, like someone stuffing cotton in her ears; the world around her felt eerily quiet without the distant hum of the arcane.

After a few moments, she shifted positions, feeling restless, when Kara whispered.

"Thank you."

Lena whipped her head around. "Kara? You’re awake! How long have you been awake?”

The blonde rolled onto her side, looking at Lena with the tiniest smirk. "Since... umm, since the infirmary. I woke up a few minutes after I passed out."

Lena tilted her head. "Why didn't you say something?"

Dragon or not, Kara blushed exactly as she always had - fully and completely, from the tips of her ears to her neck. "I- I-" she stammered, then mumbled something unintelligible.

Lena leaned over, gently touching the dragon’s shoulder. "I couldn't hear you, Kara. Sorry?"

Kara took a deep breath. "I... really liked being in your arms."

"Oh," Lena murmured, contemplating the gravity of the words. "Well, um, I'm glad I was able to... to help." She cleared her throat. "So... are you okay? What happened? Did you remember something?"

“Everything,” she whispered, looking down at the grey stone floor. “I remember everything, Lena. Everything that I was, everything that was taken from me, everything,” her throat closed up momentarily, "that was done to me. All of it."

Lena slowly nodded, unsure what to say. A million thoughts raced through her head. Who was this person, really? Was Kara the same person Lena had come to know and even enjoy being in the company of? Was Kara something - someone else, perhaps what Archmage Kalec seemed to fear? What had she been through?

"I'm not, you know. Dangerous, that is," Kara said.

"Is telepathy one of your powers too?"

Kara laughed, the sound no different than Lena had been hearing for days. "No, I don't think there are any mind-reading dragons that I know of."

"But you are a dragon."

Kara sat up, slowly nodding. "I am. I'm Kara - that really is my name. But my birth name, my real name is Zorelstrasza. I... I used to be part of the red dragonflight. Before... before what happened to me."

Lena's eyes widened. The red dragonflight was legendary on Azeroth but even more so in Dalaran; red dragons were the only dragonflight that willingly explored the world and got involved in the lives of mortals. The other dragonlights - green, blue, bronze, and black - only interacted with mortals to avert harm or accomplish some end, shunning them otherwise. “How… how old are you exactly? Are you really… umm, thousands of years old?”

“What? No,” Kara laughed. “It’s what… 625 on the Stormwind calendar and I was hatched in 571 so that only makes me 54 years old. I’m basically more or less a kid; I’ll be fully grown around 100 but most of draconic society won’t take you seriously as an adult until you’re a thousand or so.”

“How long do dragons live?” Lena wondered aloud. The very concept of living centuries or millennia was mind-boggling. As much as she found herself enjoying Kara’s company, she wondered what, if anything, the dragon would even remember about her in a thousand years. Would she just be a brief interaction, a blink of an eye? Lena chewed on her lip, mulling over the fact that her entire lifetime would be little more than a tiny part of the dragon’s lifespan.

Kara leaned back on her arms, humming. “Well, it’s kind of tough to tell. We’re not really sure; the oldest of us is my queen, Alexstrasza. She was around for the War of the Ancients and stuff, but she was also a proto-drake and all so… like, I think she’s around 150,000 years old, give or take?”

Lena froze, her mouth hanging open. “That- that long?” Lena's mind was completely blown. Kara could outlive her tens of thousands of times over; the very thought made her shrink inside herself. The nascent emotions, the feelings she'd been having towards the woman - the dragon - withered like a seedling left in the sun too long. She almost laughed aloud - who was she, in the lifespan of a dragon? Best she be just friends with Kara, or perhaps even less.

Long moments passed in comfortable silence until Kara sat up, running her fingers through her hair. "Hey, umm. I don't mean to be rude but... I don't suppose any of those cinnamon rolls are for me?" On cue, Kara's stomach growled and she turned to Lena with a pleading look.

"Yes. In fact, most of them are for you. I figured you might be hungry after... what happened. Please just save a few for me. Apparently they only feed the prisoners here once a day," Lena sighed, looking around the enclosure. Despite the dampening magic, she could smell the ozone in the air from the crackling magical barrier.

Kara dug in gleefully, grabbing a roll in each hand. "Oh my god Lena, these are great. You've got a real future in magic, you know that? You even managed to conjure the icing just right, just the way I love it," she said between bites.

"I... suppose I'm glad to hear that. I never once imagined in my entire life that one day I'd be feeding pastries to a dragon," she smirked. "Not exactly the most noted use of magic in Dalaran's storied history, I'm sure."

Kara licked her fingers clean of the icing, forcing Lena to look away. "Well, I think it's pretty notable. Thank you," she hugged Lena.

"You said... you said you remembered what happened?" Lena asked, quickly looking away again as Kara continued licking her fingers. "Would you - do you want to talk about it?"

"I will... if you, uh, if you would be willing to, to um..."

Lena arched an eyebrow.

"Would you hold me? I really like being in your arms, and there..." Kara exhaled, her smile leaving her, "there is a lot to tell."

Lena clambered onto the cot, leaned her back against the wall, and opened her arms.

Author's Notes

A lot to unpack and process here, but Kara's an incredibly powerful dragon. Now the question is, who made her this way?

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 8: Liberation

The Violet Hold, Dalaran

Horrifying. That was what Lena kept repeating to herself with each memory Kara recounted, as the blonde slowly pulled Lena’s arms tighter around her. The capture, the torture, the forced magical transformation, the violations of her magic, her body… in a way, she could understand why Kalec had been so frightened of Kara. A lesser being might have been driven mad by so much, and the moment they remembered, might have lashed out. Kara certainly would have been entitled to do so, to hate a world that allowed such horrors to be perpetrated on her.

Lena wasn’t sure she would have survived any of it intact, much less retained her sanity. Perhaps that was why Kara seemed so friendly and affectionate towards her; perhaps her subconscious still remembered and sought out comfort wherever she could find it.

Kara had finished retelling her story and promptly lay down, tugging Lena to the cot with her. When Lena asked if Kara needed space, needed room, Kara had simply replied, “I feel safe with you,” and dozed off, Lena’s arms still wrapped around her. Her left arm, trapped under Kara’s body, had long since gone slightly numb but the smile on Kara’s face as she slept made it all worth it.

For her part, Lena wasn’t sure what she felt towards the woman, the dragon - that part still boggled her mind - in her arms. Just the very phrase “the dragon in my arms” was absurd to her. But she couldn’t deny the closeness made her feel happy, feel important and useful, feel needed. Something she’d been looking for ever since she lost her own family in the Third War. Someone to love and be loved? No, that was equally absurd. She wasn’t even sure dragons could love in the same way.

What woke them both hours later was a familiar friend. Kara’s stomach rumbled so loudly that it may as well have been an alarm clock. “Sorry." She looked at the empty tray where Lena had conjured food the previous day with a small frown. "Hey, I'm kind of hungry. Want to go get something to eat?"

Lena sat up, combing her fingers through her hair after wetting them on the small water elemental she had summoned the previous day. "Kara, in case you hadn't noticed, we are not only in a prison, we are in the world's most powerful magical prison, designed to keep the most dangerous creatures in all of Azeroth contained. I suppose I could shout for the warden and ask if we can get our meal sooner."

"Can we go back to Pandaren Express? Their potstickers were amazing. No disrespect to the traveling chef we met in Lakeshire, but... yeah," Kara said, licking her lips as she stretched.

"You're ignoring me completely, aren't you?" Lena laughed. "Yes, I suppose one day, we can go back to Pandaren Express. I'm sure Chef Ironpaw will be delighted to know she's had the world's only non-hostile chromatic dragon dining at her buffet."

"Oh no, I meant now. Do you think they're open?"

Lena stood up, suddenly wary. "Y-yes... they're open all hours of the day to accommodate us students. But... Kara, did you not hear about," she asked, gesturing broadly at their surroundings. "We are going to be staying here for... a little while."

Kara stood up and walked to the shimmering arcane barrier. As she stretched out a finger, Lena panicked. "Kara! Don't touch that - the warden said it will give you a shock!" Despite her warning, Kara touched the barrier anyway... and watched it swirl around her finger as though it were nothing more than a shallow pond.

"It kind of tickles, Lena!" she smiled, before placing her hand against it. The arcane magic swirled, then began to flicker; the energy almost seemed to flow towards Kara's hand like water circling lazily around a drain. In just a few moments, the barrier was gone entirely.

"How- Kara, what just happened? How did you- how is that even possible?"

Kara shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they decided to let us out?" She skipped out of the cell and down the aged stone stairs to the giant metal doors that kept the inside of the prison secure as a last defense. "Hey, which one of these levers is the door?"

Lena looked at the runes engraved on the various controls nervously before indicating the lever for the door. As the massive gates swung open, she glanced around nervously. She had no sense of time in this place, but the other inmates were still, if not sleeping. Before she could overthink what they were doing, Kara grabbed her hand - goodness, it was warm - and simply walked them out the gates of the Violet Hold.

They'd lost their sense of time; outside the prison, it was the dead of night. The White Lady and the Blue Child, Azeroth's two moons, hung high in the night sky as the pale pink ribbon of the Twisting Nether faded in and out of view across the stars. A distant clock on one of the many towers showed it to be around 3 AM; Kara walked with Lena down the nearly-empty streets of Dalaran. A few stragglers made it out of Greyfang Enclave with pints of beer in their hands, Alliance warriors of some kind getting further into their cups.

After a brisk 15-minute walk to the Magus Commerce Exchange, the pair made it to Pandaren Express and Kara practically vibrated with excitement while Lena kept looking over her shoulder for the inevitable arrival of Dalaran's guards. Despite her unease, she partook of some of her favorite foods as well, though not nearly in as large a quantity as Kara did. "Well, this whole business," Lena said, waving a piece of black pepper ribs with her chopsticks, "definitely explains why you can eat so much more than it looks like you should be able to. How does that work, anyway?"

"I'm not really sure. Korialstrasz tried to explain at one point about pocket dimensions and illusions and all sorts of stuff, but the science of dragons was never really my strong point and my... uh, captors, obviously didn't explain anything either." Her smile dimmed momentarily until she dug into another potsticker from the giant pile she had in front of her. "All I know is, whatever I am, I'm hungry a lot. It's so hard being hungry all the time."

"I can imagine," Lena murmured, taking a final bite of her ribs. "I-" she started before looking towards the door, seeing Kalec and four Spellbreakers quietly talking to the hostess, who pointed towards their table. "Kara... we have company."

As Kalec walked towards the table, his hands in a defensive posture, Kara turned and smiled at him. "Oh hey! I remember you - you must be Archmage Kalec. Lena's said a lot about you. Want something to eat?" she offered, holding a bowl of Krasarang fritters up.

Kalec blinked as though broken for a moment, tongue-tied. "Ah... no thank you, Miss Kara. As you might have surmised, I am wondering how I find you here, enjoying the buffet instead of in your cell in the Violet Hold."

"You didn't let us out? The door just opened when I touched it. I figured that meant we were free to go. Oh, and the guards at the gates were asleep, so I assumed it was all good, right?"

Kalec looked as though he'd chewed on something especially sour, his lips puckered and brilliant blue eyes squinting. "The- well, I'll have a word with the guards separately. No, Miss Kara, we did not let you out. How did you manage to escape?"

"She speaks the truth, Archmage. I saw it for myself. The door just seemed to swirl away when she touched it," Lena interjected. "She did nothing wrong, Archmage."

Kalec's eyes swept over Kara as he tried to suppress his alarm, his features strained. "The doors in the Violet Hold are enchanted to only allow proper usage by someone with the key - Lieutenant Sinclari, for example - or that of the enchantment's creat- oh." Kalec appeared ready to vomit, his skin pale.

"Archmage?"

The blue dragon took hold of a small, empty soup bowl on the table and enchanted it, sparkling arcane magic dancing over it. "Apprentice, please humor me for a moment. Pick up the bowl."

Lena furrowed her brow. "But Archmage-" she started before seeing his expression, then shrugged as she put her fingers around the rim.

Nothing happened.

She couldn't budge it at all. Every effort she made moved the table the bowl was on as though it had been welded to the table itself. Kalec nodded. "And now you, please, Miss Kara. If you will indulge me."

Kara smiled, reached down, and picked the bowl up, handing it to Kalec. "Are you sure you don't want some of this instead?" she asked, holding a bowl of viseclaw soup. "It's REALLY delicious."

Kalec sighed. "I feared as much. You are, Miss Kara, a chromatic dragon. Among your many dangerous traits-" he held up his hand as Lena started to protest, "-is your latent ability to copy magic. When I examined you yesterday, you must have absorbed some of my magic, because the wards in the Violet Hold were enchanted by none other than me. There is simply no other way you could have dismissed them. Even Malygos himself could not break a ward tied to one's identity like that without ruinous side effects."

"Oh. Oops?" Kara grinned. "Does that mean I can stay here and finish eating breakfast? I'm still pretty hungry."

Lena watched the exchange with fascination and awe. Few could shock an Archmage as her friend had; she wondered just how much Kara even knew about her own abilities. She certainly seemed to be far more than met the eye.

"It would seem that, since I have personally seen to many of Dalaran's defenses, there is little we could do to stop you, Miss Kara. I will consult with the Council of Six again to decide what we should do about you, but for now you are free to go," he said, motioning for the Spellbreakers to depart. "Please try not to go too far. Apprentice, stay with her and report back everything you see and hear, please."

Kara made a joking salute before calling after them. “There’s a good chance if you’re looking for me that I’ll be right here!”

After the archmage and his retinue exited, Lena turned to her companion. "What was that all about? You can absorb someone else's magic?"

"I have no idea, Lena. I know as much as you do. Before... everything... I was a red dragon. I knew exactly what I could do, what powers I had. Now, after... after, I have no idea." Her brow wrinkled as painful memories swept over her, being restrained, having magical crystal after crystal thrust into her bloody flesh, the foreign magic settling into her bones. "I don't know what I am any more, Lena."

Lena reached across the table, almost knocking over a bowl of the 100-year old soy sauce. "You're Kara. You're my odd but fun companion. You're apparently a very special kind of dragon. What more do you need to be? Just... be yourself, Kara."

The blonde stared out the window, lost in thought for a few moments. "What if I don't know what my self is? Once I got my memories back... I've had two different lives, as Zorelstrasza the red dragon with my brood, and as Kara Danvers, someone who thought she was just a human with a few extra abilities. But now I remember both, and who am I? Am I both? Neither?" She stood up from the table, popping a final two potstickers in her mouth. "I- I need some air," she said abruptly.

"All right," Lena nodded. "Take your time, I'll be he-"

"Come with me?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Lena took the proffered hand, warm as ever, as Kara tugged her out of the restaurant and outside. A few blocks away was the memorial garden for Archmage Antonidas, the former leader of Dalaran when the Scourge had attacked and nearly destroyed the city. Kara pulled Lena to one of the benches. "It's been... thirteen years since I've done this. I don't even know how I've changed in that time, with all that magic chaining me up inside my own mind. But I think I remember how."

Kara closed her eyes, humming a soft tune to herself. Grey fog began to surround her, rising up from the ground and swirling like a cyclone around her body. Lena squinted as the fog got more dense, pouring over Kara like a waterfall, until a stiff wind seemed to blow it away.

Lena's jaw dropped. Before her stood Kara - no, Zorelstrasza. That was who this majestic creature truly was. Taller than the massive statue in the garden, Zorelstrasza's scales shimmered in the torchlights; Lena could understand why they were called chromatic dragons. Little rainbows seemed to dance over Zorelstrasza's scale, and each scale was mesmerizing to look at. She couldn't even really make out what color Zorelstrasza was - one moment, she looked blue, the next she looked red, all the colors of the rainbow shining brightly.

"Zorelstrasza, this is amazing. I've never been in the knowing presence of a dragon like you," Lena breathed, her heart racing, her pulse pounding in her throat.

"Lena, it's still me. I'm still just Kara, okay? You don't have to use my draconic name." Despite her gigantic size - her wingspan alone would probably cover the entire gardens, if not the city block - Zorelstrasza's voice somehow sounded just the same as it did a few minutes ago over Pandaren cuisine as she finished humming whatever tune she was remembering. "In fact, I kind of like the idea of merging the two. What do you think about... Kara Zorel?"

"I... I think that's a lovely name, Kara. It suits you, actually."

"Want to take a ride on me?" Kara laughed as she slowly started to unfurl her massive wings.

Lena blushed hard. A host of images popped into her mind, none of which were what Kara was intimating. What was wrong with her, thinking of this girl in such... primal ways? She looked up at the dragon only to be greeted by Kara's winning smile, only this time with... many more, much larger razor-sharp teeth. Lena nodded briefly, and Kara leaned down, extending out one wing. "Climb on," the dragon laughed.

As soon as Lena was firmly perched on her upper back, hugging Kara's neck, the dragon shot into the air with a mighty leap, and Dalaran fell away. Lena held on for dear life as Kara flapped her wings, picking up speed. "Kara! Where are we going?"

"I thought we'd fly around a little bit, see how things feel. My wings have gotten huge in my confinement! They're so much bigger and stronger than they used to be. Let's see how fast I can go," she cheered. At first, she just flew in great circles around the floating city, over Dragonblight and even as far east as Howling Fjord. But then, something made her change course. Instead of giant, lazy circles, Kara suddenly took off like a shot to the southeast.

Below them, the Great Sea sped past as Kara left the icy shores of Northrend, past the great Maelstrom in the center of the sea, and soon was flying near the shores of the Eastern Kingdoms.

"Kara! Where are we going now?" Lena shouted, barely able to hear herself over the rushing wind. As they flew further south, at least the air had warmed to tolerable levels, though Lena swore she wouldn't be able to feel her face for a week.

Before she got her answer from the dragon, she recognized the white marble and stone of Stormwind below her, followed by some very familiar mountains.

"We're going to Lakeshire, Lena," Kara growled, "I have some unfinished business there."

Author's Notes

Kara finally steps into her power, and demonstrates in an amusing way just how dangerous she actually could be.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 9: Convocation

Dalaran

The six rulers of Dalaran, of the Kirin Tor, stood around the open-air Council chamber as Kalec ended his narrative of what had transpired.

“Your people will kill her, unquestionably,” Archmage Karlain mused, the nearly bald human mage stroking his jet black goatee as stars rushed by in the background. “To say that she is a threat is to put it mildly. You say she can copy magic?”

Kalec nodded. “She can. According to Modera’s apprentice, she can copy what she sees. And I’ve seen her firsthand copy a magical signature - my own - just by simple contact.”

Archmage Ansirem Runeweaver stamped his staff on the purple crystal floor. “If the dragonflights don’t kill it, someone should. This thing is an abomination and a direct threat to all of us! Can you imagine her running around loose in the world, absorbing magic as she goes? What happens when she crosses the Scourge and their necromancy, or Titans forbid, an Old God? A dragon with void powers would be a disaster. Better to put it down now unless you can find a way to secure it in the Violet Hold for good,” the elderly mage shouted, tiny flecks of spittle landing in his white beard.

“She, not it,” Kalec warned with a low growl. Despite his deep reservations, Kara was still one of his people, and as part of the Wyrmrest Accord, he was sworn to protect his people whenever he could.

“Runeweaver is correct,” Archmage Vargoth intoned. “Can you imagine if she was with us when we reached Draenor? Just being exposed to the Twisting Nether drove some of our forces mad. A dragon being able to channel the Twisting Nether would be nigh unstoppable. Hell, she’s already that. We must act now.”

Archmage Modera spoke up, her voice strained with incredulity. “And how exactly do you propose to do that? She is a dragon, and they’re notoriously difficult to harm under normal circumstances. One immune to most magic ties a hand behind our backs. What do you suggest? Hire a band of adventurers and hope they do our dirty work for us?”

Kalec joined in agreement. “Look at how many thousands of adventurers’ bodies piled up outside Onyxia’s lair over the years. And she was just of a single dragonflight. This chromatic dragon - remember what happened with Chromatus?” The other mages shuffled around uncomfortably, staring at anything except the blue dragon.

During the war against Deathwing, his chromatic dragon Chromatus required the assistance of all five dragon aspects just to force the creature into suspended animation, its body still in one of the sanctums for safe keeping. Chromatus couldn’t be killed, not by normal magic. If the most powerful dragons couldn’t kill a newly hatched, barely alive chromatic dragon, what hope did any of them have against a fully mature one?

“A question, if you will,” Archmage Khadgar, the grey-haired elder leader of the Council asked as the councilors grumbled about the situation. “We are operating under the presumption that this dragon is hostile and dangerous. There is no doubt her abilities grant her substantial advantage and potential, but is she truly hostile?”

Modera shook her head, glad that at least Khadgar had his head on straight. Though many of the group including her were equally elder mages, she felt that most of the rest were old and out of touch with the changed world outside of the city. “Not in the slightest. She thought she was human due to the magical binding. She grew up with us, understands us. She may even have a soft spot for one of us.”

“Oh? That’s an interesting twist,” Khadgar remarked, fully turning to face the woman. “Go on.”

“My apprentice seemed quite… taken with her, before the revelation of what she was. And I suspect the dragon might be equally amenable to such advances from her in return.” Modera thought back to the stammering mess the dragon had been around Apprentice Luthor from the moment they met in Lakeshire. “We should consider introducing her to Prophet Velen as well.”

Khadgar snapped his fingers. “That’s a brilliant idea. Perhaps he could even introduce her to the Na’aru. Something that was full of light and positive magic could do much to ensure she remains friendly to us.” Khadgar turned to see Modera stifling a laugh at something Kalec had mumbled to her and raised his eyebrow silently.

“Something to add, Kalec?”

“Forgive me, Khadgar,” the blue dragon said. “I was just saying to Modera that if we wanted to truly secure her loyalty, we would need to do little more than settle her tab at Dalaran’s various eateries. She seemed… highly food motivated when we met.”

“She’s not a dog, Kalec,” laughed Modera, her shoulders heaving. “Still, we should learn more about her and what she is capable of. If settling the bill at Pandaren Express is all we need do to keep her close, that is a minor burden at worst, and Ironpaw will be delighted. Hell, she might do it for free just to see how much a dragon can really eat. I would bet she has less restraint than you do, blue.”

Kalec blushed, having laid waste to Pandaren Express’ buffet more than a few times himself. He idly wondered if the chromatic dragon enjoyed potstickers as much as the other dragons he knew. Chromie could clear out the restaurant in minutes. “Agreed. And it is far less likely to go wrong than trying to imprison her again, even if we could,” the blue dragon nodded.

Khadgar began the summoning process to teleport the group out of the council chambers. “Then we are agreed. Let us do as Modera and Kalec suggest for now. Vargoth, Runeweaver, we will also research more on how to make our magical defenses less easy to copy; perhaps you can spend some time in the vaults. Thank you all!” With that final pronouncement, five of the six members vanished back to their offices in the city.

Kalec stood alone in the council chambers, the words of the various mages echoing in his mind. He knew his next course of action. The human mages were too scared of Zorelstrasza to be of any help. No, based on what the chromatic dragon had said after escaping the Violet Hold, there was only one on all of Azeroth who might be able to offer true insight - the mother of dragons herself, Alexstrasza.

With a wave of his fingers, he teleported to Wyrmrest Temple to seek an audience with the Queen.

Author’s Notes

The various Archmages of Dalaran provide relatively little insight. When I first wrote this chapter, I was thinking of the Chamber of Air from the Warcraft movie and realized… actually, the mages of Dalaran are spectacularly useless most of the time. Presumably they are masters of magic, and yet the task of saving Azeroth over and over again has fallen to us, the hapless, often clueless adventurers wandering the world. That leads me to believe they spend a whole lot of time talking and not a whole lot of time doing.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 10: Answers and Questions

Content warnings: blood and gore.

Lakeshire

Kara landed in a billowing gust of wind near her home in Lakeshire, sending leaves and twigs flying in little tornadoes. It was still early morning, the sun barely cresting over the Redridge Mountains as they nearly glowed in the light.

Lena gingerly hopped off Kara’s back; the flight had been unnaturally fast. What should have taken almost a day of sailing on a steamship or even a couple of hours if you could afford a gryphon had taken mere minutes with Kara’s incredible speed, but it came at the cost of every muscle in her body seizing up from the cold. Lena could barely uncurl her fingers. “What are we doing here, Kara?” she asked through chattering teeth.

Grey smoke cascaded over Kara as she transformed into her mortal visage. As she turned to answer, Lena yelped and slapped a hand over her eyes.

“Kara!”

The blonde tilted her head. “What? What’s wrong?”

“You don’t have any clothes on!”

“Huh? Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry!” she chirped. In another moment, a ripple seemed to flow over her body as she conjured her clothes over it.

Lena found herself flushed once more despite the chill. Intellectually, she knew this form of Kara was fundamentally an illusion. Kara wasn’t human, wasn’t even close to human, but she’d chosen an illusion that Lena had to admit was… appealing. Very appealing. Her lower body, already aching from the strain of the flight, now found an additional reason to throb as Lena realized she’d been riding on a stark naked Kara for the last quarter hour. “Anyway, ahem, what are we doing here?”

Kara looked her in the eye. “I have some unfinished business with Jeremiah. To see if he will admit what he did to me,” she spat, any hint of warmth or happiness gone. This was Kara Zorel, the nearly ageless, almost omnipotent dragon speaking now. The illusion of Kara Danvers had faded away as fast as her clothes had. She pushed through the front door of the house, Lena startled into following behind her.

Inside, even Lena’s ordinary nose could pick out the pungent aroma of BlackRock coffee - acidic, almost smelling like tar. At the modest kitchen table sat Kara’s grey-haired mother Eliza, dressed in a nightgown with a large mug of the disreputable coffee in front of her, the gnomish coffee machine on the counter still sputtering. Kara’s anger vanished as she saw the redness in her adoptive mother’s eyes, the puffiness and dried tears on her face. “Mom? Mommy? What… what’s wrong?” she asked, swallowing her own feelings.

“Kara! Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you!” Eliza exclaimed, almost spilling her coffee as she embraced her daughter. Kara took note of how much the elderly woman’s hands were trembling.

“I had to go to Dalaran, Mom. I got hurt and Miss Luthor here teleported us there so I could get some medical attention. I would have told you if I had had a chance.” She sat down at the table next to Eliza after pouring herself a cup of the sludge-like drink.

Eliza nodded slowly. “Your migraines again?” she asked, receiving a silent nod in return. “Between you and your father, I have been at my wit’s end these last couple of days.”

Kara’s features hardened at the mention of Jeremiah. “Yeah,” she said slowly, forcing her tone to remain neutral, “where is he anyway? I was going to talk to him about… some stuff.”

Eliza looked up from her coffee mug, her lower lip trembling. “He vanished the same day you did. I’ve talked to the magistrate, I’ve talked to Bailiff Conacher - no one has seen your father since the same day you disappeared.”

“What? What do you mean, he’s missing?”

Eliza looked at Kara with tired eyes. “Just that, Kara. No one has seen any trace of him. It’s like he vanished from the face of the world. And Solomon was… well, reticent to even speak with me. It’s like he was hiding something.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should go talk to Magistrate Solomon myself. See if he might be a little more forthcoming with me.” Kara’s tone was serious, absent any of her usual chipper, bubbly self. Whatever her feelings about her father, anything she could do to ease her mother’s woes, she would.

Eliza looked for a long moment at her, her eyes briefly glancing between Kara and Lena. “You’ve changed. Something about you has changed, Kara. What happened?”

“I- I don’t want to talk about it now, Mom. I promise I will later, but for right now I just want to focus on finding Dad. Lena, will you come with me?” she asked, standing up from the table and holding out her hand.

“Of course,” the brunette replied, taking Kara’s hand. She smiled slightly to herself that she finally understood why Kara always felt so warm, as a slight blush pinked her cheeks. The night they had spent together in the Lakeshire Inn made so much more sense now, why Kara blazed with heat in her sleep. All the pieces snapped into place as her eyes widened; Kara’s true nature was why she was able to copy the healing spells she’d used to save Lena.

They walked down the hill and into Lakeshire’s town center proper in comfortable silence, just holding hands. As they approached the town hall, Kara turned to Lena. “What… umm, what spells do you know for restraining someone?”

Lena smiled. “Well, we all learn the basics of frost nova - the ability to temporarily freeze someone on the spot so they can’t run or chase after us - as first-year apprentices.”

“Good,” Kara nodded, her brow creased from contemplation and stress. “There is a possibility that in the course of our… conversations… we may need to temporarily restrain some folks so… just be ready in case you see someone making a break for it.”

“You don’t want me to come inside with you?”

“I… now that you know what I am, there’s a good chance someone might get violent if I start digging around in places where people might not want me to look. Even in this visage, I’m immune to a lot of harm, but …I don’t mean to sound condescending, I promise, but you aren’t, and it would be easier if I didn’t have to worry about your safety. Is- is that okay?” Kara reached out and gently cupped Lena’s cheek, surprising the woman.

Lena’s words collided into each other in her mouth. What was Kara doing? Why was she treating Lena like someone beloved instead of the casual acquaintance she was? Why did Kara’s hand feel so good against her skin? All she managed was a mute nod, and then Kara was gone; Lena brought her own hand up to her cheek, gracing the spot where Kara’s hand had been.

Kara forced open the front door of the town hall; at this early hour of the morning, the offices were still closed. Magistrate Solomon lived in a small apartment next to the building, but one of the reasons he had remained magistrate for so long was his dedication to his job. She found him hunched over at his desk, a pile of papers and a mug of coffee keeping him company.

At the sound of her entrance, he muttered, “The offices are closed now, citizen. Office hours begin in-“ he looked up, glancing at the clock as he took a sip of his coffee.

And his coffee mug hit the floor as his eyes went wide. “M-m-miss Danvers! How- I mean, what a pleasant surprise! W-what can I do for you?”

Kara’s senses had always been sharp, even when bound magically. But after the binding had been destroyed, she had full access to all her draconic abilities, and she sniffed the air. Fear. She smelled the waves of fear emanating from Solomon, flop sweat and flatulence as the man struggled to maintain control of his body and his emotions. “Hello, Magistrate. I was wondering if you could help me. No one has seen Jeremiah in several days. Do you know where he is? Have you talked to him lately?”

At the mention of Jeremiah’s name, Solomon’s grip slipped some more. His knee began to bounce under the table. “I- ah- Jer- I mean no, I, I can’t say that I have. In fact, I can’t remember what- I mean when- we last spoke. I think your mother mentioned something the other day, but, but I was busy and- no, I haven’t seen him,” he stammered, tiny beads of sweat appearing near his grey hairline. “I will let you know the, um, the moment I hear anything. Oh, Miss Danvers, we were looking for you as well. Where did you get off to? Your mother was asking me for a search party for you.”

“Dalaran. I was injured and a mage teleported me there to receive healing.”

At the mention of the Kirin Tor stronghold, the quill in Solomon’s hand blurred, his hand was shaking so badly. “I- I see. Well, I, uh, I hope you are well again. Good day, Miss Danvers. I will have Bailiff Conacher stop by your farm if I have any news.” At the mention of his name, the Bailiff walked into the room, a large mug of coffee in his hand as well as he nodded towards Kara.

“All right, thank you Magistrate,” Kara frowned. “I suppose I can search for him myself.” She turned and walked out of the room, only to stop just outside the doorway. Her draconic hearing perked up, the sounds of papers rapidly shuffling.

Solomon’s voice was a low, harsh whisper. “Conacher, she was in Dalaran. Dalaran! This is a disaster. The master is going to kill me, he’s going to murder me the same way he murdered Danvers!” he groaned. Kara heard sounds of scribbling. “Take this to our gryphon rider with haste! Perhaps if the master hears it from me first, he won’t kill me outright.”

“Magistrate, what in the world are you talking about? None of that made any sense,” Conacher protested.

“Just go, damn you! Go!” Solomon wailed as the bailiff hurried out, charging past Kara loitering at the door to town hall and sprinting as fast as a man in plate armor could towards the gryphon riders on the other side of the lake.

Lena watched from the fruit stand across from the town hall, first as Kara emerged and held her hand up, letting her know to stand where she was, and then shaking her head as the Bailiff ran by. Once the commotion had settled down, Kara meandered over to her. “We are done here, I think,” the dragon murmured to her, her face blank of any emotion. Kara tossed a handful of silver to the vendor and grabbed herself a bag of deep fried plantains as she motioned for Lena to walk with her.

“What happened in there?” the mage asked, snagging a single plantain chip to nibble on as they walked out of the town center.

Kara took a deep breath. “He- Jeremiah is apparently dead. I overheard the magistrate saying he was murdered for something having to do with me.” Kara glanced sideways at her companion.

“Kara, I’m so sor-“ she started.

“Not- Lena, I…” she paused on the side of the road, leaves rustling in the breeze. “I don’t know what to think, Lena. I don’t know how to reconcile all this. He was like a father to me but… he was also a jailor and a rapist. How… how am I supposed to feel? Like, yes he was stern and controlling in how he raised me, but was he- did he ever actually love me?” She sat down hard on a boulder, her head falling into her hands. “I can’t just forgive him, not when I just remembered how he… but at the same time he raised me for 13 years and he never once did… did anything like that again. And… I think he loved me? He didn’t treat me any different than he treated Alex. He was just as stern with both of us, but he never made me feel like I was second best or anything.”

Lena sat next to her, daring to put an arm over the dragon’s shoulder that Kara immediately hugged. “I don’t know what to say, Kara. I wish I could make some of the hurt vanish, or to help you find… find some answers I guess, but I don’t know what to do. Help me help you? What do you need?”

“I don’t know!” Kara shouted through her hands, her shoulders shaking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you. I just… I don’t know anything any more. I don’t know who I am, I don’t know who my parents really are, I don’t know what is going on, I just- answers, Lena. That’s what I need. I need answers. I need to know.”

Lena nodded, gently rubbing circles on Kara’s upper back. “Then it’s answers we will get. I may be a lowly apprentice in the Kirin Tor, but I’m willing to help you however we can.”

“Thank you, Lena. You’re literally the best friend I’ve ever had,” Kara sighed, leaning her head on the mage’s shoulder. She turned after a moment and stared long at Lena’s lips, just a breath away from her own. “I-“ she started, then stood up rapidly, breaking the moment. “We should get back home. To my mom’s house, I mean. Maybe- maybe we can figure out what to do next.”

“Yes,” Lena breathed, her own thoughts wildly askew. Was Kara about to kiss her? How did this magical creature even regard her? Do dragons kiss? Her mind raced with confusing questions. She had no idea what was going on, but if it involved staying in this mysterious, enigmatic dragon’s life, Lena wanted to keep going.

They finished walking up the long road to the Danvers farmstead in substantially more awkward silence after their shared moment on the side of the road. Just as they reached the property line, Kara raised her head, sniffing the air almost like a hound.

“What is it?” Lena asked, letting go of Kara’s hand.

“Smoke. And not the good kind,” Kara muttered before breaking into a full tilt run, vanishing up the dirt road with a cloud of dust in her wake. Lena chased after her, but was much slower than the dragon. Still, she didn’t need to go far to see what was happening; the farmhouse was ablaze, flames belching from the roof. “Mom!” Kara shouted, running headlong into the flames.

Lena lifted her hands and began the enchantment to cast Blizzard, pelting the home with snow and ice to help bring the fire under control. Moments later, one of the walls of the house exploded, showering debris and embers everywhere. Through it, Lena could make out Kara, carrying the limp body of her mother. She rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief; the elder woman’s chest was still moving, still drawing breath. Lena quickly conjured a water elemental for Kara to assist her mother as she continued attacking the fire.

Eliza choked out a series of coughs, expelling the smoke from her lungs. “K-kara, are you all right?” she managed, “What happened?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing, Mom. How did this happen?”

Eliza shook her head, oxygen helping clear her mind and memories as she sat up in Kara’s arms. “I- I was washing up from breakfast when I heard a crashing sound just a few minutes ago. I started to run out the back door when I felt something hit me in the back of the head. I must have blacked out - the next thing I remember is waking up.”

Most of the house was covered in snow and ice now; Lena fell to her knees from the effort of casting that much magic, but the fire had all but burned out. Despite her efforts, it was plain as day that the house was a total loss. Her heart ached for Kara losing one of her childhood homes. “I… I’m sorry, Kara… I couldn’t save it…” she wheezed, her face red from the effort.

Just then, a rustling noise from the bushes near the road caught Lena’s attention. In the brush, she could barely make out a dark figure kneeling down, holding some kind of staff. Recognition flashed in her mind and she shouted “Hunter!” just as the figure’s firearm discharged.

The boom echoed across the glade.

Kara turned around, putting her back to the hunter to cover her mother.

And the bullet simply… bounced off her back. In the next moment, both the hunter and Eliza went slack-jawed as Kara transformed, suddenly towering over the trees. Her icy blue, reptilian eyes shifted colors to bright red, and she reared back with a guttural snarl. The hunter struggled to reload his weapon, a panicked look in his wide eyes despite the covering over his face.

“Kara! Don’t destroy him,” Lena shouted. “We need to know who is behind this!”

In the blink of an eye, Kara lunged forward, her jaws and teeth closing around the hunter’s head. She snapped her teeth closed, and the hunter’s body fell limp to the ground. A moment later, she spit it out, the severed head rolling across the glade as she sniffed the air and looked across the small valley for other attackers. Finding none, she shimmered back to her human form, gagging.

Lena rushed over to her. “Kara! Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m okay, I’m okay,” the dragon shook her head, grimacing as she rubbed her palms across her tongue. “He, uh, I’m not quite sure how to tell you this, I mean, I do know how to tell you, I just…” Kara looked at the mage with pleading eyes. “he tasted terrible. Can you please conjure me a cinnamon roll or something?”

Lena’s eyes bulged, then she burst out laughing, doubled over at the waist before tracing the runes in the air to make a plate of cinnamon rolls and a skin of water appear. With neither grace nor comportment, Kara grabbed a roll in each hand and unceremoniously stuffed both in her mouth, chewing rapidly, and washing it down with the conjured water. “Thank you, Lena, thank you so much. You have no idea.”

As Kara walked over to tend to her mother, Lena inspected the gory remains of the hunter. What was left of him wore dark purple robes inscribed with unknown runes. Lena looked more closely; the man’s skin was green. She saw the head a few meters away and the telltale tusks. An orc. Whoever had tried to kill Eliza was an orc. Quickly, she tore off the rune-covered portion of the orc’s robes and rifled through his pockets, collecting what few trinkets the hunter had on him, and wove a few small spells.

Eliza still sat in shock on the ground, staring off into space. “Mom?” Kara asked, walking over and sitting beside her. “Mom?”

“Y-you… you’re… I didn’t know… how?” Eliza whispered, her gaze finally on her adopted daughter, her forehead wrinkled in confusion as her jaw opened and closed repeatedly. After trying to force out a few more words, she simply stopped, her eyes rolling back into her head.

“Let’s not worry about that right now,” Kara soothed, holding her mother’s limp body. She turned to Lena, “You get in trouble for teleporting without permission, right?” With a silent nod, Kara smirked good-naturedly and traced the same runes Lena had for opening a portal to Dalaran. Within moments, the portal swallowed them all and sent them back to the mage city.

Author’s Notes

Jeremiah was apparently very good at keeping secrets from everyone. Now the question we have to answer is… who attacked them?

Next up, some consequences, some answers, and some fluff.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 11: Sleeping Dragons

Dalaran

"So far, everything looks fine; I'd like to keep your mother here overnight just to make sure there are no ill effects," Mistress Olisarra said to Kara as they stood near her bed. The healers had mended Eliza's mostly minor injuries, and Nurse Butler was ensuring Eliza was properly tucked in for the evening.

"Thank you, Mistress. I- please let me know what the cost will be to treat her?" Kara asked, slightly trembling. Despite the fact that most healing was done with magic - especially in Dalaran - her family was poor to begin with, and the recent calamities had done nothing but add to her woes.

Olisarra shook her head, the tips of her long elf ears tracing arcs in the air. "No payment is needed here for anyone truly in need, Miss Kara. You were the other day, and your mother is now. We aren't goblins, after all," she snarked, the corner of her mouth turning up in a lopsided grin as she rested a hand on Kara’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Kara practically gushed, clapping her hands over the healer’s as the stress melted from her. “I owe you anyway, payment or not.”

“Sufficient payment will be to look after yourself, Miss Kara, so that you do not join your mother in here, exhausted or fatigued beyond reason. Now, why don’t you see about some accommodations and get some rest?” The healer escorted Kara to the door of the infirmary; Lena stood outside waiting quietly for her, a spell book in her hands.

“All set?” she quietly asked the dragon as she closed her book, receiving a nod in turn. “Where would you like to go? A meal? A drink to soothe your nerves? Some rest?” Lena watched carefully, measuring Kara’s reaction to each suggestion and seeing her face fall at the last. “What is it, Kara?”

Kara looked down at her feet, hiding her face as her blonde hair draped over it. “I- I, uh, told Mistress Olisarra the same thing. Lena, I- I’m poor. Like, not just not well off, but literally poor. And… with what happened today with my mother and everything, our family is… we’re in a lot of trouble, Lena. I was thinking of just going to fly up into those mountains over there and making a nest for myself or something,” she offered bravely as her voice trembled, inclining her head towards the Storm Peaks in the distance.

“Is that what you really want to do?”

“It’s fine, Lena. It’s fine, I’ll be fine. I’m a dragon, right?” she laughed weakly, wringing her hands. “I’ll be totally safe. You heard your Archmage Kalec, I’m some kind of weapon of ultimate power, so… I should be fine.”

Lena arched an eyebrow. “For a being of immense power, you are a terrible liar, Kara Zorel. Yes, you will be safe beyond question, but you're not going to be fine or happy. Besides, we aren’t even sure if your mother was really the target of that orc hunter or not.”

“I… can’t afford to stay in the city, Lena. Like I probably have maybe 50 silver to my name,” she sighed, then gave a mirthless laugh as she gazed towards the mountains, avoiding looking at Lena. “I must be a terrible dragon, huh? We’re all supposed to have mountains of gold and treasure to jealously guard and I haven’t a single gold coin to my name.”

Lena exhaled as she contemplated her next words. They might change everything or nothing, but after all their unintended adventures so far, she’d come to see Kara as a friend, albeit a very different one than the company she normally kept. “Kara,” she started, watching her friend’s head snap around. “I have enough space in my room, in the apprentice dormitory. You could stay with me for the night. I’m sure someone has a sleeping bag or something.”

“Really?”

“Really. What kind of friend would I be to let you stay outside in the biting cold here?” Even if, Lena thought, she was a literal dragon that could melt a nest into a bed of rock on a mountainside.

Kara sagged with relief. “Sleeping outside has never been very comfortable for me. One time I went with Alex and… and my dad…” she choked, ”...it was so uncomfortable. I got all kinds of leaves and sticks stuck in my hair and oh goodness I was so, so hungry. No, a bed indoors is much more my style.”

Lena took a chance and reached out her hand for once, taking Kara’s. The smile that blossomed on Kara’s face reassured her it was the right choice as they walked a few blocks to the student dormitories. “It isn’t much, being student housing and all, but at least as a senior apprentice I have a single.”

“You’re single? I mean-“ Kara slapped her forehead with her palm. “You have a single? What does that mean?”

Lena laughed as they walked up several flights of stairs in the massive building. “It means I have the relatively rare pleasure of not having a roommate. Welcome to Schaffenberger Hall.” As they arrived at her door, she traced a rune in the air, unlocking it. Unsurprisingly almost everything was controlled by magic, from the door to the lights to even the curtains. A lone broom meandered up and down the corridor, sweeping away dust with no owner.

Inside was a room that reflected Lena to perfection. On the desk, various flasks, potions, and other glassware lay half-filled. The shelves were stuffed with books, but organized and orderly by topic and author, as though she had taken Dalaran's archives and miniaturized them. Everything - the small desk, the bedspread, the walls, the lights - was all brilliant white. Kara looked around in open-eyed amazement at the cozy but orderly room. “How is it so bright in here?” she wondered aloud, looking at the room’s tiny window with the golden rays of the setting sun shining against Dalaran's skyline.

“Magelights, of course. Tiny incantations of arcane energy that cast light in the space. Here, watch,” Lena smiled, tracing her fingers in the air. A small purple rune hovered for a moment, then sparkled and rose to the ceiling as the room’s light brightened a shade. She repeated the process again in reverse, tracing the rune upside down, and the lights dimmed.

“Oh, that's so neat!” Kara exclaimed, “Can I try?” Lena nodded slowly, wary of what might happen.

Her caution was justified. Kara was unaware of the fact that breaking the magical chains binding her also broke the restraints on her ability to use all of her magical power. Instead of the trickle of mana she'd been able to access before, she had an entire ocean of power to draw on from her draconic heritage.

The room went black. Not just darkness, not even the dead of night, but light was fully extinguished, as though it had been sucked into a black hole and decimated. "Uh... sorry about this. I... what happened?" Kara stammered, groping around the bedspread blindly. "Should I try-"

"No! No, I'll- I've got it, Kara. Just... give me a second," Lena said, her voice tense. She tried tracing the run right side up again, purple sparks of arcane magic faintly glowing for brief moments before vanishing into the all-encompassing darkness. "What... what's happening?" She tried again; this time, the dimmest of sparks managed to stay alight and slowly bring light back to the space. Encouraged, Lena cast the spell a few more times, each time becoming more effective until the room was back to the brightness it started at.

Kara sat down on the corner of the bed, cringing as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Sorry, I... I didn't know that would happen."

"Is this... is this the first time you've used magic since the Archmage freed you?"

"Yes. I mean, beyond changing forms, yes. And teleporting us here, I guess."

Lena tapped her lips with her fingertip as she recalled an old spell from her studies and turned to one of her bookshelves. After a few moments' digging, she pulled out a small, leather-bound volume, leafed through a few pages, and murmured to herself. "Ah, here we are... Detect Magic. No reagents, suitable for apprentices at any level, now obsolete." She stood up, traced a rune in the air, and cast the spell at herself. As she closed her eyes, she could see the streams of arcane energy flowing towards her, purple energy she could draw on to cast spells with dancing around her like rain trickling down a window.

Turning towards the bed, she recast the spell. The moment the rune floated into Kara, eliciting a giggle from the dragon, Lena's senses exploded. If her own magic were rain dripping down a window pane, Kara was like standing underneath the world's largest waterfall. Lena could barely see, so bright was the magic around the dragon - and in every color and hue imaginable. The bright green of the druids, the searing golden white light of holy magic, the purples and blues and reds of arcane magic, a sickly green that could only be fel, a dark purple magic that dazzled and confused - void magic... and the black, cloudy magic of death. Kara was surrounded by magic, bathing in it. No wonder she'd depleted the room of all possible light so easily. No wonder she could copy spells simply by looking at them; she already had all the power needed to make nearly any spell work and an affinity for all of them.

Lena gasped as the spell broke and her senses returned, grabbing onto the back of her desk chair for support.

"Hey, are you... Lena? What's wrong?" Kara asked, leaning over to brush her hand against Lena's forearm.

"I- Kara, do you know how powerful you are? Do you have any idea?" Lena asked as she caught her breath, her hands shaking from what she witnessed.

Kara snorted, shrugging her shoulders. "Uh, no, nope. I have no idea. I'm guessing you're about to tell me it's a lot, though, right?"

Lena turned around and sat next to Kara on the crisp, spotless white sheets. With a deep breath, she did her best to explain to Kara what she'd seen. "Oh, so that's what that spell you were doing was. If I did the same thing, could I see what you saw?"

"I... I don't know? I'm sure you could, I just don't know how it would look."

Kara reached over to clasp Lena's right hand, feeling reassurance from the woman's grasp. "Okay, here goes," she murmured as she traced the same runes as Lena did for detecting magic... and felt the room fall away. "Oh wow..." There in front of her was Lena, just her outline as mana and life energy traced her form. Kara tentatively thought about flying in her draconic form, even though she knew she was seated on Lena's bed.

As though taking flight, Kara drifted out of the room and started to pull away from the city itself. She could still see Lena's distinct arcane energy like a candle, but as she started to hover over the buildings, she could see more and more of those arcane candles, as well as candles glowing with the colors of other magic.

Higher still, Kara could see a giant pillar of light in the distance, glowing from behind a ridge of mountains. Entranced, she began to fly towards it, over the rocky peaks and snow-covered plains until she recognized something that tugged at her memories and heart.

Home. Wyrmrest Temple. She flew faster in her mind's eye, seeing the brilliant flares of draconic magical energy beaming from the building like spotlights in the nighttime sky. As she circled around the upper levels of the bronze-colored temple, she saw a conclave of mighty dragons - her race's aspects, powerful embodiments of the magic under their care - in deep discussion. Her heart soared as she recognized each in turn, the legends of her people.

Kalecgos, aspect of magic. Chromie, from the bronze dragonflight, keepers of time. Itharius of the green dragonflight, stewards of the Emerald Dream and patrons of the druids and shaman. Nalice, of the black dragonflight, the earth warders. And her queen... former queen, she supposed, Alexstrasza. Aspect of life. Mother of dragons. Just as she approached the apex of the tower, Alexstrasza looked in her direction with glowing golden eyes, squinted, and Kalecgos pushed his hand out.

The next moment, Kara felt herself being pulled back to Lena's room, dimly aware that Lena was shaking her shoulders and shouting. "...ra... ...ara... ...Kara!"

"Huh? What? What happened?" the blonde gasped, startled out of the reverie she was in. She got her bearings, remembering where her physical body had been the entire time, and felt wetness on her cheeks. "Lena, I wasn't here... what happened?"

"You cast the spell, and for a few moments everything was all right. Then you started crying, and then your eyes rolled back in your head and you started shaking. I... I was really worried, Kara. It seemed like you were in some kind of fugue state. Did you see something? Did something happen to you?" Lena asked, placing an arm around the dragon's shoulders and squeezing her arm.

"I thought I was... I thought I was home. My home, my real home, with my people. It all looked so real, like I was traveling to see them," she whispered, covering Lena's hand with hers. Another tear trickled down her cheek. "I saw my real mother, Lena. Not that I don't love Eliza or that I'm not grateful for what she did, but... my real mother, I saw her in that- that vision." She lay back on the twin bed, curling herself up into a little ball.

Lena reached out a hand and rubbed Kara's shin, sympathy surging in her stomach. She still felt the pain of losing her family every day, though the years had worn the sharp edges away. "I'm sorry, Kara. I... didn't realize she was gone. I know what that's like."

Kara flopped over, a confused look on her face. "What? No, she's not gone. She's practically immortal, Lena!"

Lena scrunched up her brow. "Then- why are you sad about seeing her, Kara? In the vision, I mean."

"Because... she probably thinks I'm the one who's dead. I vanished years ago, and yeah, a few years is practically the blink of an eye for a dragon, but I was so young that- that I worry she's forgotten about me. Or worse," Kara covered her face in her hands. "What if she hates me, the way Kalec hates me for what I am now? I couldn't bear that, Lena."

Lena exhaled and scooted towards the head of the bed to sit nearer to Kara's head. "I don't know what to say, Kara. I'm sorry seems like cold comfort for... for such a situation. I don't know if she'll feel like the Archmage did, but I do know you're not what they fear. As long as they give you a chance, you'll prove you're nothing like what they're afraid of."

"Can you..." Kara looked down at the bedspread, "never mind."

"What is it?"

Kara reached a hand out and tentatively brushed the side of Lena's thigh. "Would you... I feel silly saying this. Would you just, um, hold me? Just for a little while?"

“I-“ Lena started, suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands, with herself. The situation was escalating too far, too fast and she scolded herself for what she’d done. Inviting this woman to spend the night in her room was a terrible idea. It sent all kinds of messages, wrong messages that the woman- the dragon - clearly interpreted as a closeness that she wasn’t ready for. Perhaps that she’d never be ready for.

Still seared in her mind was the fateful day when her father unceremoniously pushed her and Lex into the stage coach with a trunk of their belongings and as much gold as he could muster, then told the driver to ride to the harbor and not turn back for any reason. Lex had been stoic throughout, not offering any kind of comfort or kindness, just looking out over the horizon of the ship every day on the voyage to Theramore. Lena had done the same after the first day, but hers was aft, her tears falling into the equally salty ocean as they left everything she had ever loved. Letting people in, letting people close was something she vowed never to do again in her life; after all, if the people most important to you could shove you away so forcibly - even for your own good - how capricious could the heart of anyone lesser be?

Yet she warred with herself. Kara was clearly hurt, clearly in need of comfort, of closeness, of not feeling like she’d been abandoned for who and what she was. That Archmage Kalec had reacted as badly as he did made Kara’s fears real and probable. With a heaving sigh, Lena maneuvered herself behind the dragon and pulled Kara into her arms, letting her lay back. Idly, she began to stroke the silky blonde hair, weaving her fingers through it slowly.

Kara let out a sigh of relief. “Th-thank you. That… that feels really nice.”

“How does-“ Lena started, “I mean, if I’m allowed to ask-“

“Anything.”

“You don’t have hair. Not in your natural form. How can you feel this?” Lena blurted out.

“It’s magic? I mean, that’s what the blue dragons said. Our bodies in this form still feel things according to our form.” Kara shifted to her side, looking up at Lena’s face. “If you, like, pinch my arm in this form, I feel it the same way as you do, I think, but I would still feel it in my foreleg if I shifted forms right after. That’s why we have to be careful in these visages- it’s easier to hurt us like this than when we’re in our natural forms.”

Lena's head swam as she contemplated the kind of magic needed to do such amazing feats, far beyond anything she'd studied. "So... does that mean if you're injured as a dragon, those same injuries show up in your mortal form?"

Kara furrowed her brow. "I'm not actually sure. I mean, I guess? But at the same time I have body parts as a dragon that I don't in this form, so I don't know where those injuries would go. Like, I have no wings visible right now, for example. And obviously my tail is missing too right now. I- my mother would know, as would any of the older dragons. I guess we could ask them."

The mage blushed slightly, invisible to her draconic friend, as she idly speculated where Kara would feel it in her human form if she grabbed a firm hold of the dragon's tail. She suppressed her laughter. "Tomorrow," Lena said softly, brushing the hair off Kara's shoulders as the blonde sank further against her. "Right now, we should get some rest. We still need to figure out who that orc was, and what he has to do with this entire confusing mess. Okay?"

A few long moments passed, and Lena looked down. Kara hadn't responded because she'd begun to snore. "What's the expression," she murmured to herself, casting the spell to dim the lights. "Let sleeping dragons lay?" She lay back against the pillow and draped her arms over the dragon's shoulders. Kara curled up against her with a low purr, and Lena closed her eyes, a smile on her lips.

Author's Notes

A bit of fluff and a break. Oh, and if you have a moment, go back to Chapter 1. You'll see the cover artwork I made for this fic at the beginning of the chapter!

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 12: Reunion

Dalaran

Lena couldn’t feel her legs.

She was warm, to be sure, but her legs were numb from the blonde woman - the dragon - laying on her. Not just on her but face down, tightly curled into her, Kara’s arms around her waist and Kara’s face pressed into Lena’s stomach. How either of them had managed any sleep, she wasn’t sure. But sleep had done its duty and now faded from her eyes and mind; she luxuriated in the fiery warmth of Kara’s body on hers, a far cry from how she usually woke, chilled. The mage dormitories were always cooler in the evening. Dalaran’s presence over Dragonblight ensured its constant exposure to Northrend’s freezing weather, and the magical wards which kept the city afloat and hospitable didn’t entirely insulate it from the frozen wasteland outside.

Lena gently stroked her fingertips over Kara’s cheek. She was still baffled at how dragons assumed other forms and could feel and experience everything as though they were the species they imitated. Her mind idly wandered. How would it feel if she kissed Kara in this form? Would it feel the same if the dragon were in her native form? With a wry grin, Lena thought about how absurd it would be to kiss a massive dragon in their native form, one of their teeth larger than her entire head. In her younger days, she’d had a fling or two with other apprentices and even kissed a girl as a teenager back in Lordaeron. What would it be like to kiss Kara like this? Would she be soft and tender like Sam, her best friend growing up? Would she be rough and fierce, the way Veronica was her second year in Dalaran?

Before she could think about it very long, someone started rapping sharply on her door - sharply and very insistent. Lena managed to extricate herself from under Kara without waking the dragon and struggled to her door.

“Yes?” she snapped, opening it quietly.

“Apprentice Luthor! The Council of Six has asked you and your guest to come to the Violet Citadel right away!” a young page practically yelled, thrusting a scroll into Lena’s hands before rushing away. She unrolled it and was unsurprised to see exactly what the page had said, a summons with the Eye of Dalaran glowing faintly on the parchment, ensuring its legitimacy - and importance. Closing the door, she aimed to rouse Kara from her sleep.

“Good morning, Kara,” she nudged Kara’s foot, to be greeted with an exceptionally loud snore. Practically draconic, Lena smirked to herself. “Kara, it’s time to wake up. We have to go.”

Kara mumbled something unintelligible before finally eeking out, “Five more minutes, Mom…” to Lena’s mild amusement. She contemplated trying to startle Kara awake but considered the ramifications to her room’s structural integrity if Kara shapeshifted from being spooked. Her apprentice stipend would not be nearly enough to cover the damage to the tower, not to mention the probability of her and several hundred other students incurring serious harm.

Lena cursed herself for the feelings she was unwillingly developing for Kara as she dressed herself in her purple apprentice robes. Was she just touch-starved, and Kara was the first person in years that had happily and actively been close to her? Her last dalliance with Veronica had been years ago. Was she feeling this attraction towards the woman out of pity for her plight, dragon though she was?

And Kara… Kara was literally out of her league, not even the same species. Even though plenty of humans and other races had mingled over the years, there had only been one known relationship between a human and a dragon, and it had not ended well. No one had seen Archmage Jaina Proudmoore in quite some time since the end of Garrosh Hellscream’s trial and escape, as she shattered her relationship with Kalecgos. It was a fool’s errand for a human to even consider pursuing a dragon, wasn’t it?

The sound of a body hitting the floor snapped Lena out of her reverie. “Kara? Are you all right?”

Kara clambered to her feet, brushing invisible dust off her simple blue shirt and jeans. “I’m okay, yeah. Just had a clumsy moment there. What gives?”

“We have been summoned by the Council of Six. As you can imagine, this is both a very big deal and somewhat scary,” Lena replied as she donned her Kirin Tor tabard and tidied her hair. “We shouldn’t keep them waiting.” Almost by reflex, she extended her hand, which Kara eagerly took.

“Before we go-”

Lena paused, turning towards Kara at the door of her room.

Kara pulled Lena into a bracing hug, pressing her body wholly against Lena’s from head to toe. “Thank you so much for letting me stay with you. It meant the world to me that you didn’t make me sleep out in the cold.” She pecked Lena on the cheek before sliding by her out the door.

Lena stood stunned for a moment, her hand on her cheek where Kara’s lips had been, until the urgency of the moment brought her back to her senses. “You- you’re welcome,” she murmured with a smile before taking Kara’s hand again.

As they rushed down the stairs and outside the dormitories, Lena looked up at the clock tower and groaned. “It’s going to take us almost half an hour to get across the city. Are you okay to run?”

Kara laughed. “Run? Lena, did you forget what I am?” In a rush of magic, Kara assumed her draconic form to the shock of nearby pedestrians, tossed Lena on her back, and took to the air. “Which building are we flying towards?”

“The tallest one!”

Less than a minute later, the duo landed at the base of the steps of the Violet Citadel, Kara transforming back to her human visage quickly so as not to alarm the guards any more than necessary. Lena touched the back of her head, threading her fingers through her dark hair with a low chuckle. “That has to be the most unique blowout I’ve ever had.”

Kara grinned. “Dragons are good at blowing things. Do we go up these stairs?” she asked with a completely straight face.

“Uh- did you just say- um- never- yes, up the stairs,” Lena barely managed, stumbling over her own feet and catching up with the blonde. She took a deep breath as they reached the ornate doors, composing herself. She was about to appear before the ruling council of her nation as a mere apprentice, and she still had no idea why. To say that such things were unheard of was unnecessary but wholly true in this case. Apprentices would be lucky to see a single member of the Council of Six in passing, from a distance. Thankfully, Kara grabbed her hand and led her in, else she might have stayed frozen on the spot for who knows how long.

The moment they walked into the crystal-lined chamber, Archmage Khadgar’s voice echoed off the invisible black walls. “Ah, Apprentice, welcome, welcome. Please know that you are not in any kind of trouble,” the elder mage reassured. “We just have a… guest that requested the presence of you and your friend.” Khadgar’s words did little to lessen Lena’s anxiety, so she gripped Kara’s hand more tightly.

The room slowly lit up as the Council revealed itself, each Archmage stepping into a light pooling at their feet. Unlike Lena - who was a nervous wreck inside - Kara looked around eagerly, like a kid examining their pile of gifts for Winter Veil. She squeezed Lena’s hand, knees flexing a little in excitement. “I’ve never seen anything like this!” she stage whispered to Lena.

The last Archmage to appear was Kalec, who was accompanied by a tall high elf woman dressed in a red… Lena blinked. Was this woman dressed in a red chain mail bikini? Practicality aside, the outfit - which left her shoulders, midriff, and thighs almost completely exposed - couldn’t possibly keep her from freezing even in Dalaran’s relative isolation from the Northrend winter. No one sane would dare to wear that outfit. She also bore an insanely intricate hairdo, with what looked like horns woven into it, and her eyes glowed like a druid’s, golden yellow. Just as she was going to ask Kara who this person was, she felt her arm being tugged as Kara dropped to a knee.

“Your Majesty. Mother,” the blonde breathed, a tear forming in her eye.

“M-mother?” Lena looked again and almost smacked her face with her palm. That wasn’t a hairdo. The horns on this woman’s head were real. And Kara addressing her as majesty could only mean… Lena dropped to one knee as well. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I did not recognize the Queen of Dragons in your mortal form.”

Alexstrasza, Aspect of Life, the Life-Binder, Queen of Dragons… laughed. And not the refined, regal titter that Lena would have expected, but a hale and hearty belly laugh, the woman - dragon - placing her hand on her very exposed belly. “You do your studies credit, Apprentice. I would not expect someone so young to even recognize my true nature at all. I am indeed as you say.”

“I have had some… experience recently with dragons,” Lena smiled, casting a quick sideways glance at Kara, who still knelt with her head down.

“Indeed you have. Though her magic is unfamiliar to me, her scent is not.” Alexstrasza smiled wryly at Lena before turning to look at Kara, her eyes softening. “Zorelstrasza, my child. I know you. I remember you. And my heart is glad to see you once again, after thinking you lost to the Betrayer,” the dragon queen smiled. “You were right, Kalec. That was her we saw last night.”

Kara shuddered quietly, tears falling from her eyes. To hear her mother say she recognized her, and didn’t immediately hate her or call for her death was everything she could have ever asked for.

Kalec inclined his head before turning to Khadgar. “The approbation of my queen does much to soothe my misgivings about Zorelstrasza, Archmage. It is possible I… overreacted to her nature.”

Khadgar smiled, as though to a joke only he could hear. “I’m sure our apprentice and her companion forgive you, Kalec. Nonetheless, we still have many mysteries here which require solutions.”

Alexstrasza nodded to the archmages. “We certainly do. Who did this to my child, and more importantly, why?” She turned to Kara and Lena. “Rise, please. The Kirin Tor, as I understand, do not have an abundance of resources at this time to dedicate to this. And our people are not nearly as numerous as we once were. Between the Nexus War and the battle against our brother Neltharion, we are far fewer than we used to be.”

Kara grabbed the dragon queen’s hand, cradling it in her own. “Mother, please. We can… we can do this, if you will permit us. We can solve these mysteries. A significant part of this is being done by the mortals, and I am strong enough-”

“You are barely done being a toddler, Zorelstrasza. I mean no offense, but it is truth. You are but a drake still, not even to your hundredth year. We could not charge you with such a heavy responsibility, saddle you with such a heavy burden alone.”

“But I’m not alone! I have Lena to help me!” Kara smiled, reaching for Lena’s hand with her other. For her part, Lena smiled wanly as she wondered what was happening to her, what she had suddenly become involved in. From an apprentice seeking out a mysterious magical signature a few days ago for her final studies to meeting with the rulers of nations was enough to make her head spin.

“This apprentice is far too young and inexperienced to be involved in such important draconic matters, Zorelstrasza. Talented though she may be, trustworthy as she is, she would simply be,” Alexstrasza frowned, trying to find the kindest words to say and exhaling, “a bit… in over her head, I’m afraid.”

Khadgar frowned. “That’s as may be, Your Majesty, but you said it yourself: neither of our peoples have the resources to deal with this now, not with so many of our forces battling on Draenor. Yet we do need answers, because the appearance of a chromatic dragon in our midst,” he paused, smiling at Kara, “thankfully a friendly one, is still a matter of great concern. And I would think this sort of matter is not one you would necessarily want to leave up to random champions wandering through, is it?”

Alexstrasza sighed, straining to avoid rolling her eyes as memories of clumsy mortal adventurers came back to her. “It is not, no. Draconic affairs are rarely for outsiders, and especially not for champions who tend to exhibit a certain… lack of grace in handling delicate matters.”

“We have very little knowledge here of what your daughter is actually capable of or how strong she truly is, save that we suspect it is considerable,” Archmage Modera chimed in. “Our records of chromatic beasts - no offense intended, Miss Kara - are sparse but sufficient to say that your daughter is likely able to take care of herself regardless of her age.”

Kara interrupted. “I’m not doing this without Lena,” she shouted as she stepped closer to the young mage. “She makes me feel safe.” Lena stepped forward, attempting to speak, before the dragon queen resumed.

“But how, Zorelstrasza? Compared to you, she is practically powerless and so young,” Alexstrasza indicated at the mage. “She is but a candle to your star.”

“She is not ready. Miss Luthor hasn’t even passed the trials yet to become an adept,” added Modera. “Her spell knowledge is mostly academic after the basics.”

“Would you,” Lena interrupted all of them, holding her hands up, “PLEASE STOP speaking as though I were not standing right here?”

The entire room grew silent as Alexstrasza gave a small grin and the archmages nearly fell over in shock, an apprentice addressing the council so boldly being almost too much to bear.

Lena disregarded the mages and turned to Alexstrasza, the mildly amusing thought in her mind that she almost felt like she was asking permission of a parent to court their child. “What you say is true. Compared to Kara, I am nothing in terms of magical power. But this is not a question of magic. This is… this is detective work, really. We have mysteries, as Archmage Khadgar said moments ago, to solve. And solving problems? Finding solutions? Applying science and magic in equal measure? That is what I’m good at, what I’ve been good at my whole life, and what I can do to help. I am no random fearless adventurer, nor do I have the power of an Archmage, but I am no child and I can think just fine.” She cleared her throat and added with a tiny bow, “Your Highness.”

Kara watched as Lena defended herself to her mother, her chest swelling with pride for the woman she’d grown close to. She hadn’t figured out how to express herself, her feelings to Lena except in ways that the woman probably didn’t understand. She didn’t even understand until the magic blocking her powers and true nature was gone; the first night they spent together in the Lakeshire Inn, she had been nuzzling Lena’s neck in the same way that all dragons express affection to each other. And to be allowed to fall asleep on top of her, as she did last night? Lena had granted her the deepest of affections, the kind that only lovers do. To allow someone else to lay atop you, immobilizing you and preventing you from being able to defend yourself or take flight was a proclamation of deep love and trust among dragons.

Kara idly wondered if humans had the same rituals, if Lena knew what she had permitted, but her musings were interrupted by her mother’s booming voice. “Very well, Apprentice Luthor. Your words ring true and are logical. If your masters here in the Kirin Tor also approve, then you may pursue your… detective work together. I permit it, especially as you pose no threat whatsoever to my child.” The dragon queen quickly gave a side glance at Kalecgos and Archmage Runeweaver, as though she could read their minds and the hostile thoughts they’d expressed initially about Kara.

Archmage Modera spoke up. “As her teacher and mentor, I cautiously approve. Apprentice Luthor has been most diligent in her studies and is a promising student. In time she will make for a fine conjuror in the ranks of the Kirin Tor. But I warn you to know your limits, both of you. You, Miss Kara, are not invulnerable as you well know from your thirteen years of magical captivity. And you, my apprentice, must keep a tight rein on your insatiable curiosity. What do I always say to you?”

Lena smiled at her teacher, reciting from memory in a fair imitation of Modera’s voice. “Don’t reach for what isn’t there. Focus on polishing the basics.”

Khadgar nodded with a smile. “Then we are agreed. Perhaps the first order of business should be to go somewhere safe and explore just what Miss Kara here is capable of.”

“I wholly agree, Archmage. Perhaps Kara and I can explore in the Ruby Dragonshrine, where magic can flow freely and some of our brood who are more sensitive to magic could observe her,” Alexstrasza mused, tapping a long, elegant finger against her crimson lips.

“May I-“ Kalec coughed, shuffling his feet, “May I be permitted to observe as well? I know it is highly irregular for a dragonflight to permit outsiders from another flight in their shrine but I would selfishly like to know what a chromatic dragon is capable of, especially one not hostile to us. It would be… instructional to know what is possible.”

“In this circumstance I will permit it, Kalecgos, on the condition that no one expresses a desire to harm my child hereafter. You may accompany us to our Dragonshrine. Let us be underway. Thank you, Khadgar, for your hospitality and your sufferance of an unusual situation,” the dragon queen bowed as she withdrew from the Citadel.

“The pleasure is ours, Your Majesty. You and your people are most welcome here among friends,” the elder statesman mage bowed in return.

Alexstrasza returned to her natural form outside, as did Kalecgos, the two massive dragons taking flight. Kara beckoned Lena over, shifted into her form, and eased the tiny human onto her back. Compared to her Queen, Kara was perhaps a quarter of the size of the elder dragon, but still towered over mortals easily. The pair took flight, catching up with the elder dragons as they flew south to the forbidding lands of the Dragonblight.

Author’s Notes

One of the interesting aspects of Lena as a character is her boldness, paired with her brilliant mind. Often, that’s obscured by other traits in fics, like her status as CEO or her family’s fortune, but writing a younger version of her lets those traits stand out more. It’s totally fitting that she would have no issue telling everyone to settle down while she worked on the mystery at hand.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 13: She Contains Multitudes

The Dragonblight, Northrend

About halfway between Dalaran and the Dragonblight, Alexstrasza spoke in Draconic to Kara. “Daughter, does the mortal know the honor you bestow upon her by allowing her to ride you?”

Kara turned her head, glancing sideways at her mother with her glowing blue reptilian eyes, and answered in the same, a harsh, guttural language filled with hissing sounds. “I haven’t told her. I didn’t think it was important.”

“Have you told her you love her?”

At that question, Kara almost fell out of the sky, catching herself before Lena could fall. “Sorry, just a bit of… uh… turbulence!” she reassured her passenger before turning back to the red dragon Queen. “Mother! How could you say that? I’m not in love with her!”

Alexstrasza’s laugh, terrifying to mortals for its fierce bellows, was musical in Kara’s ears. Thankfully, dragons don’t visibly blush in their natural form or Kara might have been as red as the dragon she started out as. “Oh Zorelstrasza. I can smell your scent all over her. You bonded with her, as clear as anyone with a functioning nose can tell.”

“But I haven’t! We’ve only slept together, nothing more.”

Alexstrasza looked askance at Kara before breaking into a giant, toothy grin. "Perhaps not yet, daughter. But one does not get to be as old as I am without being able to recognize the path someone is on, especially one's own child. If you would like my counsel, the mortals have a saying: the truth will set you free. In this particular case, I happen to agree," the queen laughed.

Kara grumbled quietly under her breath but couldn't disguise her smile as she soared low over the frozen landscape, her passenger none the wiser about the conversation she'd just had.

The pack of dragons landed in the borders of the Ruby Dragonshrine, a crater-shaped canyon in the ice of the Dragonblight, curiously warm given the circumstances. Inside the shrine, a massive red-leafed oak tree stood over most of the canyon, crimson leaves rustling gently in the breeze. Kara landed, easing Lena off her back before reverting to her mortal visage, as did Kalecgos and Alexstrasza.

"What is this place?" Lena asked reverently, the scenery a strange combination of natural grove and graveyard. Around the perimeter of the canyon, massive bleached white bones lay carefully arranged as though the dragons they once belonged to were still sleeping.

Alexstrasza took a deep breath, her bare shoulders heaving. "This dragonshrine, like all the others in the Dragonblight, is where our people come for their final rest, or where they are brought if they are unable to do so themselves. It is one of the most difficult places for me to be, for these are all my children."

"Because you are... immortal?" Lena offered.

"I was, yes. In the great battle against Neltharion, each of us Aspects gave up the magical gifts the Titans gave us and became mortal on that day, as you are. But I welcome it, mortality, as a gift unto itself. I have buried far too many of my children, something no parent should do."

Lena's hand twitched. She ached to reach out to the woman - the dragon - to offer what comfort she could, but realized the gesture could be badly misinterpreted. One did not simply touch a demigod and monarch without permission. "And the temperature here...?"

"Magic, of course. A long time ago, I spilled a small amount of my blood in the center of this crater and the magic of the Titans flooded it with life-giving energy. Warmth, light, rain, everything needed to support life and this majestic tree which grew from it," Alexstrasza said, gesturing broadly at the landscape.

"Now, daughter. Let us see what the extent of your new abilities is. Kalec, would you shield the mortal from harm, please?" the dragon queen asked, a soft smile on her lips. A shimmering arcane bubble popped up around Lena; when she reached out to touch it, she found it as sturdy as heavy glass, rather than the gossamer spells she knew. The power and complexity of the spell nearly entranced her, until the dragon queen spoke again.

"First, let us see if you remember the magics of our dragonflight." A drakonid, a young, chubby dragon with barely any developed wings, walked over holding two flowerpots. One had a wilted, almost desiccated daisy in it, the other a fresh flower. "If you can, transfer the life energy from one to the other."

Kara stepped forward and gently placed a fingertip on each of the plants, closing her eyes. Gentle words, almost inaudible, passed over her lips as she murmured them, and a pale green energy seemed to flow from one hand to the other. In moments, the withered stalk and turned green and begun to perk up; when both flowers looked about the same - sickly, but not dying - she opened her eyes. "I... I can't do it. I can't take all the life from one to give to the other, Mother."

Alexstrasza smiled. "You always did have a soft heart as a whelp, Zorelstrasza. Very well." With a flick of her finger, the dragon queen flooded both flowerpots with life, the daisies perking up and spreading their petals towards the sky. "Next, let us see your dragonfire please."

Another two drakonids rolled a large rock the size of a stagecoach across the grassy field to one of the rocky, dried pond beds.

Kara transformed into her draconic form, her scales shimmering with different colors, and breathed a brilliant stream of crimson fire at the boulder. In moments it collapsed into a puddle of molten rock. Small flowers began to bloom around the edges of the rock.

"Very good, daughter. And your fire still contains our potent life energy too! Now, again, but with more precision please. Just melt a part of the rock." The drakonids rolled out another boulder, then scurried away.

Kara scrunched her brow, thinking. How could she be more precise with her breathing? It wasn't something she'd ever given much thought to, save blowing out candles on birthday cakes at the Danvers household. Thinking back to when she'd just met Lena and Modera, she recalled a spell the archmage had cast which looked like beams of light.

Kara's eyes turned bright blue, and a beam of blue fire shot from them, hitting the center of the rock and carving a perfect, circular hole through it.

"Extraordinary," murmured Alexstrasza as the rock cooled into what looked like a giant doughnut. "I have never seen a dragon with that ability, nor do I know of any who do. Have you seen such a thing, Kalecgos?"

Kalecgos looked visibly uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. "I... have not, my queen. I would dare to say none on Azeroth have seen such an ability, save perhaps the one who did this to Zorelstrasza. Whatever it is, it is definitely new."

"Let us try something from your school of magic, shall we?" Alexstrasza asked. "Kalec, please choose something from the Blue Dragonflight and let's see how Zorelstrasza does with it."

Kalec transformed into his draconic form as drakonids rolled out another large rock. Once the area was clear, he hit the rock with a powerful frost breath, snow and ice covering the boulder before he dismissed it. "Understand?" he asked.

Kara nodded, thinking again of the cakes she'd had. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled pursing her lips together. A stream of icy wind erupted from her, freezing the rock as well as Kalec had.

"Zorelstrasza," the dragon queen chided, "You are holding back. I can see it, I can feel it. You're not pushing. Try again, but let go, really let go. I can promise you no harm will come. Your mortal friend is shielded, and the rest of us will be fine."

Kara nodded, her eyes glowing blue once more. Here, with her family, with her mother, with Lena nearby, she felt safe. She reached inside her, stepped into her power, and took a deep breath. Rearing back, she focused all her will on the rock and breathed out. Frost and ice shot from her, first small crystals, then ice crystals the size of knives. Then swords. All around her, snow swirled in a terrible blizzard as her eyes glowed brighter and the boulder eroded away under the onslaught.

As she finished breathing out, everyone looked at the bare ground where the stone had sat, seeing nothing but a shallow divot in the earth.

Kalec watched with wide eyes at the sheer destructive power Kara's frost breath had, far more than his own. Whoever had engineered Kara had clearly meant for her to be an ultimate weapon in some unknown conflict.

Over the next hour, Alexstrasza and Kalec led Kara through all manner of spells and magic - druidic, holy, arcane. In each instance, Kara's abilities proved to be far stronger than they'd imagined. As she watched each demonstration, Lena's smile grew along with her eyes. She could see and hear the concern the dragons shared about Kara's abilities, but she knew somehow what they seemed to miss: Kara's heart. Even after regaining her memories she was still the same person Lena had grown fond of. From an overeager farm girl to the dragon she was now, Kara hadn’t changed.

As the blue dragon and the dragon queen argued about something and Kara idly traced runes in the air, Lena pondered their confusing relationship. Kara was affectionate, seemingly always touching and wanting to be touched. She was powerful but in some ways naive, forced to forget her heritage and made to live as a sheltered human girl for more than a decade. From what she’d said, when she was kidnapped, Kara was little more than a child; her dragon mother seemed to indicate that was still more or less the case in some ways. Did Kara see her as some kind of parental figure? Sister figure? What was she to this magnificent, terrifying creature?

Lena was briefly knocked out of her reverie by a wave of Druidic magic passing underneath her. At her feet and all around her for several meters was a field of bright red tulips and in the distance, Kara grinning like an idiot at her. Lena returned the smile before realizing the implications. Did Kara feel the same way towards her that Lena was feeling towards the dragon? She turned the word over and over in her mouth, unsure of the feeling. Could the dragon be romantically interested in her, a mere human?

“We must know, Kalecgos! Surely you see that?” The strands of the argument were starting to reach Lena’s ears now that the dragon queen and the blue dragon were arguing more loudly.

“No! With due respect, Your Majesty, we don’t permit anyone to do that, to use that magic. It’s too corrupting, too dangerous. Fel is what corrupted the Guardian, what corrupted Medivh and nearly destroyed this world! I dare not use it and I’m still the aspect of magic. We shouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Kalecgos shouted.

“Then how will you know if it is part of her makeup? Don’t we need to know? Wasn’t that the point of coming here?”

“This is madness, Majesty! If she uses fel, who is to say she won’t become addicted to it? Or that it will corrupt her, turning her irredeemably evil? I would forbid this very conversation if I could!”

As they argued, Lena took a bold chance, grabbing one of the tulip heads and walking over to Kara, who leaned her head down, scales shimmering in the golden light. With a pinch of her fingers, she neatly trimmed off most of the stem and wordlessly placed the flower behind Kara’s ear with a smile. Kara smiled a mouth full of razor sharp teeth before gently holding out one of her forepaws, the talon lightly touching Lena’s cheek.

“Ahem,” Alexstrasza cleared her throat, breaking the moment. “We have one last trial, Zorelstrasza, but Kalecgos asks that we detail it for you before you undertake it.” At the blue dragon’s grimace and nod, she continued. “There is a kind of magic known as fel magic. Incredibly powerful and destructive. Our warlocks use it, along with the demons of the Burning Legion, and we - I - would like to know whether it was part of your enhanced powers as well. Kalecgos has expressed… reservations, because the use of fel can be addictive and destructive to the wielder.”

Kara reverted to her mortal form so she could take Lena’s hand and the reassurance of her warmth. “What would I have to do?”

Kalecgos was the first to speak. “Fel magic is powered by the destruction of souls. The spells take the living soul out of a creature, often killing it, and convert it fel energy to power spells. This magic-“ he shot a sideways glance at the dragon queen, “has been expressly forbidden by Dalaran since time immemorial. That said, we can find a creature here somewhere to drain of its life and-“

“No.”

Both elder dragons stopped and looked at Kara, who had dropped Lena's hand and was standing, fists bunched, with her hands on her hips.

“No. I’ve tried not to kill except when I didn’t have a choice. I had to kill to save Lena, but I’m not going to willingly murder something. I won’t.” As Kalec practically gloated, Alexstrasza frowned.

“If I may,” Lena said as she took Kara's hand again the dragons turning their heads to stare at the tiny mortal, “there is another solution. The other day in my room, I cast a spell and could see the magic around Kara. Perhaps we could do a version of that? After all, I wasn’t quite sure what I saw, but I’m sure you would know better than I.”

Kalecgos reverted to his mortal form, tilting his head in confusion. How was it a simple apprentice knew something he didn’t? “What spell, Apprentice?” As Lena described the detect magic spell, the archmage laughed. “Of course, Detect Magic! Bravo to you, Apprentice, for taking your studies so seriously. I will have to have a word with Modera about you. We don’t teach that spell any more in the regular curriculum because it’s useless most of the time. It requires close proximity and if you need to know what a hostile magic user is doing, by the time you finished using Detect Magic, they’ve already done it to you. Quite good, quite good, Apprentice. I’ll do a version that we can all see.” With that, he wove the same runes Lena wove in her dorm room with a few embellishments.

Lena felt Kara grasp her hand more tightly. The dragonshrine had faded away to the black of night and the stars above. Kara’s outline positively glowed as the rivers of magical energy flowed through her, a veritable rainbow of colors. As in her bedroom, she could pick out many of the different schools of magic based on the hues of light flowing into Kara.

As though muffled by cloth over her ears, Lena heard Kalec’s voice. “Astonishing. Truly… whoever did this to Zorelstrasza was a master conjuror. Everything is here… no, that can’t be. Even void magic is in her! That should be impossible - void magic cannot coexist with other forms of magic.”

The spell broke as Kalec stumbled back, falling to a knee and gasping for breath. “That- by the- in the name of the titans themselves, she is complete. She is the whole of magic in one being. Zorelstrasza is quite possibly the most dangerous creature alive in all of Azeroth.” The blue dragon once again rehashed thoughts about possibly eliminating Kara, though short of beheading her, he had absolutely no idea how - but such a threat would be almost impossible to stop by any other means.

Lena watched the emotions cross Kalec's face, his expression repeatedly furrowing his brow, making him grind his teeth. She didn't need to be a thousand years old to follow his train of thought. A thought of her own sparked in Lena’s head, one that she was surprised no one had raised, given Kara's narration of how she was kidnapped. “It’s a good thing she’s on our side, then, isn’t it?” She paused as all the dragons stared at her, making her want to fidget. “The bigger, more important question we have to ask is… is there more than one of her?”

At that question, Lena thought both Alexstrasza and Kalec might faint.

Author's Notes

I briefly toyed with the idea that fel magic might function like Kryptonite for Kara, but given the nature of demons in Warcraft and how magic works, it would have been a stretch. That said, just as argon is companion on the periodic table to krypton, so then might Warcraft's fictional argunite be a good companion to the canon kryptonite. We'll see if that line of though goes anywhere, though that would probably be best reserved for a sequel.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 14: Advances

Dalaran

“So you don’t remember anything else?” Lena gently asked Eliza, notepad in hand as Kara paced the infirmary floor. After their experiments in the Ruby Dragonshrine, they'd flown back to Dalaran to check on Kara's adoptive mother.

Eliza, reclining on the cot in a light purple medical gown, shook her head. “There was just… noise and then fire and then I blacked out. I still don’t know why anyone would do that to us. Do you think that my husband is mixed up in something bad?”

Lena shot Kara an almost accusatory look. The dragon still hadn’t revealed what she’d heard at the Lakeshire town hall. “I couldn’t say one way or another, Mrs. Danvers,” she said calmly. “We - Kara and I - have been assigned by the Kirin Tor to try shedding some light on this whole series of events.”

“I see. And does this have something to do with magic? Is that why you are involved?”

Lena nodded. “It does. In fact, I recently met your daughter when I and my teacher visited Redridge to search for a magical anomaly. It seems there have been some strange occurrences recently, so we are investigating. Obviously, anything magical tends to fall under our purview.”

“Of course,” Eliza sighed. “Miss Luthor, you said your name was? I did see something that appeared magical recently. When you and Kara rescued me, I could have sworn for just a moment that… that she somehow… this is going to sound ridiculous, but… did she somehow magically turn into a dragon?”

At that question, Lena looked squarely at Kara, who stammered, “Look, Mom, it was… it was smokey and you just got hit on the head and…” as she fidgeted, her fingers toying with the hem of her shirt.

Eliza let out a long sigh. “Of course you are. Young lady, you should know by now you can’t fool your mother. You have the same guilty look on your face as you did the night you were caught sneaking out and swimming in the lake after dark by Bailiff Conacher and he brought you home.”

“Okay yes, I’m a dragon, Mom. I didn’t know until very very recently though, I swear,” Kara urged as Lena stifled a giggle.

“Then I will also guess that my husband is involved in something shady.” She lay back on the cot, rubbing her eyes with her palms and sighing heavily as Lena paid close attention. “For years, Jeremiah and I agreed on having only one child, our daughter Alex. Then one day, he comes home saying he’s had a change of heart but he wants to adopt instead. The next thing I know, this beautiful princess is dropped off from Stormwind with nothing but her name and the clothes on her back, no memories of anything except her name."

Eliza looked with a soft smile at Kara. "And the things... the things she was capable of. No ordinary human could do those things. We pretended it was fine. We pretended she was just strong for her age, fast for her age, but... deep down, I knew something was different. Normal people just don't pick up a horse."

Kara gave a small laugh. "He was trying to run away! What was I supposed to do?"

"Mm, and you saved him. But I knew... you don’t need to be an SI:7 spy to figure out something’s wrong. I just never knew what Kara really was until yesterday.” She reached out her hand to Kara, who took it eagerly. "You know I don't love you any differently or any less, just because you're a dragon, right?"

Kara nodded, her eyes misty. "I know, but... it's reassuring to hear you say it, Mom."

Eliza looked around the cramped infirmary, patients occupying all the cots, including one that looked like a walrus stuck in a washtub on the corner. “My husband is dead, isn’t he?” she finally blurted out, looking Lena dead in the eye.

Lena started, “I-“

“Yes.”

All eyes turned to look at Kara, who hung her head for a moment, letting go of Eliza's hand. “Yes, he’s dead according to Magistrate Solomon. I overheard him yesterday,” she said solemnly before meeting her mother's gaze. "Jeremiah's been murdered, and I would like to know by whom."

Lena reached her hand out, taking Kara's in hers. "We'll get to the bottom of this mystery, Kara. For you, and for your mother." With that, the brunette stood to leave, gathering her things. They had one other stop to make in Dalaran before starting their investigation in earnest.

As they walked down the streets of Dalaran, Lena gently poked Kara in the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell your mother the truth about what happened in Lakeshire?"

Kara sighed. "It was... well, it was a little chaotic when we brought her in after the attack. I didn't want to worry her any more than I already had."

"And?"

Kara came to a stop. "And what?"

Lena took her hands in her own. "I know that's not all, Kara. What were you afraid of?"

A deep breath. "Her... rejecting me. For what I am."

"And she didn't, did she?"

"No, thank goodness. I don't know what I would have done if she had. She may not be my biological mother, but she did raise me for the past decade and change."

Lena squeezed Kara's hands. "She's a good person. She never would have rejected you, Kara. And you're so lucky to have both your adoptive mother and biological mother now in your life. I envy that, you know."

The dragon held out her arms and embraced the mage wholly. "I know. And I wish I could change that for you, bring your mother back to you too." Kara let go once Lena's breathing returned to normal, the quiet cries subsided.

Fifteen minutes later, the pair found themselves back at the Violet Citadel, this time climbing the cool, smooth stone stairs to Archmage Modera's offices in the middle of the tower. Modera sat at her desk facing away from the door, writing on a long paper scroll as the midday sun lit the cozy office up. Without turning around, she merely said aloud, "Good day, Apprentice Luthor. Miss Kara. How can I help you today?"

"How did you know it was us, Archmage?" Lena asked, amazed.

Modera laughed, a full, hearty laugh. "I do not need to see you to feel your magical energy, Apprentice. Each of us has a unique magical aura, a signature as distinct as our own fingerprint. Yours, of course, I know well from our years together, and I could not mistake Miss Kara's for anything in all of Azeroth. Her energy is about as subtle as a marching band when she walks into the room. Now, what can I help you with?"

Lena pulled one of the wooden chairs over to Modera's desk, gesturing for Kara to sit in the other one. "We are investigating the... death... of Kara's father as you know from the Council meeting." At the elder mage's nod, she continued. "We didn't have time to delve into it during the meeting, but as we were fleeing the attack on Kara's home, I was able to salvage some clues from the hunter who attacked us."

The young mage pulled out a rectangular block of ice from her backpack; inside, some strips of cloth and other small items were solidly frozen. She laid the block on a wooden tray the Archmage kept on the corner of her desk.

"What a clever idea, Apprentice," Modera mused as she wove a rune to dismiss part of the ice. Pride swelled in her heart for Lena; her apprentice had come so far and become so capable. The first thing she picked up was a scrap of cloth from the hunter's garb, dark violet with runes of some kind embroidered into it. “Hmm. I don’t recognize this script. Who was the hunter?”

Lena shook her head. “I’m not sure, Archmage, but he was an orc, and not a Mag'har.” The MaG'har were brown skinned orcs untainted by fel energy, native mostly to Draenor and a few lone villages in Outland.

Modera looked more closely. “An orc could mean…” She pulled open a map of the Eastern Kingdoms. “Hmm. Redridge is perilously close to the Burning Steppes and Blackrock Mountain. That would make this potentially a branch of shadow magic or…”

“Or draconic magic, if the dragon in question is one of the ones that live in the mountain,” Lena completed, referencing what she’d read about earlier in a quiet moment while Kara was looking after her mother. Ever since she’d learned of Kara’s true nature, she had scoured the libraries of Dalaran for any references to chromatic dragons. The few texts she found mentioned both Deathwing and Nefarian had tried to create chromatic dragons, though only Deathwing’s creation Chromatus had lived longer than a day.

“Yes… though that would imply the involvement of a group like the Twilight’s Hammer or similar. That is quite concerning,” Modera hummed. “What else is here?”

Lena picked up another block of ice with some trinkets and bits from the hunter's pockets frozen in it. With a cutting motion of her fingers to dissolve the spell, the ice dispelled into a cloud of fog and wafted away. Modera reached into the tray. “A magical trinket or two, mostly for improving one’s agility. Not particularly helpful or illuminating. And this,” she mused, picking up a small glass vial of grey and blue ash, “what is this?”

All three women squinted at the tiny glass vial, no bigger than the last two joints of a pinky finger, adorned with a tiny metal stopper. The ash inside was a fine grey powder with blue sparkles of some kind in it. Both Kara and Lena shook their heads, at a loss for what it could be. “Consider this a teachable moment, Apprentice. Extend your senses. See if you can detect any magic around it.”

Lena closed her eyes and traced the runes for Detect Magic, then sent the spell towards the tiny vial. At first, nothing happened; after a few moments, she could sense an echo of some kind. “There is something there, but it’s so weak I can’t make it out.”

Modera nodded in agreement. “It is an echo of some kind. I suspect this is a rare magical substance called soul ash. Unfortunately little is known about it save its existence and rarity. We would need someone with knowledge of the Scourge probably, or another form of necromancy, to make any headway.” She'd only read about soul ash in a few texts from antiquity, from Alodi's era; it was a coveted secret supposedly from a forbidden place spoken only of in whispers, someplace called the Shadowlands.

Kara picked up the vial and idly twirled it around in her fingers as Modera imparted whatever lesson was on her mind to Lena. Something felt… almost familiar about the vial, like an echo of a song you know, just enough to trigger memory but not enough to know the exact song. She reached out with her heart and pale blue energy began to seep from her fingertips into the vial, like a cold blue mist.

Modera and Lena both whipped their heads around simultaneously as the temperature in the office dropped rapidly. In just moments, Lena could see the faint ghosting of her breath in the air, and she shivered, wondering what was happening. “Kara?”

The blonde’s response shook them both. Not in what she said, but how she was saying it. Her voice was lower and had an unnatural echo to it; Modera gasped in recognition. “It’s okay, Lena. There’s something here, something familiar. I just… need… to… concentrate…” Kara murmured, her eyes glowing a dull blue.

As fog swirled around the room, the mist began to take shape. Kara shrieked as she recognized the haunting image of her father’s face as his ghostly form took shape. He was recoiling in what looked like pain and fear from another figure, a taller man of some kind in spiked pauldrons and robes. Kara could make out most of Jeremiah, but it appeared… as if he were someone melting into the ground.

Lena snapped out of her stunned state and produced her notepad and pencil from her bag. As the magical scene unfolded, she quickly sketched as much detail as she could manage. She finished up the last details of the mystery figure just as the image began to fade and the blue mists receded back into Kara. “What was that, Kara?”

“I’m not really sure, I-“

“That was the magic of necromancy, Apprentice,” Modera answered softly, her face white as a sheet. “That power is usually reserved for creatures like the Lich King and the vrykul that Sylvanas Windrunner commands. It is rare for us to see it on display so… harmlessly. We would not have seen it earlier in the Ruby Sanctum because none of us thought to ask about it.” She stared in awe and a bit of fear at Kara as she explained. “Necromancy channels the power of life and death itself. Normally it requires a connection to the afterlife or the sacrifice of other living beings to perform, even more so than fel magic. When we battled the Scourge and defeated the Lich King, not only did we have to contend with the physical army, we had to defeat his ability to raise any dead. What Miss Kara did here was remarkable and honestly shouldn’t be possible.”

“The bigger question is, who was that? I recognized Jeremiah, but not the other person,” Kara said. “I don’t suppose anyone happened to have some way of recording what we saw?”

Lena grinned. “I did,” she held up her notepad she’d drawn in. What had started out as rapid line sketches was a drawing that could easily be placed on wanted posters, so detailed was it.

"Well done, Apprentice," Modera hummed, clapping Lena on the shoulder. "The next logical step should be for us to attempt to identify this mysterious figure in the vision. Leave these artifacts with me so that I can have some of our researchers dig deeper; in the meantime, you might see if any of your father's friends and acquaintances are familiar with this mysterious figure. Oh, and before you go-" Modera fished out a scroll from the pile on her desk. "This is a special dispensation from the Kirin Tor to teleport. I am aware that Miss Kara here can teleport as well as you can, but this makes it official for the duration of this investigation."

"Thank you, Archmage," Lena smiled, tucking the scroll into the sleeve of her own robes. Lena and Kara took their leave of Modera, making their way from the Violet Citadel onto the streets of Dalaran once more. “What do you think my dad was involved with, Lena?” the dragon asked quietly, gathering the brunette’s hand in her own as they walked. “Do you think it’s something evil? I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were, given… you know, what he did to me.”

“I couldn’t say, Kara,” Lena murmured. She looked at the blonde with concern, her brow knitted. Kara was strong, to be sure - being a nearly immortal, nearly invincible magical creature inherently implied strength - but she wasn't immune to pain, especially pain of the heart, of emotions. Lena had had to come to terms with her own emotional pain after fleeing Lordaeron, learning how to compartmentalize pain for a while until she had time to unpack it. "Whatever it was, it's still going on somehow, otherwise we would not have run into so much trouble at your farm."

"Lena, I... thank you. You don't have to be doing all this, this isn't your problem to solve."

Lena squeezed Kara's hand, the heat from the dragon palpable. "I'm happy to do so, Kara. I may not have your power, but I'll do what I can to help you. You're... a friend." In her mind she added that possibly Kara was more than a friend, or could be, and her heart jumped at that prospect.

Kara nodded as they made their way back to the infirmary. Once inside, they found Nurse Butler tending to the various wounded; Eliza was sitting upright in her bed. Lena stood back as Kara checked in on her mother. "We're heading back to Redridge soon. Is there anything I should try to salvage from the house, Mom?"

Eliza shook her head. "No, but be careful, honey. Whatever your father was mixed up in, it wasn't good. Dangerous. Promise me you'll take care of yourself?" As soon as Kara nodded, the elder woman turned towards Lena, who was staying a respectful distance back. "And you, Miss Luthor. Please look after my daughter. She's been through so much and she's still so young. You're a mage of the Kirin Tor, protect her for me, please?"

"I- of course, Mrs. Danvers. I will do my best," Lena affirmed, not wanting to distract the poor woman or disabuse her of the notions she had about her adopted daughter. If anything, Kara would be protecting Lena.

“Kara darling, would you be a dear and ask Nurse Butler for another headache potion for me?” Eliza motioned. As her daughter nodded and left to find the nurse, Eliza sat up straighter in bed, beckoning Lena closer. “Miss Luthor-“

“Lena, please, Mrs. Danvers.”

Eliza gave a slight wry smile. “Lena, then. Please don’t break my daughter’s heart.”

Lena’s mind flew into a jumble like a gnomish invention shedding parts everywhere as it exploded gleefully. She gripped the edge of the bed tightly, her knuckles whitening. “Mrs. Danvers, I don’t know what you mean-“

“I may be old, but I’m not blind, Lena. She has eyes for you, and I’m fairly certain you have eyes for her. Please, be gentle with her. She hasn’t had any… friends in that way.”

Lena swallowed nervously. "She hasn't? Ever?"

Eliza shook her head with a grin. "No. Nothing serious. Occasionally a boy from a neighboring farm would take interest, but... well, this one time to show off, he offered to arm wrestle Kara."

Lena snorted, her fist against her mouth. "And how did that work out?"

"About as well as you would expect. The boy found himself not only losing but being flung halfway across the schoolroom. After that, needless to say, he ceased any advances," Eliza grinned. "But you know as well as I do that while she's incredibly strong, her heart isn't as strong."

"I will... do my best to protect her, Mrs. Danvers," Lena patted the woman on the hand.

“Nurse Butler said she’ll be right in. What’d I miss?” The dragon asked, looking at both her mother and Lena exchanging glances.

Eliza’s eyes twinkled. “Nothing, dear. Just a little girl talk, that’s all. Now, I believe you were getting on your way?”

Kara gently clasped Eliza's hands over her stomach and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We'll be back soon, Mom." She nodded to Olisarra, took Lena's hand, and stepped out into the bustling streets of Dalaran, the midday sun beating down on the purple cobblestones. "Ready to head back to Lakeshire?" Kara asked, stifling a yawn.

"I am, though..." Lena traced a small rune in the air, a sundial appearing made of arcane energy. "It's just past lunchtime here, which means it's just past supper in Redridge. With all the excitement, you must be tired." She regarded Kara carefully, seeing the subtle hints of fatigue on her face, at the corners of her eyes. Visage or no, nearly immortal ultimate weapon or no, Kara was tired, tired enough that it showed.

The dragon shook her head, her blonde curls brushing her shoulders as she tried to deny her fatigue. “No, but I wouldn’t mind a bite to eat when we get there,” she beamed. “If you’re buying, that is.”

Lena smirked. “I suppose I can. Just remember that the Lakeshire Inn is not an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

Kara gasped in mock horror, pressing a hand to her chest. “Then let’s eat here first. I’m-“

“Really hungry,” Lena chuckled, taking the blonde’s hand and leading her towards Ironpaw’s buffet.

Author's Notes

In the finest tradition of Supercorp, these two lovable idiots are oblivious to each other, and yet everyone else with a working pair of eyes can see the truth.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 15: Confrontation

Lakeshire Town Hall, Redridge

"Miss Danvers, you can't go in there!" Bailiff Conacher shouted in a panicked voice as he tried to block the door to the magistrate's office. "Magistrate Solomon is very busy and-" In the blink of an eye, Conacher found himself - plate armor and all - lifted clear off the ground, pressed into the wall as Kara held him at arm's length. His feet dangled helplessly as his gauntlet-covered hands pulled futilely against her arm.

"Listen, Bailiff. I have some very important questions for the Magistrate and you've been stalling for close to a quarter of an hour. Now, I don't want to hurt you, I just want to talk to him, okay?" the dragon asked, her voice echoing slightly with a hint of her true form's power. She put the man aside as though he weighed little more than a mug of beer and pulled open the door of the magistrate's office...

... to find it empty. The curtains wafted in the evening breeze; it was clear the magistrate had used the time to escape out the window of his own office rather than face Kara. She huffed, a stream of air from her lips tousling her bangs, before storming out of the town hall in frustration. The answers she needed were so close, yet still out of her grasp.

Kara looked around outside the town hall building, unable to find Lena. The mage had said she'd wait outside for Kara. As the dragon made her way around the building, she heard muffled sounds of struggle. She sprinted to the back, half ready to change into her dragon form, and found Lena…

… grinning from ear to ear. Magistrate Solomon was encased in ice up to his shoulders, chilled mist slowly wafting off the massive amount of ice.

“This is an outrage! Who do you think you are, mage? I’ll have you in the Stockades before the end of this day, you hear me?” Solomon wheezed from his glacial imprisonment. "Let me-" he sputtered before recognizing Kara, his eyes bulging wide.

"I thought you might like to have a word with him," Lena smiled. "He made his way out the window just after you went inside. He probably would have escaped entirely but his tabard got caught on the window.” She pointed to the tattered blue cloth on the rustic wooden window frame, torn in several places.

Kara impulsively hugged Lena, pulling her close and pressing her lips against the mage's cheek. “Thank you so much! I was sure he’d gotten away.” As Lena blushed and touched where the dragon had kissed, Kara turned towards the captured magistrate. “Solomon, it’s time to confess. What was my father up to?”

“Nothing! This is a mistake, a giant mistake,” the mayor stammered.

“Then why were you literally fleeing out your own office window not two minutes ago?”

Solomon swallowed, his body beginning to shiver. “It’s nothing. Kara, your father was a good man. If you want to honor his memory, then leave well enough alone. It looks- it looks as though you’ve found a grand adventure with the Kirin Tor, so maybe it’s best if you just went with them and left Lakeshire behind,” he bleated, managing to sweat despite the ice.

Kara turned towards Lena. “I’m losing my patience. Should I?” The brunette shrugged and took a few steps back as Kara pulled Lena’s drawing from her satchel. “Who is this?”

Solomon’s eyes went wide at the depiction of Jeremiah’s demise and the mysterious robed stranger. “No! This is impossible! How did you- you couldn't- you weren’t there!”

“Tell me who this is!”

“I can’t,” the magistrate pleaded through tears and snot, unable to dignify himself due to his imprisonment. “He’ll kill me! He’ll kill me like he killed your father! He’s terrifying, you don’t understand! He's- he's a DRAGON!”

At that mention, Kara smirked, reached inside herself and transformed into her own draconic form, towering over the simpering bureaucrat. She stretched out her wings, tall enough that she brushed the chimney tops of the town hall, her mighty wings stretching over the building and blotting out the sun.

Kara lowered her snout and smiled, showing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth like daggers. Freezing cold air gusted over the magistrate's face from her nostrils as she sized up the tiny man stuck in the ice, glowing cobalt eyes boring into his soul. "You were saying, Magistrate?" she rumbled.

“W-w-we only know him by a name, he’s only ever told us a single name, Cadmus. Lord Cadmus, please I swear that’s all I know! Don’t eat me! Don't incinerate me!” the magistrate begged, tears running down his cheeks. Had he not been frozen in ice, he would have supplicated himself before the dragon.

"And how do you remain in contact with this Lord Cadmus?" Kara growled.

Solomon glanced left and right repeatedly, as though looking for either escape or spies watching his every word. "I-in the Burning Steppes. There's a place we are summoned, and we speak to him there. That's... that's where Jeremiah was... died as well."

"Show me." Kara transformed back into her mortal visage as Lena produced her notepad and pencil. After a moment’s hesitation, Solomon nodded. Kara laid a hand on the icy tomb, melting it down to his waist, enough to free his arms to write.

As the magistrate drew, Kara contemplated what he'd confessed so far. He had clearly been there when Jeremiah was killed by this Cadmus. Did he know what her adoptive father had done to her? How far did the secrets go?

Once the magistrate had finished his notations and been allowed to scurry away back to his office, Lena examined the jittery drawings, arching an eyebrow as she pressed the pencil to her lips. “I can’t be certain, but this looks more like a summoning platform than anything else. This Cadmus may not even be there.”

“We’ve got to take a look no matter what. Let me see?” Kara leaned over, resting a hand on Lena’s shoulder lightly and enjoying the magic enveloping the mage that was as distinct and beautiful as the finest perfume. “Oh, that’s not too far from here. It’s a day’s ride or so, but if we flew we could be there in a few minutes!”

Lena glanced quickly at the lingering hand on her, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards, before clearing her throat. “Yes, though I imagine that’s a bit more conspicuous, isn’t it?”

Kara looked Lena in the eyes. "Sometimes... sometimes conspicuous isn't a bad thing," she murmured, color rushing into her cheeks as she squeezed Lena's shoulder briefly before taking a few steps back and reverting to her draconic form. "Let's go have a look?" She lowered her neck so Lena could climb on her, then took to the skies once the mage was safely on her back.

As Kara had promised, it was mere minutes for them to sail over the rocky, steep hills in the Redridge Mountains and cross over into the barren wasteland that was the Burning Steppes. Lena covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief as the air became choked with dust and ash from the ever-burning fires in the region. They followed the drawing Solomon had made, leading them to what looked like some kind of sacrificial stone altar on top of a massive boulder, the rock stained black with dried blood. A handful of long dead, dessicated bodies lay scattered nearby, their flesh turned leathery in the dry heat.

Kara shifted back into her mortal visage, taking Lena’s hand without a moment’s hesitation. For her part, Lena followed her lessons and reached out with her mind, seeking out magic in the area. She smiled quietly to herself; the archaic Detect Magic spell seemed to be coming in ever more handy every passing day. Thin contrails of blue magic flowed over the stone altar, as though magic were raining from the sky and slowly trickling off the stone.

Lena gently tugged on one of the strands of magic as Kara observed. She puzzled over how it was laid out; normally, magic would be actively used. This almost felt like whoever had cast the spell had simply left magic laying around, the way an absent-minded gardener would leave a box of tools unattended. As she tugged gently on the strand, others pulsed and glowed.

"That's so cool!" Kara exclaimed, reaching out to pluck one of the strands for herself. With a firm grasp and a swift tug, the dragon yanked on the magical strand.

"Kara, no!" Lena shouted, shoving the dragon out of the way bodily. The magical strands leapt up from the dais and formed a glowing red net, binding Lena's arms to her side and constricting her. She struggled against the bonds, but each exertion she made only seemed to tighten the net; even breathing was becoming harder.

Amidst her fight, the dais itself burst into flame, and the image of a man with jet black hair and goatee, wearing crimson robes appeared. "Well, well. What have we here?" he rumbled, grinning toothily as his blazing red eyes bore into Lena. "It seems a little Kirin Tor mouse has stumbled into my trap. How unfortunate for you, mouse. Like any mousetrap, this one will be your end."

"NO! Lena, hang on!" Kara cried, quickly tracing the runes of Lena's Detect Magic spell in the air. The ghostly figure on the dais seemed not to notice her as she made the lines of arcane energy visible to herself. Frantic, Kara tried tugging on one of the strands of magic, watching the purple energy flex and bend like thread.

The crimson robed figure turned and laughed at Kara. “Foolish child. No mere mortal can unwind the power of my magic. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Enjoy watching your friend suffocate and die before your eyes.” With a scoff, the robed man vanished from sight, the flames extinguishing themselves.

Kara set her jaw, her eyes flaring blue. “Mere mortal, huh?” She grabbed a handful of the magical threads and tugged harder, seeing minute cracks appearing in the magical threads. With a roar far deeper and louder than her mortal visage would ever be capable of generating, she summoned all her strength and ripped the threads from the dais in a spray of rock and dust. The magic that held them together unwound like twine stretched too far, fading away into violet dust on the harsh, dry breeze.

Lena fell to her knees, gasping for air and coughing, the black dust swirling in the air doing her no favors. Her hands clutched her throat, as though she were underwater. With not a moment to spare, Kara channeled the Light's healing energy into her, soothing away the pain and injury.

"What was that, Lena?"

"S-some kind of magical trap, clearly," the brunette coughed. She idly wondered what would have happened if Kara had been caught in the trap instead of her, and thought it best that she was the one held by it. Kara's immense power had made quick work of it. "Well, we seem to have taken another step in solving this mystery, don't you think?" She struggled to her feet, touching the stone dais as Kara stared after her, confused.

"How? All we saw was... whoever that was, and a trap that almost killed you. There wasn't anything else to see," Kara said as she sidled up to Lena, her fingers just a hair's width from the mage's on the cool, dark stone.

Lena smirked, her lopsided grin breaking into a full smile. "Wasn't there?" With a wave of her fingers, she traced a series of geometric runes in the air. "This is another spell that's fallen by the wayside over the years... it's called Amplify Magic. Nowadays, spell casters just make their spells more powerful by consuming more mana, but this was a more elegant way of doing the same thing. Now watch what happens if we put these two simple spells together - Amplify Magic and Detect Magic." As she finished, pale arcane purple sparkles drifted from her fingertips down to the surface of the stone, glowing softly. As the breeze picked up, the sparkling energy began to levitate, forming the beginning of what looked like a trail, magical bread crumbs beginning to point in a specific direction.

"Wow... that's so pretty. What is it telling us?"

Lena turned her head to look in the general direction the magical trail seemed to point, somewhere north and to the west. "It can hint at where the magic was coming from." She sighed heavily. "I'm not strong enough to get more than a general direction, unfortunately."

Her eyes opened wide in the next moments as Kara wrapped one hand around Lena's waist and placed her free hand over Lena's, the warmth of the dragon's skin taking her by surprise. The dragon closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. "Now try," she murmured.

The ground seemed to fall away and Lena's head spun. Where there was a steady stream of arcane energy before, she now felt like she had been thrown headfirst into a raging river flood. She struggled to stay focused, to channel the flood with the same control that she directed the stream. As she opened her eyes, the magical trail which had previously looked like a faint line of dust was now a glowing purple river of energy. "Wow... I- I can't see exactly where it's leading to, but it's definitely far from here."

"Will it hold if we leave here?"

Lena nodded. "It should. With the sheer amount of power you just had me put in that spell, it might take days to fade away."

"Let's take a look then, shall we?" Kara smiled, transforming back into her dragon form. "Hop on!"

With a grin, Lena clambered onto Kara's back once more, grabbing a hold of the dorsal spines that ran the length of her neck. In an instant, they shot into the air, climbing far above the rocky, charred landscape. Kara took them nearly to the clouds, the magical river snaking along the ground far into the distance.

"How far do you suppose it goes?" Lena asked as Kara turned, revealing the magical energy's flow from the northwest towards the north.

"I'm not sure, but we can start to follow it, if you're game?"

Lena wrapped her arms around Kara's neck more tightly. "I'm ready if you are. I don't know how long I can hold on this tight, though."

Kara grinned with all her teeth, a mouth full of razors. "I'll make it fast, then." She kicked her rear legs back and swept her wings out to the side, her back muscles rippling under her ever-changing scales, and they shot forward like a cannon. Lena's stomach lurched like it did on the roller coaster at the Darkmoon Faire as she clutched tight, the wind chilling her.

In what should have taken days, if not weeks by wagons and even hours by a conventional gryphon, they found themselves far in the north of the Eastern Kingdoms in mere minutes. "Do you know where we are? I've never been this far north," Kara rumbled as she turned in a broad, shallow circle, the magical trail still visible from high up.

Lena swallowed as she trembled, partly from cold and partly from fear, sending vibrations into Kara's back through her spines. "I- I do. I never thought I'd be back here, Kara. I never thought I'd have any reason to be back here." She turned her head, tracing the magical river's path; it flowed out of a rocky fortress far below them. "We're... we're near my old home, Kara. In what's left... of Lordaeron," she choked.

Author's Notes

This chapter covered a lot of ground. Let's take a bit of a breather in the next one.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 16: In The Night

Content warning: animal cruelty and death

Silverpine Forest, near the ruins of Lordaeron

"I don't suppose you can conjure anything other than various desserts," Kara muttered as they huddled inside the broken shell of what was once someone's home, seated on the floor amidst roomfuls of broken furniture and smashed belongings. Cobwebs filled the crumbling fireplace; not even a single chair was salvageable. She shivered slightly; her normal farm clothes did little to keep the cold and damp at bay. Thankfully, it was a clear, cool night; the building had no roof to offer cover from the elements.

Lena looked around the burned-out husk, lamenting their accommodations. Teleportation was too challenging; they could return to Dalaran or some other place, but then they'd have to make the arduous journey back to Lordaeron again. After following the magical river for almost an hour, they'd landed in the darkness at one of the many destroyed villages in the north. The Third War had left huge parts of the land ravaged beyond reclamation, entire towns and cities nothing more than ruins left to disintegrate over time.

"I'm afraid dessert is about all I have to offer. We can't conjure anything more substantial, and even conjured food is... well, it'll keep you alive, but it's not something you could eat all the time, or else we would have no hungry or poor," the mage sighed as she summoned a few more loaves of bread. "I'm not particularly skilled at conjuration, either. I've heard Archmage Proudmoore's mana cookies are superior to the real thing, at least in taste."

Kara leaned her head on Lena's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know I sound like a whiny child right now. I'm just..."

"... really hungry," Lena smiled. "I know, Kara." She handed one of the loaves to Kara, who immediately tore it open and began to eat it unadorned, wolfing down the entire thing as though it were only a small cracker. "I'm still amazed you can eat that quickly in your human form. I certainly couldn't eat like that."

After swallowing loudly and wiping the crumbs off her face, Kara returned the grin. "That's because you have manners and you're not really a dragon. Mostly the former, though." She picked up one of the conjured skins of spring water and emptied it in a single gulp. "I don't suppose you can conjure a bed, huh?"

Lena chuckled as she leaned against the cracked plaster wall. "Not that I know of. In fact, I can't think of any instance where a mage could conjure something that substantial out of thin air. Mold it out of ice or something, perhaps, but not anything you'd want to depend on."

"I make for a really terrible dragon, don't I? I'm supposed to be all big and tough and strong and impervious to everything, and yet..." Kara sighed, "... all I want to do is lay down on my comfy bed and rest." A tear fell from her eye as she leaned back against the next to Lena. "And I don’t even have that any more, not after the attack on my parents' house. I have nothing left, Lena."

Lena extended her arm, wrapping it around Kara's shoulders. "You still have me, Kara. I'm still here."

Kara turned sideways and lay her head on Lena's thighs, staring up at the woman's sharp jawline. "You are, aren't you?" she murmured, breathing for a few long moments before casting her eyes up at the mage's face. "You never talk about your life in Lordaeron. Why is that?"

"I... it's not pleasant to remember, Kara. I lost almost everything and almost everyone I cared about too," Lena exhaled, staring out the shattered windows into the murky black night. "I was thirteen when the Scourge invaded, when my family put me and my brother into a coach and sent us down to the docks for a ship bound for Kalimdor."

Kara absentmindedly stroked her fingers along the hem of the mate’s robes, feeling the warm silk beneath her cheek. “Yeah, you told me the highlights when we were on the way back to Lakeshire. You never found out what happened to your parents?”

“No one survived the Scourge invasion, Kara. No one was left alive by those monsters. I can only hope that my parents’ deaths were painless,” she choked, her voice low and thick. Over the years, she’d heard secondhand stories of the death and destruction in the Scourge's wake, people being ripped apart limb from limb by giant abominations, others devoured alive by ghouls. A fast, painless death was all she could hope for any of the people she'd known in Lordaeron, but most especially her parents. She shivered, her imagination running wild.

"Are you cold? Let me help with that," Kara smiled softly. Her eyes began to glow a faint blue and her skin warmed immediately, as though she were sitting next to a campfire. "How's that?" she inquired, radiating heat into Lena's lap.

Lena rubbed Kara's shoulder in affirmation. "That's much better, thank you. I was afraid to start a fire in the hearth in case we attracted the wrong kind of attention." She chuckled quietly to herself, averting her eyes as Kara stared at her inquisitively. "Nothing, it's... it's just... you're like a big fluffy dog, just laying in my lap... keeping me... warm-"

Before Kara could say anything, Lena's eyes bulged and her hands flew to her mouth, trying to choke back a cry and failing. "I'm- I'm sorry, Kara," she sputtered before collapsing into wracking sobs.

"Tell me about it, Lena. Tell me what's happened," the dragon soothed.

"Mama... Mama said it was a mercy." Trembling hands covered her eyes.

Kara sat up and gathered Lena into her arms, cradling the mage's head against her shoulder. She felt Lena's arms snake around her waist, hugging her tight as her tears flowed.

After a few long moments, Lena exhaled into the cloth on Kara's shoulder.

612 on the King's Calendar

"Lionel, you can't be serious. Why can't you at least wait until they're gone?" Lillian shouted at her husband as they continued to load clothing and coins into two dusty old steamer trunks.

"We don't have time, Lillian! We need to get them to the docks first thing in the morning and then we need to flee as best as we can. We can't afford to take him," Lena's father raged, his face flushed pink.

"I'm not going to make them watch, you- you raging asshole! There's no reason to be so cruel to our son!"

Lionel picked up a glass off the nightstand and flung it across the room, shattering against the stone wall near Lillian's head. "Stop coddling him! Lex needs to grow up, to learn to be strong, to learn that the only person he can ever rely on is himself! He needs to learn that this world is endlessly cruel and deal with it, and you protecting him at every turn is only making it harder!"

His assault was returned in kind, a crystal perfume bottle slung at his bald head. "The world is cruel enough without you adding to it, you arrogant prick!"

With a grimace, Lionel Luthor stormed out of the bedroom and down the stairs in their beautiful Lordaeron estate. The Luthor estate was generous, occupying a substantial part of Lordaemere. Their family had made their fortune in trading, shipping goods all across the Eastern Kingdoms, though they'd made the bulk of their money in weapons, helping arm and fund the high elves in their battle against the Amani trolls.

On the first floor, he grabbed a battle axe off one of the wall displays, then walked out the back door of the manor. "Ignatius! Lex!" he shouted, standing in their perfectly manicured gardens, the scent of roses and lily of the valley permeating the nighttime air.

Around the corner of the house came the Luthors' eldest child, Alexander, and the family dog, Ignatius, an elderly Golden retriever. Lex, a teen of 16, rubbed his eyes after being awoken by his father's bellowing. "What is it, Dad? What's happening?" he muttered sleepily. Ignatius, on the other hand, was far more eager, panting happily and wagging his tail.

"Where's your sister?" Lionel barked.

"She's upstairs in her bedroom, probably. Why?"

"Good. You know what's happening, Lex. You've seen the news coming out of Stratholme. The Scourge are going to destroy everything and kill every living thing in these lands." Lionel turned away from his son, staring into the darkness. "Tomorrow, you're going with Lena to the docks west of the capital. I've managed to buy passage for you two to go to Kalimdor."

Lex's jaw dropped. "What? What do you mean? We're leaving? We're going to flee?"

Lionel shook his head. "You're leaving. You and your sister. It's not safe."

"What about you and Mom?"

"I was only able to buy enough room for two people. Your mother and I are going to take a coach south to Stromgarde. With luck, we'll be able to make the journey to Ironforge," the elder Luthor said, cradling the axe in his hands.

"What- what about Ignatius? Is he going to come with Lena and me?"

Lionel shook his head. "He's getting too old to make a journey that arduous."

Lex raised an eyebrow. "So... what? He's going to go with you?"

Lionel sighed. "No. We can't afford to be slowed down by him. The Scourge... they will destroy everything. You've heard the stories about creatures out of our nightmares, eating people alive, turning them into zombies or worse. Ignatius wouldn't make it, and I won't let him be killed so cruelly - or be raised to undeath." Lionel turned, staring his son in the eye. "And neither should you."

Lex began to take a step backwards. "Dad... what are you saying? What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

"You're going to make sure Ignatius passes on quickly. Painlessly." Lionel handed the axe to his son, whose tears had already begun to pool. "This is what has to happen, unless you want him to die horribly when we all leave. There are no alternatives."

Lex began to openly weep. "Dad, there has to be another way. Can't... can't we just set him free?"

Lionel shook his head. "You know as well as I do on a good day he can barely run the length of the yard and back, Lex. Spare him the agony of being torn apart by monsters and raised into undeath as one of them." The older man clapped his son on the shoulder. "This is how you become strong, Lex. This is how you show the world that no one should ever underestimate a Luthor. We will always do what is necessary, even when it hurts the most, even when we have to sacrifice everything we love."

"I'm... I'm so sorry, boy," Lex sobbed. "Down," he gestured with his hand as the dog lay down, his chin on his paws.

As the axe fell, Lena screamed. She'd been watching in horror the entire time from the bedroom window.

Lena curled up in Kara's arms, her tears flowing fresh. "I never forgave Daddy or Lex for that. Ignatius used to jump up on the couch and lay himself down in my lap, just like you did, and he would be so warm. I never wanted to get up. When- when you laid down, you-"

Kara stroked her fingers through Lena's hair; they'd nearly switched places. "I reminded you of how Ignatius used to feel." A silent nod affirmed her guess. "He was wrong, you know. Your father, I mean. I'm strong, Lena. Probably stronger than anyone or anything in this world. But that strength doesn't mean anything if I can't do any good with it. Your father may have been strong, but... he could have done more with his strength."

"Like you do."

Kara shook her head. "What good have I done, Lena? My family's home is gone. My mother's in Dalaran. I don't have two silver to my name. And whatever or whoever murdered my father - evil though he was - is still out there."

"You... you haven't abused your strength, Kara." Lena exhaled and hugged the blonde tighter. "Sometimes strength is just as much about what you choose not to do as it is about what you do with it. You're so powerful, Kara. You could do pretty much anything you wanted, and no one could really stop you. And you don't use that power for personal gain, or to hurt others, or to dominate us lesser creatures."

Kara chuckled and tapped Lena on the nose. "You're not any lesser than me, Lena. I might be different but... I'm not better."

Lena breathed into Kara's shoulder, mumbling.

"Hmm?"

"I said," Lena murmured, blushing, "you're better for me." She buried her face further into Kara's warmth, inhaling deeply. Whether it was magic or emotion, every breath filled her with hope and a sensation of gently falling towards Kara, like a feather gently floating towards the ground. The anger and bitterness she still felt towards Lionel and Lex receded.

Kara’s heart swelled at Lena’s admission. She wanted nothing more than to impress the young mage, to catch her eye from the moment she saw her in Lakeshire. Though the scales had almost literally fallen from her eyes once her true nature was restored, the memories of being human for the last 13 years stayed with her. Memories of watching people fall in love, of seeing her adoptive parents together, of even seeing her foster sister fall for a healer in Stormwind named Kelly… Kara knew human love and wanted it in some fashion in her own life.

Dragons loved, to be sure. Korielstrasz was the most dedicated consort to Alexstrasza, devoted to her entirely. Yet dragons were more reserved in their emotions, less apt to make grand gestures and have wild emotional swings. Kara supposed that the brief lives of mortals encouraged them to such things so as to be noticed before their lives were sniffed out like tiny candles.

She wondered about the woman in her arms. Lena certainly came across as reserved as a dragon. Did she feel the same passions and heat as the rest of her kind? Was she looking for a love to sweep her off her feet? How did she feel about Kara? The mage's admission just now hinted that Lena might have more than merely friendly feelings towards Kara, something that made her own heart throb.

Kara leaned her chin gently on Lena's shoulder. "If anyone's better, it's me because of you, Lena. You... without you, I would have been trapped in Redridge, in Lakeshire, an unwitting prisoner in my own body for who knows how long, until I was used as a weapon and then probably killed. Thanks to you, I'm finally free, finally myself again."

"Do you regret your forced humanity?" Lena whispered, locking her green eyes with Kara's azure ones.

"I- no, I don't regret what I experienced. Certainly, I would have preferred to do it voluntarily but... I learned so much about what it means to be human. To see, up close, what you're like, to..." she gestured animatedly with one hand, the other still around Lena's shoulders, "to know what love feels like to your people, to taste foods the way you do, to sleep on a nice mattress instead of on the ground."

Her confession elicited a low chuckle from Lena. "I suppose being human for a third of your life has given you some unique habits for your kind." A thought arose unbidden in her mind: would Kara’s relationships be different because of her human experiences? The only kind of intimate interaction she’d ever heard of was Kalecgos and Archmage Proudmoore, and what she knew was mostly rumor and gossip, nothing concrete.

“So many of my people - even my own dragonflight - are dismissive of humans because you’re so short lived. But…” Kara sighed, twirling a small bit of Lena’s hair on the end of her finger, “what you lack in longevity, you make up for in brilliance. You shine so brightly.” Kara gently rubbed the back of her hand down Lena’s cheek.

Lena reached up to clasp Kara's hand in hers, pressing it against her cheek. "Not nearly as much as you shine, Kara. Like this, definitely," she indicated the dragon's mortal visage, "but when you're in your natural state? You're like a literal ray of sunshine, a walking, flying rainbow."

The mage shivered; nightfall brought an unnatural chill to the air, as though the tormented spirits all around them sapped any warmth away from the land. Lena tugged at her robes. Noticing Lena's discomfort, Kara looked around the crumbling ruin and decided the long-departed residents probably wouldn't care about a bit more property damage. She picked Lena up in her arms for a moment and changed forms beneath her, knocking over the broken remnants of one wall before curling up on the floor and stretching a massive wing over Lena.

"Mmm," Lena sighed. "You're so warm, Kara. You're like a blanket that's magically heated..." she smiled, stroking her fingers along the shimmering scales. Unable to reach her face because of her form, Lena pressed her lips against the dragon's neck before sleep claimed her. Kara rumbled with delight at the mage's affections before slipping into her own slumber.

As dawn broke the next morning, Lena curled up and pulled the warm blanket over herself more tightly. Only after a few moments did consciousness return and she realized she was not in a bed, but curled up on Kara's foreleg, with her wing over her. Lena slowly sat up, taking note of the dragon's slow, even breathing. As the first few rays of sunlight hit Kara's scales, they sparkled with rainbows, like crystals hanging in a window. She gently traced her fingers down the scales on Kara's neck, watching them shimmer as though tiny bits of sunlight were stored in them. How, she idly wondered, could such a beautiful creature also be one of the most destructive weapons in the world?

Kara's eye nearest her opened, brilliant blue topaz shining in the sun. She slowly clambered to her legs, making sure Lena was clear of her before taking on her mortal form in the usual cloud of grey smoke. "Good morning Lena," she smiled, gesturing at her body covered in a simple yellow dress. "Look, I remembered clothes this time!"

With a laugh, Lena nodded approvingly before conjuring a water elemental to wash her face and comb her fingers through her hair. She sighed with mild envy; Kara's mortal visage wasn't subject to the same rules as mundane human flesh and blood, including the need to bathe. After conjuring several more loaves of bread and some spring water, she turned to the dragon. "Do you remember where that magical trail left off last night?"

"I sure do. Hard to miss. Magic has... well, almost a kind of smell to it. And the trail was so bright, I'm sure some of it is still there. It led to what looked like a broken down castle in the middle of a lake, I think."

At that, Lena blanched, dropping the slice of bread she'd been eating. "A-are you certain, Kara?"

The dragon nodded while taking another enormous bite out of her loaf of bread. "Pretty certain," she mumbled. "We'll see it better from the air once we get this day going, you know?"

Lena put her slice of bread down. "I... I'm not hungry any more, so... whenever you're ready." Her stomach turned and flipped as though she were on the Darkmoon Faire roller coaster, a sense of dread chilling her more than the morning damp ever could.

With a grin, Kara brushed the blanket of crumbs off her shirt and stood up, stepping away from Lena. In another moment, she'd changed into her draconic form and scooped Lena up onto her back with gentle care. "Ready to get some answers, Lena?"

Author's Notes

Took a break for some fluff and angst before a big showdown.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 17: Cadmus

Content warning: blood and gore, violence

The ruined lands of Lordaeron

As Kara soared higher and higher over the poisoned, dead lands that used to be the kingdom of Lordaeron, she sniffed the air. Her senses, fully awakened, easily picked up the remnants of the magical trail they'd first started following in the Burning Steppes. "There! It leads to that ruin in the middle of that lake!" Kara called to her passenger. Moments after her pronouncement, Kara felt something very wrong. Lena had previously gripped her dorsal spines as though she were on a saddled horse, but the pressure she was exerting went from incredibly tense to lax.

Kara turned her head just as Lena, unconscious, toppled off her back. Her years trapped as a human had made her flying skills a little rusty, but not so bad that she couldn't execute the acrobatic somersault in the air necessary to reach out and catch the mage's limp body from the sky in her forepaw.

The dragon landed in a clearing right along the lake's edge, her wings blowing away desiccated leaves and debris. As soon as she touched down, Kara resumed her mortal visage, carefully laying Lena on the ground. She gently ran her hands over the brunette, unable to feel any physical or magical injury, and was just about to splash her face with some of the cold lake water when Lena gasped for air and sat up straight.

"Lena!"

"Kara! I- I'm so sorry, I... it's not your fault, it's just-" she choked as she clambered to her hands and knees, then retched on the ground. After emptying her stomach, she crawled backwards, then curled into a ball, coating her palms with tears. Her whole body convulsed with wracking sobs.

Kara gently rubbed Lena's back while suppressing her own rising panic. "What is it, Lena? What happened? I didn't sense we were under attack?"

"It's... it's not that, Kara. I-" she struggled to breathe normally, her body screaming to hyperventilate. "I never thought I'd be back here, Kara. Not ever again in my lifetime. I never wanted to come back here, and I'm so, so scared of what we're going to find."

The blonde dragon gathered Lena carefully into a warm embrace, kneeling on the ground next to her. "Can you... are you able to talk about it?"

"It's home, Kara. I had the premonition the moment you said it was a castle on a lake. That... that was my home, where I'm from, where I grew up. Where... where my parents probably died. Where I lost the life I had, a life that I loved." Her mind kept replaying the scene in the air, the moment Kara had cleared the tree line. She saw the ruins of her family's home, the crumbling towers and broken walls telltale signs of the Scourge as they razed the land. Giant, misshapen fungi bloomed like mushrooms on a grave, the air a sickly orange. The lake up close was a dull green, polluted beyond measure. In her mind, she heard the echoes of the horrible morning when the coach drove her and her brother to the docks. Years wondering what became of her parents, if they died swiftly or found themselves in a fate worse than death.

Lena reached out and took Kara's hands into hers, relishing the dragon's warmth. "I know... I know we have to go there, we have to find the answers. It's just... I don't know if I can, Kara. If I can face what's left, remembering everything... remembering what my life used to be." She closed her eyes, remembering her time in Dalaran. The arcane arts were the refuge she needed, complex memorizations and focus helping her to forget, to suppress the memories of her past.

"I know exactly what you mean, Lena. About remembering a past life, you know?"

The brunette nodded, resting her head against Kara's shoulder. In her moment of pain, she'd briefly forgotten the trauma Kara had been through. In truth, the dragon probably knew Lena's pain better than anyone else, to have your whole life ripped away and then have to face what could have been, what you lost.

"I... you're with me, right? I don't think I can do this without you, Kara," she whispered.

Kara tightened the hug and kissed Lena on the forehead gently. "We're stronger together, Lena. I'm with you, always." For a moment, Kara looked down at the mage, glancing at her lips and contemplating what it might be like to kiss her. She shook her head the briefest amount, pushing aside such thoughts. Time enough for that later, after they faced whatever horrors lurked in the ruins of Lena's childhood home.

Lena closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and clenched her fists against Kara's back. "I... I think I'm ready," she said as her emerald eyes bore into Kara's ocean blues. With another long breath, she pulled herself to her feet, staring down a road lined with broken, leafless trees like gnarled hands grasping towards the orange sky. "I know the way from here. This... I used to ride this way every day to the market."

As the two walked down the broken gravel road towards the edge of the lake, Lena clasped Kara's hand, her breath hitching in her chest. "This... it looks so different now." Memories of riding her bicycle along these roads with her brother rushed back unbidden. The road had been lush, fruit trees on either side and indulgent neighbors who let them pluck apples and pears from their properties. The juxtaposition of pleasant childhood memories with the sorrow in front of her shooke Lena.

Kara surveyed the crumbling, rotting landscape. What few homes remained along the road were broken down husks, shambles of what they used to be. The ground itself still looked a sickly grey green color; mold covered the broken walls and fungi sprouted up everywhere. The foliage she would have expected to have reclaimed the ruined houses never appeared; what trees and shrubs there were along the road appeared to almost be in a state of suspended animation. Even the air was deathly still. Not a blade of grass moved, not a sound echoed... until they were discovered.

"We have company," Kara muttered, hearing the sounds of feet down the road. She let go Lena's hand and raised her own in front of her, ready to take action.

In the distance, a dozen corpses adorned in the bright blue plate armor of Lordaeron shambled down the road, a mockery of what they were in life. Their decomposed remains peeked through the head-to-toe armor, once red cloaks dragging behind them. Grunting nonverbally, they hefted their weapons as soon as they spotted the two women and began to slowly lumber towards them.

"Would you like to...?" Kara asked, gesturing at the undead.

"The way I feel, I absolutely would not mind blasting something into the Twisting Nether right now," Lena nodded grimly, patting Kara on the shoulder. "Thank you." She raised her hands in front of her chest and traced a series of runes in the air. Kara's nose crinkled as the scent of ozone wafted from Lena's magic, and a series of bright purple arcane missiles shot from the mage's hands, striking down the corpses.

A whistling sound cut through the air as Lena finished her spellcasting, an arrow flying straight towards Kara. Even in her mortal form, her true nature shone through; the arrow simply bounced off her skin as though it had struck steel. "Lena, get behind me!" she ordered, gripping the mage's upper arm. Another two arrows sailed through the air before bouncing off Kara's chest. With a smirk, she closed her eyes for a moment, her form shimmering as she adopted the same armor as the former soldiers of Lordaeron wore, royal blue plate armor with a bright red cloak.

Lena wove another set of runes and a violet bubble shimmered into existence around her. While such a shield wouldn't withstand heavy attack, turning away arrows and other nuisances was well within her abilities. She followed the path of the arrows back to where the undead archers were firing from and sent sizzling bolts of arcane energy towards them, silencing their fire.

"There are an awful lot of undead here for the war having been over for more than a decade, don't you think?" Kara asked as she began to summon the deep reserves of her power. As she'd practiced in the Ruby Dragonshrine, her eyes glowed blue with arcane energy, and beams of white-hot light shot from them, cutting a path through a wave of advancing skeletons like a hot knife through butter.

The duo slowly advanced on the ruined Luthor homestead as wave after wave of undead attempted to slow them. What started as skeletons and zombies slowly grew, with geists and banshees making their way down the long driveway. In the distance, Lena heard what sounded like a cross between a groan and a wail, then saw the trees on the side of the road fall over.

A hideous creature, looking as though it were sewn together from body parts of corpses, crashed through the tree line. Its eyes - and it had many - all swiveled to face the women as its mouth broke into a hideous rictus. "PLAYTIME!" the giant monstrosity shouted, its three arms each wielding giant axes as it plodded past a row of broken houses, its head easily above the still-standing chimneys.

"What in Tyr's name is that?" Lena gasped as she strengthened the shield around her.

"I have no idea, but it's kind of big, huh?" Kara scorched its flesh with her heat vision, but the creature pressed on towards them despite its wounds. She swerved out of the way as the abomination threw an axe at her, then flung a felled tree.

As debris rained down on Lena's shield, Kara realized that the mage's magic wasn't strong enough to withstand the brute force of such a creature if it got lucky. In the span of a breath, she transformed back into her draconic form and charged forward. Just as she reached the creature, she dug her left paw into the ground, spinning her body and swiping the creature with her armored tail, the dorsal spines cutting into its flesh like axes of her own. As the abomination fell to the ground like a boulder falling from a cliff, Kara whirled again on it, exhaling bright blue flames from her jaws. The abomination's flesh charred and withered under the magical onslaught, leaving behind only blackened bones in seconds.

Kara took to the air ahead of Lena, using her fiery breath to clear the path towards the manor of the remaining undead like a magnifying glass focusing the sun on dry grass. Lena cast various frost spells as she ran to her childhood home, extinguishing the flames Kara had lit inadvertently while destroying what was clearly an undead army, now little more than ashes and bones.

They arrived at the front door of the manor at the same time, Kara reverting back to her mortal visage, still clad in blue plate armor and her red cloak. "The colors of Lordaeron look good on you, Kara," the mage smiled sadly. "If only we'd had you... back then. We might have saved our home."

Kara rested a hand on Lena's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I know what you mean. If I could have saved you, I would have." She turned to look at the keep; the four towers of the squat, square castle were crumbling and the heavy oak front door lay in pieces. "Can you make your shield any stronger?"

Lena shook her head. "I'm pretty much at capacity as it is. I'm not sure I could cast anything else if I used more mana for this shield."

"All right. Then stay behind me, okay? Just tell me which way to go once we're inside." Kara replicated Lena's spell, a vivid magenta bubble appearing around her. As they stepped inside the home, Lena let out a soft cry. Though ruined by the Scourge and the elements, much of the house was still intact. Family portraits on the wall hadn't rotted away yet, and she found herself staring at a portrait Lionel had commissioned when she was just ten years old. Instinctively, she clasped Kara's hand for support, squeezing it tight and feeling the dragon return the gesture.

They passed through one of the great rooms and up a winding stone staircase, when the hair on Lena's neck stood up. "Something... something is here, Kara. Something's still here."

Kara's eyes began to glow blue. "I feel it too, and it’s strong." Before she could say more, a shot rang out, sparking off her shield with a violet flash. Kara shifted so that Lena was fully behind her as more bullets rang out, hitting the arcane shield and falling harmlessly to the floor. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, a man dressed in crimson leather fell from the ceiling, brandishing an ugly, jagged sword.

"In the name of Lord Cadmus!" he hissed through a red bandanna before swinging the blade. Magically enchanted, it pierced the arcane shield as Kara dodged it, and the attacker's eyes narrowed as though he were smiling. Thinking he had the advantage, he swung again.

And Kara simply grabbed the sword out of his hands and bent it in half.

Lena cast Frost Nova, anchoring him to the floor and preventing his escape. "Who is Cadmus?" she threatened, her fingertips sparking with blue electricity.

"You'll find out soon enough, witch!" he cackled, pulling a knife from behind his back and stabbing himself in the throat.

"What the-" Kara exclaimed as the attacker's lifeless body hit the floor. "Who does that? What kind of maniacs are these?"

Lena shook her head, shuddering. "I... I have no idea, Kara. This is just... madness." The two made their way up the now-rickety staircase. Once upon a time, it had been a grand, beautiful staircase, lined with marble and touches of gold. Time and the elements had reduced it to a shadow of its former glory. As they rounded the top of the stairs, the duo entered what was once the great room.

Overhead, clouds alternated with patches of blue sky, the roof of the room in pieces on the floor. Lena choked back a sob, remembering happy days sitting on the couch reading, or playing board games with her brother at one of the tables, now little more than firewood at best. At the end of the room sat a single, high-back chair, once white and now dark green with mold.

Lena's jaw dropped, her hands fallen to her sides. There in the chair appeared... what looked like her mother, after a fashion. Her once sandy blonde hair was pale white, and her skin matched its sickly pallor. Her brilliant blue eyes were now as black as the midnight sky entirely.

“Ah, Lena. I see you’ve finally come home,” Lillian rasped evenly, her voice now a guttural croak where it had once been melodious and gentle. “I was wondering if you ever would.”

“M-mother? Is that… you?”

Lillian snarled with a mouthful of broken teeth. “What do your eyes and ears tell you, foolish girl?”

Lena’s body shook; she wasn’t sure whether to run towards the creature that resembled her mother, or to run away. “What happened to you? Is… is Father here also?”

“What do you think happened? After you little ingrates left, the Scourge came. No one escaped. One of those accursed death knights slew me with a rune blade as we were fleeing this place and the next thing I knew, I was like… this. I woke in Brill, having no idea what happened except that almost a year had gone by and I was… no longer among the living.” Lillian stood slowly and began to pace around the rotting chair. “As for your father, I returned home and found him. Part of him was in the garden, part of him was in the driveway-“

“Stop! Mother, please stop, I-“ Lena sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

Kara put her arm over Lena’s shoulder, drawing Lillian’s eye.

“I see you’ve joined the Kirin Tor, daughter. How very, very disappointing,” the woman sighed, scowling at Lena's robes and tabard. “The moment you got away from home, you couldn’t resist giving into your deviant little urges, could you? Indulging in magic, even though I forbade you? And who’s this trollop, one of your magical cronies?”

At the acknowledgement, Kara bristled. "Trollop? I'm Kara, Kara-" she stopped short, feeling Lena shaking her head even in her embrace. "-anyway, I'm no crony, lady. And that's no way to speak to your daughter!"

Lillian scoffed before turning to look out a shattered window, running her fingers over a wooden box beneath it, the only truly intact thing in the entire room. "I have no daughter, you little tramp. If Lena has thrown her lot in with you detestable mages, then she is no daughter of mine."

She whirled to face Lena, an ugly, serrated dagger in her hand with a swirling black orb on the hilt, looking like ink in water. "Our world has been stolen from us, time and again! These mages, so-called heroes of Azeroth seek only to be its conquerors, to enslave us. The Kirin Tor are poison, a blight upon this world, and I will be the antidote to them. Everywhere the Kirin Tor goes, trouble follows!"

At that utterance, Kara tilted her head and blinked. She knew that language, knew that phrase. Wracking her brain as Lillian continued her invective and Lena protested, Kara tried to remember exactly where - was it Solomon that had said that?

Everything snapped together at once.

Jeremiah had said that to Lena the first time she'd brought Lena to their farmhouse.

Jeremiah was allied with Cadmus, and Cadmus was opposed to the Kirin Tor.

"You're Cadmus!" Kara blurted out, before clapping her hands over her mouth.

Both Luthor women stopped speaking immediately and turned to stare at Kara, Lena in disbelief and Lillian in surprise.

"Kara, what are you talk-"

"Clever girl," Lillian rasped, waving the dagger in Kara's direction. "Pity you won't live to tell anyone about it." With a toothy grin, she raised the dagger like a wand, the flesh of her hand almost rotted completely away to the bone, and cast a giant fireball at the blonde.

"Mother, no!" Lena screamed as the searing heat leapt across the room.

The fireball tore past Lena, blowing her hair with its velocity as it slammed straight into Kara's chest...

... and simply vanished into her body as though it had never existed.

"What? Impossible!" Lillian spat, extending the dagger again and summoning bolts of arcane energy, flinging them at Kara. As with the fire, they simply sank into Kara, like water on parched soil.

For her part, Lena raised her own arcane shield as she watched Lillian try to destroy her best friend. Shock warred with anger and a grim sense of satisfaction; she'd forgotten Kara's true nature in the heat of the moment and struggled to keep a smirk off her face as Lillian's magic had no effect whatsoever, powerful though it was.

Lillian screamed in frustration, dropping the knife on a wooden table and raising her hands to the sky. Cracks appeared up and down her flesh, dark fog seeping out as though she were a broken vase. In another few moments, she rose above the floor, her body transformed into that of a wailing banshee. Dark tendrils of death magic cascaded off her like black fog as her white hair floated, ignoring gravity.

"Death to the interlopers! Death to the Kirin Tor!" she shrieked, forcing Lena to clap her hands over her ears in pain. Talon-like hands outstretched, Lillian cast a wave of death magic at Kara, magic that appeared to suck the light out of the air around it. Like a python made of black smoke, the death magic coiled around Kara's body, then sank into her skin like everything else.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Miss Luthor? Or should I call you Lord Cadmus? It was a clever illusion you must have shown to your followers." Kara reached out and grabbed the insubstantial banshee by the throat, the witch's fingers clawing helplessly. "Your magic doesn't mean anything here. You can't hurt me." Kara squeezed tighter and Lillian's corporeal form gathered itself, becoming solid once more.

"How? How can you defy me?" Lillian gasped reflexively, her spirit not needing to breathe but choking out of habit. "Not even an archmage can resist the power of death itself! Only-"

"Who said I was an archmage, Cadmus?" Kara flung Lillian bodily across the room, crashing into one of the walls. In the blink of an eye she sped over and grabbed Lillian again, the banshee tearing uselessly at the dragon's grasp.

“Mother… this isn’t you,” Lena gasped as she stumbled to Kara's side, her ears still ringing from the banshee’s wail. “I know you’re in there somewhere, Mother. Please! It’s me. It’s your daughter, Lena. Come back to me?”

Lillian stilled, her black eyes turning to face Lena. The sound of the breeze rustling parched, dead leaves outside was the only thing marking the passing of time before she went limp in Kara's grip. "Perhaps you are," she rasped. "Even if you've thrown yourself in with the filthy mages, perhaps you are still my daughter."

A tear slowly fell from the corner of Lena's eye, the faintest glimmer of hope on her face. Despite all that her mother had suffered, perhaps there was some way to... to win her back from the darkness that had all but claimed her. Lena lay a hand on Kara's shoulder gently, and the dragon let go of the banshee, eyeing her warily.

"Tell me something, daughter of mine," the banshee muttered, slowly circling around Lena, "what will happen to me if I were to let you leave here?"

"I... I don't know, Mother."

"But you would go back to Dalaran, wouldn't you? You have to tell those you work for what you found here, yes? Then they'll come for me, won't they? The Kirin Tor, the filthy mages, they'll bring their cronies here to strike me down now that they know the truth you brought to them. That you've solved," she glared at Kara, "the mystery of Jeremiah Danvers' death."

Kara's eyes bulged. "How did you-"

Lillian circled the broken wooden table in the middle of the room, her nails grating against the splintered wood surface. "Oh yes, young lady. I know who you are now. The moment my death magic vanished into you, I had my suspicions. Only two creatures in all of Azeroth could consume that much death magic unaffected. The Lich King himself... and the weapon I created from a pitiful red dragon whelp."

In a flash of black smoke, Lillian grabbed the dagger from the table and charged...

...impaling Lena in the stomach.

"LENA! NO!" Kara raced to the mage's side as she slumped over, her hands gripping the blade, a tear slowly falling from the mage's eye as she recognized the betrayal. Her mother wasn't within the banshee at all. Her mother was truly gone.

The black orb on the hilt began to darken, sucking light from the area as blood ran down the dagger. Kara immediately began to cast the healing spells she knew, but the dagger was enchanted somehow, resisting the holy magic Kara surrounded her with. Already, she could feel Lena's life force slipping away despite her efforts.

Lillian cackled, rising in the air once more. "Choose now, dragon of mine - and make no mistake, you are mine. I MADE YOU. Now, you can fight me, or you can take this vermin who dares call herself my daughter back to her floating city of mages and save her miserable, worthless life. You can't do both."

"Can't I?" Kara fumed, reaching deep inside herself towards the one magic she had forbidden herself to use on any living creature.

But Lillian was no living creature.

Vivid, sickly green lines crawled over Kara's skin as her eyes glowed the same color. She extended her hand and the same unwholesome magic leaped from her palm, wrapping around Lillian like a snake constricting its prey. The banshee wailed, her form made corporeal as it charred under the fel assault. Bits of her corporeal body began to smolder and flake off. With a twist of Kara's wrist, the fel magic tore into Lillian's form as she finally disintegrated, like a melon squeezed until it burst.

A final wail escaped the last vestiges of Lillian as Kara wove her hands to trace the runes for a portal to Dalaran. Lena's life force was fading quickly and the magical dagger continued to prevent her from healing the mage. Kara was left with no choice but to get help from the only healer she knew, carrying Lena's unconscious body through the portal to the infirmary in Dalaran.

Author's Notes

To see the armor Kara's wearing in this chapter, head back to Chapter 1 for the cover art I made of the specific armor set.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 18: Mana Bomb

Dalaran

Kara’s portal, conjured in haste and with far more power than necessary, tore a ragged hole in reality. As she appeared on Krasus’ Landing, she took to the air in draconic form immediately, carefully gripping Lena’s unconscious body in her forepaws and flew across the city to the infirmary, panic clouding her vision. One of her wings brushed a building, knocking a few roofing tiles off into the streets below as she plummeted down to the street.

At the last second she changed back to her mortal visage, catching Lena’s body and bursting into the infirmary.

“HELP! Mistress Olisarra! Please help!”

The high elf healer came running into the tiny, cramped foyer of the infirmary, her hands already glowing with holy light. “What has happened, Miss Kara?” she asked before seeing the obvious, the oversized dagger’s hilt protruding from Lena’s stomach. “Carry her to one of the beds, and quickly,” Olisarra pointed, following Kara inside.

The healer’s palms glowed as she gently reached for the knife, intending to remove it and suffuse the injured mage with holy magic to heal as quickly as possible. But the moment she touched the dagger, she screamed, pulling her hand back and cradling it. “What… what is this?” She looked down; the skin of her palm was blackened as though she’d picked up a piece of red hot iron. After a few moments of casting her healing spells on herself, she turned to Kara. “Something about this dagger is deeply wrong, Miss Kara. My magic failed to protect me, but we must get it out of her if she is to survive.”

“Does it matter how?” Kara asked, looking down at Lena’s pale form.

“No. As long as she is free of… whatever this is,” Olisarra scowled at the enchanted weapon.

Kara nodded. “On three, then.” She gripped the dagger’s hilt, feeling death magic surrounding it but leaving her unaffected, and began to count. “One… two… three!” Kara ripped the dagger free from Lena’s belly, the mage crying out with a soft whimper. Olisarra’s magic blanketed the brunette, the wound beginning to heal almost immediately. Kara flung the dagger across the room, lodging it in the wall of the infirmary as she added her own power to Olisarra’s. Holy light limned Lena’s entire form, her outline luminescent, as the ugly gash in her belly closed up and her skin was made anew.

Lena began to stir. “K-kara… what happened?” she asked in a daze, scrubbing her hands over her face.

“Rest, Lena. You’re safe.” The dragon gently smoothed her palm over Lena’s forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed while they were healing the mage. On a whim, she leaned over and pressed her lips gently against Lena’s forehead, inhaling her scent.

“M-mother…” Lena barely managed, her eyes fluttering open.

“… is gone. I’m sorry, Lena. She left me no choice. I had to pick between you and her, and I chose you.” Kara’s breathing slowed now that Lena was no longer in danger. She watched the emotions race across her friend’s face, from fear to sadness to a bittersweet smile.

Lena contemplated all that had happened, how her mother had been transformed not only into the undead, but an undead hell bent on destroying everything Lena had dedicated her life to. And the thing that the Kirin Tor seemed to fear the most - her chromatic dragon friend - was the one thing that kept saving her over and over again. It was almost comical, how often she was getting injured and near death on this grand adventure with Kara. Affection swelled in Lena’s chest as she gripped Kara’s hand tightly. “I… understand. That really wasn’t her anyway.”

“I’m so glad you’re alive!” Kara exhaled, leaning over the bed as she cradled Lena’s head with her hand, touching their foreheads together even as the mage’s blood-soaked robes smeared against Kara’s blue armor. “I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to get you here in time.”

“I’m so glad I’m alive too, Kara,” Lena whispered quietly, her breath ghosting over Kara’s lips. She reached up and gently clasped Kara’s head between her shaky hands. “You’re… you’re my hero for saving me, over and over again.” She closed her eyes, exhaled, and pressed her lips against Kara’s.

Kara’s heart soared higher than she’d ever flown and time stopped in that moment. She’d been thinking about this, dreaming about this ever since Alexstrasza asked her if she’d mated with Lena. Her mother’s words reverberated in her mind.

“Have you told her you love her?”

She thought back to her actions and Lena’s responses. The mage, despite being a lowly apprentice, had put her life on pause, dove head first into danger, given her food and shelter, tried to solve her adopted father’s murder, rejected none of her draconic advances. Lena… was the one.

Lena had gone to outlandish lengths for someone that she’d met only a week ago, and Kara felt in her bones somehow that this was it. This was what she’d been missing in her decades of life. The love she felt for her families - adopted and original - was one of affection and emotional closeness, as well as duty and obligation to her dragonflight. With Lena… she felt all that and more. Even laying in the hospital bed, Lena was still the most beautiful thing Kara had ever laid eyes on.

She didn’t just love Lena. She was in love with Lena.

A gasp broke her reverie.

“You… are?”

Kara’s face blushed as red as Alexstrasza’s scales as she cursed herself for her seemingly slip of the tongue. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?” she asked with her palm over her face, the mage nodding in speechless agreement. “I… yes. Yes, Lena, I am in love with you. I… I don’t expect you to feel the same or to return the-”

Before Kara could get another word out, Lena grabbed her head and pulled her down into another kiss.

Kara was… everything Lena had not known she was looking for. Someone who could understand her, treat her like an equal, respect her for her split aptitudes of science and math, be a constant companion but never condescending… and it didn’t hurt that Kara was majestic in every form she took. The dragon had put herself in harm’s way for Lena from the day they met, carried her to safety, cared for her, and brought such cheer to her life.

“I do feel the same, Kara Zorel. I might be more than a little in love with you, too.”

Kara exhaled a sigh of relief as she hugged Lena to her, a tear running down her cheek. “Thank goodness,” she cried, nuzzling into the crook of Lena’s neck before mumbling softly against the brunette’s porcelain skin.

“What was that?”

Kara looked up, her eyes a brilliant cobalt. “I don’t suppose you’d want to celebrate by getting something to eat?” At Lena’s belly laugh, she grinned and took the mage’s hand, racing out the door of the infirmary with a brief wave at Mistress Olisarra before heading into the Magus Commerce Exchange and her favorite buffet.

Half an hour later, they were toasting Lena’s return to health and mutual confessions of love. Both women leaned over to take a sip from the giant scorpion bowl in front of them, giddy with both love and alcohol.

“I can’t believe it took you this long to tell me!” Lena snarked cheerfully, her hand on Kara’s bicep.

“I can’t believe it took you this long to kiss me! I’ve been waiting for you to do that since the Lakeshire Inn!” Kara shot back with a giant grin, covering Lena’s hand.

They put aside their straws and leaned into each other, Kara’s hands roaming up and down the back of the mage’s soft, silken robes. “Mmm, did you feel that?” Kara mused between kisses. “I think the earth shook a little on that last kiss.”

Lena’s smile faltered. “What did you say?”

“I said… I think the earth shook a little during that last kiss.”

“Kara… that’s impossible. We’re in a floating city. Earthquakes of any kind would be physically impossible here.”

“Lena, I was being silly. I mean, I felt something, but I was just implying the kiss was really g-” she stopped, looking at the drink bowl on the table. Tiny concentric ripples spread across the surface from vibration.

The mage looked more closely, her eyes widening. “You weren’t kidding, Kara. Something’s causing the building to shake a little.” Pushing aside the slight haze from the alcohol they’d already imbibed, Lena ran to the door of Pandaren Express, Kara close behind her. She gasped as she opened it and walked into the street.

All along the paved cobblestones and up the sides of the buildings, tendrils of black smoke grasped the city like the tentacles of a kraken. The vibration of the city beneath their feet increased, perceptible now to human and dragon alike.

“What… what’s going on?” Lena asked, her breath shallow as the ground shook more, then lurched under her. Kara scooped her up quickly, transforming inside of a single breath and taking to the air as the city’s streets began to crack. “Quickly, to the Violet Citadel, Kara!”

The dragon blazed across the sky at her fastest, a massive gust of wind in her wake that tore tiles off roofs and scattered debris through the streets. Kara didn’t bother with pleasantries, flying straight into the main hall and depositing Lena in the Council chambers before resuming her human visage, still wearing the blue plate armor and red cape she’d acquired in Lordaeron.

“Archmages! Something terrible is happ-” she started, before she realized all six archmages were casting a massive spell, circles of arcane energy swirling around them like children being buffeted by the ocean’s waves.

“We… know… Apprentice,” Kalecgos choked out. “Something… is… disrupting… magic…” he gasped, as tendrils of violet energy crackled around him.

Modera turned to look at her apprentice, her brow soaked in sweat as her hands trembled. “Lena! Something is disrupting our magic, our spells. The spells holding Dalaran aloft are breaking down. We’re trying to stabilize the city, trying to keep us from falling out of the sky, but we don’t have long. Minutes, maybe half an hour at most. We’ve already sent the rest of the Kirin Tor here in the city to start evacuations, but perhaps you and Miss Kara can lend your help to finding what’s causing this.”

Lena’s stomach sank at the revelation. She did the math quickly in her head; a city the size of Dalaran falling out of the sky wouldn’t just kill the thousands of people in Dalaran itself. They were high enough above Northrend that it could cause an extinction-level event. The shockwave would rival the Sundering, the massive magical explosion that created the Maelstrom ten thousand years ago; enough dust might choke the sun’s light from Azeroth entirely.

“What should we look for, Archmage? What could cause something like this?” she pleaded, squeezing Kara’s hand tight.

“Focusing… Iris… only… thing… strong… enough,” Kalec managed through clenched teeth.

“What is a Focusing Iris? What does that look like?” Kara asked, looking between Lena and the archmages rapidly. “What should we be looking for?”

“A-a sphere! A Focusing Iris is a piece of crystallized arcane energy, once held by the Aspect of Magic, Malygos.” Lena ran her fingers through her hair. “Normally it would be something dragon-sized, something really large, but…”

Kara grimaced. “But it’s controlled by magic, so it could be anything, right?”

“Yes! The last time it was used, Garrosh Hellscream used it to fuel a mana bomb and destroyed Theramore. But it could be any size, maybe even any object. I don’t know how we’ll find it in time!”

Kara closed her eyes and lifted her hand in the air, retracing the runes for Detect Magic, but putting her full power behind them.

The chamber fell away and Kara found herself floating above the city, as though she were the mystical eye of Dalaran herself. She could see the taut lines of magic flowing out of the Violet Citadel, looking like cables trying to hold up the huge land mass - and those cables were slowly fraying. Tiny flashes of gold light sparkled around the city as healers did their work, mending those injured by debris. In major gathering places, she could see the unmistakeable shimmering of dozens of portals as mages held them open for fleeing citizens.

In the center of the Commerce Exchange, she saw a yawning void, purple-black magic spilling out like an oil spill, drowning out all other magic everywhere it flowed. And it was flowing into the heart of the city through the sewers, from… the infirmary.

The dagger.

Lillian’s dagger.

With a sphere on the pommel.

Kara gasped at the revelation. Lillian had transformed a Focusing Iris into a weapon and stabbed her own daughter with it, knowing that Lena would find her way back to Dalaran for healing. She used her own mortally wounded child as a weapon delivery system.

Kara broke the spell, snapping back to reality. “The dagger, Lena! The dagger your mother stabbed you with, it’s the Focusing Iris Kalec is talking about. It’s in the infirmary - we have to get rid of it!” The Citadel trembled, a crack appearing in the crystalline floor beneath their feet. She grabbed Lena’s hand and yanked her out the door, then unceremoniously threw her in the air as she transformed, catching the mage on her back as she soared across half the city.

Within moments, they landed outside the infirmary. “I’ll get the dagger, you start casting a portal!”

Lena’s eyes widened. “A portal? To where?”

“Anywhere we can throw the dagger safely!” Kara shouted over her shoulder as she charged into the building; its edifice was already crumbling, the door half obstructed by broken plaster and wood. In the blink of an eye, the wall exploded outward in a spray of rock and splinters as Kara simply walked through it, the cursed dagger in hand.

“Kara! I’m trying to open a portal but that… that thing is obstructing me. I can’t create anything stable!” the mage shouted as her entire body shook, arcane sparks flying from her fingertips into the dagger’s black blade like iron shards drawn to a magnet.

“Grab my hand, use my power!” Kara responded, holding out her arm, the other hand holding the dagger away from them. She felt Lena’s soft hand clasp her own as she let her magic flow into the brunette.

“It’s no good, Kara! Even with your power, I just can’t get the runes to form quickly enough.” Lena suppressed a cry in her throat as she felt the weight of failure pressing on her. If only she were stronger, more focused, more able to cast the spells properly. Each time she wove her fingers in the air, the runes simply blew away like dust in the wind.

The ground lurched under them again as Kara looked into Lena’s emerald eyes. “The city… it’s going to fall.”

Lena nodded. “And when it does, it’s going to kill almost everyone on Azeroth. Everyone except…”

“… the undead. How diabolical. She’s no better than the Lich King, for as much as she hated the Scourge. I don’t suppose you know any spells to levitate things?”

“No, I-” Lena was about to laugh before catching herself. “Actually… not to levitate, but we have a spell that allows us to fall slowly. I’ve never tried to cast it on anything bigger than me, though. It’s called Slow Fall.” She quickly traced the runes in the air, Kara watching her every movement even as the runes collapsed into the dagger.

“I think I have it. Let’s see if I can make this work.” She repeated Lena’s steps with her own magic, but the blade continued to soak up the magic around it. Frustrated, Kara wrapped her hand around the sphere and squeezed… and felt the metal start to give.

She looked up at Lena with a grin and dug her fingers into the metal of the blade, twisting the metal that held the Focusing Iris secure. After a few moments, the black orb popped free of its setting and immediately began to change color back to the sky blue of Kara’s eyes like ink washing away in the tide.

“One more time, Lena?”

The mage nodded and traced the runes for Slow Fall again, the magical characters staying in the air this time. With a smile, Kara crushed the rest of the dagger like tinfoil, crumpling it up into a little metal ball before tossing it to the ground. Just before she started to trace the Slow Fall runes, Lena gasped and silently pointed at her.

Kara looked down at her hand, the hand holding the Focusing Iris. Arcane magic was flowing over her, beautiful runic characters drifting over her skin as her whole body began to glow blue. She took a deep breath. “I… I can feel it, Lena. So much magic, so much more magic than I’ve ever felt.” She traced the Slow Fall spell and a massive wave of violet energy washed over the section of Dalaran they were in. Walls creaked and roads heaved as part of the city suddenly weighed much less.

“Help me?” she asked blindly, feeling Lena’s hand in hers once more. She could practically taste Lena’s magic again, now that the magical orb was free of the cursed blade. With a deep breath, she stretched out her arm, holding the orb between her fingers as she cast Slow Fall again. This time, a wave of purple energy blossomed from the two women and the city creaked once more, its descent slowing to a fraction of what it had been falling.

“We did it!” Lena cried, throwing her arms around Kara. “We’ve slowed the fall of the city enough to buy some time!”

Kara grinned and pressed her lips against the mage’s, celebrating their ever so temporary victory against Lillian’s machinations. “Let’s get back to the Citadel and see what else we can do to help!”

Their elation was short-lived; only 3 of the 6 Archmages were still standing in the chamber. Runeweaver, Karlain, and Vargoth lay unmoving on the floor as the remaining three mages stood with arms raised in the air, their spellwork eased but not ended by Kara’s Slow Fall spell. Lena ran towards her mentor, stopping short when the elderly woman shook her head.

“Whatever you and Miss Kara did, it bought us some time and made the spellcasting much easier, so thank you, Apprentice. As you can see, however, we’re not out of the woods just yet,” she breathed. “The city will still fall, though the effects on the world will be less damaging. We have been unable to restore the spell to keep Dalaran aloft.”

“What would it take to save the city?” Lena asked, already wracking her brain for answers. Though she only had knowledge of a handful of low-level spells, Kara’s nearly limitless power combined with the Focusing Iris could make those simple spells incredibly effective.

“When Dalaran first moved, we teleported it into its place in the sky and held it there with magic. We never had to expend the enormous amount of energy needed to actually lift it up,” Khadgar said as sweat poured down his face. “What we are doing now is essentially that, and even when all six of us were casting, it wasn’t enough to lift the city back into place. There is a delicate height it floats at, intersecting several ley lines that powered its place in the sky. It has obviously left that place.”

“Couldn’t I just teleport it back into place?” Kara asked, looking at the mages in confusion.

Khadgar shook his head. “The effects of teleportation on a moving object can be disastrous. It’s one of the reasons mages always stand still when casting any kind of portal or teleport. If we were to teleport the city while it’s falling, the arcane energies could simply rip it to pieces.”

“How many more people need to be evacuated?” Kara began to pace, scratching her head.

“About half the city. The real problem is the Violet Hold. All the magical prisoners in there - some of the most uncontrollable beasts in the universe, save for Miss Kara here - will be set free at once if Dalaran breaks up,” Kalec said. He was feeling less strain than his human counterparts but was still clearly under duress. “And we have no place else to move them to.”

Kara chewed her bottom lip for a long moment before turning to Lena. “I have an idea, but… I need to know you’re safe.”

Lena clasped Kara’s shoulders. “I will be, as long as I’m with you, Kara. Tell me what I can do to help.”

“You…” she shook her head, blonde hair flying, “you can’t be here when I do this, Lena. If it doesn’t work, I need to know that you’re far away from here, far away from danger, all right?”

“Kara, what are you going to do?”

The dragon set her jaw. “Use the one power Lillian neglected to remember when she sent a magical bomb to Dalaran. Now please, go.”

“But-”

“Go!” Kara pleaded, tears pooling in her eyes. “Lena… if you… if you love me, please go. Please get to safety. I can’t do this if I know you’re here, in danger.”

Lena swallowed the lump in her throat, her own tears beginning to fall as she nodded. She traced the runes for teleportation to Stormwind City, the farthest point away she knew. “I love you, Kara. Come back to me.”

“I will, Lena. Always,” she smiled sadly, her shoulders sagging with relief when the young mage vanished. As soon as Lena was gone, she turned to the remaining archmages. “If the city gets back to where it’s supposed to be, you’ll be able to hold it there, right?”

Kalec nodded. “Yes. You’ll be able to see where the city belongs if you use Detect Magic. The rivers of arcane energy are hard to miss. Once the city is near that intersection, the magic to hold it in place will happen almost automatically. We’ll need to cast the spell only once and it will simply snap back to where it’s supposed to be, like laundry on a line.”

Kara inclined her head and walked out of the Citadel. As the late afternoon sun warmed her face, she transformed into her draconic form and took to the air. She mulled over her choices before swooping gracefully around and under the city. Lillian’s plan revolved around the use of magic, but she had never anticipated the use of simple brute force. With a toothy grin, Kara extended her hind paws and gripped the shattered rock that made up the lower parts of Dalaran and began to push.

And push.

And push.

She saw out of the corner of her eye that the city’s descent had stopped, but despite her wings working their hardest, she wasn’t making much progress against it. After another few minutes, she cried out, pushing her hardest, and the city seemed to move upwards ever so slightly. She barely held onto the Focusing Iris in her forepaw, so strained was she trying to move the city.

Tears of frustration pooled in her azure eyes. All this power she had, and she couldn’t move what was essentially nothing more than a giant rock. Again she slammed herself against the rocky outcropping of the city, feeling its sheer weight pressing on her, the weight of the world literally against her.

After another few minutes, she stopped, her claws aching and starting to bleed from the effort.

“I have an idea!” she heard Lena’s voice say. Kara shook her head with a sad smile. How smitten was she that she was hearing voices in the middle of a situation like this.

“KARA!”

The dragon whipped her head around and her eyes nearly sprang from her head in surprise. Behind her on a gryphon was Lena - and Olisarra from the infirmary. “I was helping to evacuate more people from the city-”

“You promised me you’d leave! I saw you leave for Stormwind!”

Lena smirked. “Technically, I did, didn’t I? You didn’t say anything about coming back. Anyway, I was helping some folks leave, and told Olisarra you were going to try to save the city somehow.” She pulled the gryphon a little closer. “Then I remembered that priests can perform spells mages can’t, and most of what you’ve seen and learned has come from me.” She turned her head to the high elf.

“One of our more cute spells is one called Levitate. Lena tells me you can copy spells just by feel?”

Kara nodded and drew herself closer still, resting her talons on Olisarra’s shoulder as the priest cast the spell on herself. In a flash of gentle sparkling light, the gryphon lurched upwards, no longer burdened by the priest’s weight. Kara grinned even wider. “I got it! Now GO!”

As the gryphon pulled away with its riders, Kara landed herself against the rock once more and reached inside herself for her magic, augmented by the magical artifact in her paw. In the rainbow of power that flowed through her, she felt the pull of the Light and mentally traced the runes she’d felt the elf priest use. Brilliant golden light suffused Dalaran as though it were midday instead of nearly sunset, and the city trembled. Kara closed her eyes and traced the runes one more time, as large as she could, then shoved her weight against the rock.

To her great surprise, not only did it move upwards, it moved substantially, easily her body length. She roared with delight, a hint of blue flame bursting from her nostrils as she gripped the rock anew, straining against it as she cast the spell again.

Up, up, and away the city rose with each flap of her wings, bits of gravel and debris falling from it. She paused quickly to trace Detect Magic’s runes in the air with her forepaw and saw she’d almost reached the ley line intersection where arcane energy erupted from the ground like a geyser. With one final nudge, the city entered the font of arcane power and a translucent violet bubble shimmered into place.

“Ha! Would you look at that…” she murmured in a daze as the weight of the massive rock lifted from her shoulders, her breath catching.

Then she fell from the sky.

Author’s Notes

There might have been a lot of Superman Returns and Sokovia references here, but it was worth it. Kara singlehandedly saved the world from Lillian’s plot - after declaring her love for Lena. (and yes, I’m aware it took 18 chapters for them to properly kiss)

We’re on the home stretch now, friends. Thank you for reading!

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 19: Recovery

The Dragonblight, Northrend

Kara ached everywhere. She softly chuckled to herself that even her eyelids and her teeth ached, but aching was good. Aching meant she wasn't dead. She didn't even dare open her eyes lest the light make even more of her ache. Even her wings ached, and that was a rarity for her. She'd always been a strong flyer. Then again, she thought to herself, I did lift an entire city by myself.

Taking a slow, deep breath, she opened her eyes just a hair and golden light smacked her in the face like a plank of wood. With a grimace, she forced her eyes the rest of the way open and found herself laying on grass. Confused, she lifted her aching neck and saw she was carefully placed in the meadows of the Ruby Dragonshrine.

Behind her, too far for her to comfortably turn her neck without spasming, she heard several voices blended together. At first, she couldn't make out what was happening, but as her senses flooded back to her, she could make out the individual voices.

Alexstrasza. Kalecgos. Khadgar. Lena.

Lena.

Her memories swirled, the image of the lunch she'd had yesterday with Lena. Confessing their feelings for each other in the infirmary. Kissing Lena properly. She smiled to herself, savoring that particular memory. Then the city falling, Lena on a gryphon... and then nothing.

Kara managed to raise herself up on her forepaws ever so slightly before hearing Lena cry out over the others. With panic fueling her, she whirled around, eyes glowing and ready to take on whatever threatened her love.

Around a stone table, the four of them were gathered. Lena had her elbows on the table, her head in her hands. In front of her, in the center of the table lay... a pile of wooden blocks? Before her eyes, she saw Kalecgos weave a spell to levitate the blocks back into what looked like a miniature tower.

Kara coughed. "What... what are you doing?" she managed to rasp, her mouth feeling like she'd swallowed the sands of the Tanaris desert.

The blocks clattered to the table as Lena sprang from her chair and ran over, pulling Kara's massive head and neck into an embrace. "You're awake!" The mage recklessly began to kiss Kara's scaly jawline before the dragon had the sense to transform into her mortal visage. As soon as she did, Lena pulled her into a fierce hug, consuming any space between them.

“What- Lena, what was going on just now?”

The brunette chuckled. “I had been teaching the dragons how to play Jenga while we were waiting for you to wake up. It’s something,” she paused, her eyes gazing far away for a moment, “something we used to play on game night as a family before... before.”

Lena thought back to her family’s game nights. They were always highly competitive affairs, especially between her and Lex. Lillian had encouraged it, of course, to make sure both siblings were as strong and as smart as they could be. Lex had always won Jenga, while Lena typically won the card games. Jenga with the dragons had been a lot more fun; no one cared that winning or losing might elevate or diminish your status in front of the others.

Kara shook her head. “You must be a fast teacher, huh?”

“Fast teacher?” she asked, tilting her head, her green eyes glinting in the dragonshrine's light.

“You know, to teach them how to play a game so well that they’re already beating you at it. I’m assuming that’s why you were shouting, right?” the dragon said with a lopsided grin. Kara wondered what it would be like to join in, to have a game night with her family, maybe her adoptive sister, and with Lena.

“Kara... you’ve been asleep for three days.”

"Three... what? No, you can't be serious. You're joking, right?" Kara asked as she clasped her hands tightly on Lena's shoulders, looking around the cavernous, verdant space.

Alexstrasza strolled over to the two. "Your human friend is quite correct, Zorelstrasza. It has been three days since you fell from the sky. We found you unconscious in the snows of the Dragonblight. For a brief second I thought I had lost you again, but Kalecgos reminded me we could both still feel your magic in this world."

“In fact,” commented the blue dragon, his fingers stroking the blue beard on his chin, “something most peculiar happened. When you fell, it felt as though all magic on Azeroth fell ever so slightly as well. Do you recall anything from your experience?”

Kara shook her head, shakily sitting down at the table as she pulled the red cloak she wore around her shoulders. "I remember pushing the city back into place. It was like... like this puzzle, almost. It drifted into the ley lines and a bubble appeared around it, and then... I don't remember what else, really. I think I saw a bright light, kind of like a solar flare, maybe?"

"You exhausted your mana reserves, something that mages are generally very familiar with."

Kara tilted her head. "My what now?"

Lena smiled, rubbing small circles on Kara's back to her great pleasure. "Your magical powers. All of us who are magic wielders have a finite amount of energy we can use in a given period of time. We recharge, drawing magic from the world around us, but it takes time, and the more magical power - mana - you have, the longer it takes when you've completed exhausted your reserves."

"Perhaps," Kalec mused. "However, it felt substantially larger than that, as though magic itself had been strained. A mage running out of mana does not impact the mana around them any more than an empty bucket impacts the well it was drawn from."

Alexstrasza placed a hand gently on Kara's shoulder. "And in your case, daughter, you managed that plus physically exerting yourself to exhaustion by lifting an entire city by yourself. Had we known you were in such peril, we would have come immediately to help. That said, you are quite the hero now."

Kara blinked, looking back and forth from her mother to Lena. "I- I am? Why?"

"Because you saved the city of Dalaran and very likely prevented yet another cataclysm by keeping the city from falling into Azeroth, Miss Danvers. I and all of the Kirin Tor are deeply in your debt for saving the city from absolute ruin," Kalecgos intoned, staring Kara in the eyes. "I... believe I owe you an apology. Possibly several. You have proven far beyond any doubt that not only are you no enemy of my dragonflight and the Kirin Tor, but you are a valued, brave ally to us all. For that, you have my thanks and my sincerest apologies for not accepting you as you are."

Kara looked at Lena, who nodded her head in assent. "It's true, Kara. Archmage Modera met me at Krasus Landing after the city was back where it belonged and said that without you, Dalaran would have been destroyed, Azeroth would have been thrown into a decade of darkness, and the rest of the Council of Six would have perished. Three of the six archmages were perilously close to death when you started to lift the city and they were able to stop casting."

Kalec cleared his throat. “Needless to say, we welcome you as the first true chromatic dragon of Azeroth to join the Wyrmrest Accord representing your flight, be it a flight of one at this moment. Though you started as one of Alexstrasza’s children, you have earned this honor.”

“I, uh, I don’t know what to say,” Kara smiled. “Thank you? But I honestly hope I’m the first and last of whatever I am, and... I have some business to attend to first.”

Alexstrasza raised an eyebrow. “What business is that? While you recovered, Lena said Cadmus, the being that did this to you, has been slain.”

Kara nodded. “She has been. But my adoptive mother, Eliza, her- our home was burned to the ground and she lost everything. I have to go back and help her rebuild.”

“Perhaps that will be a good opportunity for some training? You could learn to fine tune your very capable powers with some more delicate tasks,” Kalec mused. “I would be happy to guide you-“

“What about Lena?” Kara blurted out as she stared at the young mage. “I want her.” At the stares and arched eyebrows she received, Kara blushed. “As a teacher, guys. A teacher. You know, to teach me magic better!”

“Miss Luthor will be quite busy, I think,” Kalec smiled as Lena whipped her head around to look at him. “Archmage Modera and I agreed that in acknowledgement of her studies and efforts in this... incident, that she be made an Adept of the Kirin Tor, effective immediately.”

Kara picked Lena up in her arms, hugging her tight and practically squealing. “Lena! I’m so happy for you! You did it! You made it to Adept!”

“I- but what about the exams, the sitting before the board?” Lena quietly objected, looking back at her teacher. Becoming an adept had been the center of her focus for nearly a decade, her studies driving her forward and giving her purpose in life. Once she became an adept, she would have to start adventuring out in the world, applying her skills in real life instead of staying in Dalaran.

The telltale crackle of magic and the smell of ozone permeated the air as two more people teleported into the grassy knoll. “I think it’s safe to say your work in this incident before the Council of Six supersedes any need for you to sit before a board of lesser mages,” Archmage Khadgar smiled as he walked towards the dragons with Archmage Modera at his side. “We have been watching your actions very closely, Adept Luthor, and there is no need for any more administrative nonsense. Helping save Azeroth and befriend the only non-hostile chromatic dragon we’ve ever known are not things usually on the curriculum for apprentices.”

“Or archmages, frankly,” Modera grinned. “You have a bright future ahead of you, and I would be honored to continue being your mentor.” With a silent nod, Modera briefly embraced her former apprentice.

Lena sighed happily; Modera was as close to a mother figure she'd had in her life since fleeing Lordaeron, and to have her approval warmed her heart. "So I won't have to stop asking you for advice and help?"

"Quite the contrary, Adept. I expect to see you even more frequently as you uncover and solve the mysteries of magic all across this world," Modera smiled, patting Lena on the shoulder. "I am so proud of you."

As the dragons and mages finished issuing their congratulations to both, a comfortable silence fell over the party.

Until Kara’s stomach rumbled.

“Hey, that reminds me,” Kara chuckled. “Can one of you archmages please teach Lena how to conjure some larger meals? I mean, the cinnamon rolls are tasty and all, but sometimes a girl’s gotta have a little more than just sweets.”

Modera bent over laughing. “Of course. Normally we teach conjuring tables of refreshment later on, but as spells to teach early and outside the normal curriculum go, that’s certainly harmless enough.”

“Can I learn too?” Kara squeaked.

This time, it was Lena who laughed hard enough to unbalance herself. “With Kara’s power, she’ll probably summon an entire Winter Veil feast!”

After the laughter died down, Kara took Lena’s hand. “So... since our lunch date yesterday was so rudely interrupted by the impending end of the world, shall we go back and pick up where we left off?”

Without preamble, Lena, her new Adept status permitting her to teleport without needing permission, was already in the process of opening a portal. “I’d love to,” she smiled.

—-

The forty-seventh plate of potstickers done, Kara sat back with a relaxed sigh. “This was the best, Lena. Thank you for such a lovely first date.”

“No need to thank me, Kara. Apparently it was discussed among the Council of Six that as long as you remained friendly with the Kirin Tor, they would quietly settle the bill here for you.”

Kara’s eyes bulged as she almost broke the table slapping her palm down on it. “What? If I had known saving the world would come with an all you can eat buffet membership, I would have done it as soon as I could!” she chuckled. “Just between us, I really don’t care about all these honors and stuff, but free food? Now that is an award I will gladly accept.”

After a long moment, Lena reached her hand across the table. “Also, if I'm completely honest, this wasn't really our first date. Official, perhaps, but I feel like we've been dating after a fashion for quite some time."

"Since Redridge," Kara nodded in agreement and taking Lena's hand, "And the Pandaren takeout in the Inn. And you teleporting yourself into a wall by accident."

Lena rested her face in the palms of her hands. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" she bemoaned, dragging her fingers down her face.

The dragon vigorously shook her head. "Not on your life, Lena!" she giggled, holding out her hand. "Want to go for a walk?" At her assent, the two women signed their check and walked outside into the cool evening air. "Penny for your thoughts?" Lena asked, watching the blonde's faraway gaze under the twinkle of the stars.

"Just... so much has happened since we met. It seems like forever ago, and yet it seems like yesterday, you know?"

"I know. It's... it's been a lot to deal with, but honestly? I wouldn't have had it any other way," she laughed as she took the dragon's hand in her own. "This... I wouldn't have met you without all this craziness."

As the couple strolled through the gardens in Runeweaver Square, the soft sounds of water flowing from the various sculptures, Kara gave the mage's hand a gentle squeeze. "So, what's next for you?"

"I don't know," Lena said, biting her lip, "But I do know I don't want this to end. I, uh, I don't want to stop being together. Us, you know? I know we're both going to be busy from now on, and I'll have a lot of changes in very short order to make to my life."

"Maybe," Kara sat down on a stone bench next to a statue of Tirion Fordring and the bold adventurers who vanquished the Lich King. "Maybe we don't have to be apart, though. Maybe there's a way to be together?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're supposed to go off on your journey across the world now, right? Putting your magic to use, learning how to use it better?"

"Yes," the mage nodded. "As an adept, I'm supposed to go out and adventure a bit, see if I can level up my skills, as it were and find new knowledge to bring back to Dalaran. Why?"

Kara enveloped Lena's hand with both of hers. "If... if you'd be okay with it, once I'm done helping Eliza rebuild, of course... would you... would you like a partner? Someone to travel with you?" She struggled to get that much out, but in her head, Kara desperately wanted to confess that without Lena, she wasn't even sure who she was any longer.

To the dragon, it felt like dawn breaking over the horizon as Lena responded, brilliant white teeth shining in a smile. "Yes. Yes, Kara, I very much would like if you joined me. And," she smirked, "we can always teleport back here when you get really hungry, since the Kirin Tor are footing the bill."

Both women burst out laughing, the tension of the moment broken by laughter. "I'm certain I can spare the time to help you rebuild Eliza's farm as well. It shouldn't be too difficult. Besides, we're stronger together."

Kara laced her fingers together with Lena's. "Stronger together."

Author's Notes

This chapter and the next were originally one REALLY long chapter, but I ended up breaking it up. Plotwise, we're at the end of our tale, so there's just a few loose ends to wrap up left and a glimpse at where our favorite ladies might be off to next.

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Chapter Text

Every Color, Chapter 20: Endings and Beginnings

Lakeshire, Redridge

“It is substantially easier to do this sort of work when you don’t have to lift anything,” Eliza smiled as she pounded another nail into the wood frame of her house. She stepped back to marvel at how quickly the three women were able to rebuild. Lena had been practicing her use of very fine arcane missile spells to cut down trees and hew them into boards. And Kara, magical dragon that she was, somehow was levitating the boards not just from the nearby forest, but managing to hold them all in place, floating in the air. The Danvers household, such as it was, was a massive pile of floating wood just waiting to be hammered together.

Lena walked back along the dirt road to see the house’s components arranged carefully, as though someone had exploded a house like a finely drawn Gnomish engineering diagram. Every beam and panel shone with golden light; Kara had been using the Levitate spell she’d learned from Olisarra extensively.

“Kalec, would you be a dear and bring over the tea?” Eliza called out. The blue dragon in his half-elven form nodded quietly, grabbing a tray with a pitcher of ice cold tea on it and carrying it over to the house. He’d requested to watch the chromatic dragon use her powers; after Eliza had checked with her adoptive daughter, she’d permitted the mage to observe as long as it was understood she would put him to work. Thus far, he’d been impressed not only with Kara’s power, but her fine-tuned control.

“How much more do you think we have to do?” Lena asked, taking a drink of the honeymint brew, the corners of her mouth quivering with mirth. She was equal parts amused and impressed that Eliza thought absolutely nothing of Kalecgos’ station as the former Aspect of Magic, as well as Archmage of the Kirin Tor. To Kara’s adoptive mother, he was just another helping hand around the farm. “Another couple of days?”

Eliza wiped her brow with a checkered linen cloth. “Probably. Two, maybe three days. We’ve got the heaviest part of the frame done, so it’s really just putting the rest in place.”

“That’s not too bad, then. It’s a pity we can’t speed things up a bit more,” Lena offered, taking a bite from one of the mana cookies on the tray. “Can we, Archmage?” she asked, looking at the blue dragon who was tugging at his shirt collar uncomfortably.

“Well… there is one spell that we generally don’t teach because it can have deleterious effects sometimes. It permits a user to slow down time for a brief period. Beyond that, time magic is solely the domain of the Bronze Dragonflight, and we do not permit anyone from the Kirin Tor to practice it unsupervised.”

Kara laughed. “You guys, we’re overthinking this. Look, I know I’m pretty fast and pretty strong, but we’ve never really tested to see just how fast I can be. Why don’t we do that now? I’ve got the wood all levitating, let’s just see how fast I can go?”

“That seems perfectly reasonable to me,” Eliza agreed. “What do you need us to do?”

“I’d say maybe just take a couple of steps back so I don’t bump into you?” Kara picked up the hammer and a bucket of nails. “Here goes!” Kara’s eyes glowed as bright as the bluest summer sky as she picked up speed. Before long, she was a blur, her limbs moving beyond the ability for ordinary eyes to see. Not long after, her entire body was just a sparkling blue blur, flecks of arcane magic becoming bolts of lightning sparking on the ground near her. The sound of nails first resembled a drum corps, then a hailstorm, then one continuous sound. Lena and Eliza were forced to step back as gusts of wind buffeted them; even Kalec had to brace himself.

Barely a minute later, Kara skidded to a stop in front of the fully-built home, the dusty air around her shimmering from heat cascading off her body. The hammer she’d been using glowed a dull red from heat, the wooden handle charred on the outside. Fine wisps of smoke lent a charred scent to the air around them.

“What-” Kalec stood, slack jawed, the cup of tea in his hand dripping its last drops on the ground. “That’s impossible. Dragons cannot… cannot move that quickly. We are strong, yes, but… that’s not possible.” He closed his eyes but could not detect the use of any time magic to slow down time.

“Never doubt my daughter’s ability to do the impossible, Archmage,” Eliza smirked, taking a sip of her tea. “She will always surprise you.” Eliza regarded the house carefully, then opened the front door. The house looked as new as it had been the day Jeremiah and Eliza had constructed it the first time, with some help from the Eastvale Logging Camp. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of freshly cut oak beams and sawdust, warm in the sunlight.

“It’s just like when we first moved in, Kara,” Eliza breathed, tears pooling in her eyes. “Before you, before Alex… we had such hope for the future.” She looked around at the spacious home. Kara had restored everything the way it had been before the fire, even rebuilt the major pieces of furniture. She marveled at the dragon’s skill and memory; the white oak kitchen table that Jeremiah had built had been slightly too long on one side. He’d cursed himself for not measuring more carefully every time he accidentally banged his hip into it, and Eliza could tell just from looking that Kara had somehow rebuilt it precisely.

Without a word, Kara gently embraced her adoptive mother. “We’ll build everything back, Eliza. It’ll be just the way you remember it, only better. And you still have me and Alex, even if she’s away more than she’s home.”

The elderly woman leaned back in the hug for a moment. “Do I? I would imagine now that you know who you really are that you’ll be spending a lot more time with your… your birth family, won’t you?”

Kara shook her head as she conjured a flask of water and took a long drink. “I’m a dragon, yes. And I have a draconic family, but they’re no more important than you are, Eliza. You took me in for over a decade willingly and kindly, thinking me an orphan instead of a prisoner. You fed me, you clothed me, you put a roof over my head and the comfiest bed I’ve ever known… you’re just as much family to me, and you always will be. So I’ll be around, for as long as you want me to be.”

Eliza wiped a tear from her eyes. “That’ll be nice. Alex can only make it home every so often because of her duty schedule in Stormwind. It’ll be nice to have company here. And your girlfriend as well.”

Kara spit the water across the room. “Eliza! She’s not my… well, she isn’t my girlfriend yet. Though…” she bit her lip, “I certainly would like her to be. But I don’t know how to ask her. I’ve never- well, you know.”

“Mm, except for that one boy when you were growing up,” the elder woman nodded. “I never liked him or his family much anyway. They were always a bit shifty.”

“He was, my gosh. Last I heard, Michael was in the Stockades for trying to join up with the Defias gang.” Kara’s brow wrinkled at the unpleasant memory from when she was a teenager. When she was 14, one of the local boys cornered her just outside the Lakeshire Town Hall and made an attempt to kiss her on the lips. She put her palms on his shoulders and shoved him so hard that he flew hundreds of feet in the air, landing in the middle of Lake Everstill. Needless to say, no other boy or girl ever attempted something like that with Kara ever again. “Anyway, I’ve still not really had a real relationship, Eliza. What do I say to her?”

Eliza smiled as she leaned against the heavy wooden kitchen counter. “You just ask her if she’d be interested in getting a little more serious. Spending a little more time together. Ask her to dinner.”

Kara nervously bit her lip, wringing her hands together. “But… what if she says no? I don’t want to ruin the friendship we already have. She’s so wonderful, Eliza. I… I wouldn’t ever want to jeopardize what we have. I need Lena in my life, however I can get her.”

“She won’t say no.”

“How can you be so sure?” Kara asked, staring intently at Eliza for the elder Danvers’ wisdom as though she were searching for water in the Tanaris desert. “I wish I had your confidence. How do you know?”

Eliza broke into a wide grin. “Because she’s been standing behind you for the last two minutes and has been vigorously nodding the whole time?”

“Eliza!” Kara shrieked. “You could have told me!” She whirled around to see Lena leaning against the kitchen doorframe, a coy smile on her lips. “Uh- uh-” the dragon stammered, at a loss for any kind of coherent words.

“Yes,” Lena said simply.

“Yes?”

“Yes, Kara. I would like to be your girlfriend, and I would like you to be mine.”

“Magistrate Solomon, by order of King Varian Wrynn, you are hereby placed under arrest for conspiracy against the Crown of Stormwind,” Captain Alex Danvers proclaimed as Solomon was led away from Lakeshire’s town hall in chains. “Take him to the Stockades.”

“After dinner, do you want to head back to your room?” Kara asked, finishing up a plate of boneless spare ribs and licking her fingers.

Slightly flustered, Lena took a moment to wrest her eyes from Kara’s lips. “I, uh, I am actually in the middle of changing places to live. Once you’re no longer an apprentice, you don’t stay in the dormitories any more,” she sighed. She was loathe to spend money, a habit left over from after resettling in Theramore. Their parents had sent two modest chests of gold with them, one for her and one for Lex, and she’d managed to avoid spending much of it over the years, instead working at first as a waitress in Theramore’s inn until she had joined the Kirin Tor.

She’d made that gold last… until the destruction of Theramore by the Horde during the war for Pandaria. Garrosh Hellscream’s mana bomb had wiped every building in Theramore off the map, taking with it the last of Lena’s family and what little money she had.

Kara tilted her head. “Wait, what does being in the middle of changing places mean? How do you live in the middle of that?”

“It means,” Lena bowed her head, lowering her voice, “it means I don’t have a place to live yet. I’m looking for one I can afford, since I have to go start working and adventuring now as an adept. Things will be… a little tight for a while, until I have my feet under me.”

“You should come live with me and Eliza! We’ve got extra room now, because… well, you know. And even if we didn’t have room, there’s plenty of land to build a guest cottage or something. It’s not like you have to live in Dalaran any more - you can live wherever you want and just teleport back here whenever you want!”

Lena blinked. “You… really? You would want me to just… live with your mother and you?”

“Of course,” Kara nodded, beaming with delight. “Eliza would love the company, the two of you get along fine now that… now that she’s by herself, and that way when I’m off doing dragon things, she has someone there for her.”

“It’s not every day that a pretty woman asks me to move in with her,” Lena grinned. “All right, I accept - for now. Until I’ve finished my journeyman work and can truly hang up a shingle for myself.”

“Lena Luthor, traveling conjuror,” Kara giggled. “Available for birthday parties and other surprise occasions!”

Lena playfully slapped Kara’s arm. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“I am. Want to see something even more ridiculous?” Kara grinned. With Lena’s affirmative, she pulled the mage by the hand outside the restaurant and changed into the blue plate armor of Lordaeron, her red cloak billowing gently in the breeze. “Check this out, Lena!” She traced several runes in quick succession in the air, golden light and purple arcane sparks briefly settling over her, then began to float over the ground.

Lena stared, wide-eyed. “Kara… are you… flying?”

“Isn’t it neat? I tried it out earlier when we were finishing up Eliza’s house. I figured if I could get a bunch of boards to float in the air, why not myself?” She pulled the mage into her arms and slowly began to rise over the rooftops of the Magus Commerce Exchange.

“This… wow,” Lena breathed, looking at the lantern-lit streets of Dalaran in the dusky night air. In the distance, mages walked the streets, casting fire spells to light more lamps along the purple cobblestones. “I’ve never seen priests actually fly, just float above the ground. How are you doing this?”

“I mixed Slow Fall and Levitation together - and I have a lot more magical power than the average priest,” Kara said as she languorously drifted over the residential quarters of Dalaran. “It’s not as good as stretching my wings, but it’s a lot less conspicuous than a giant dragon hovering over the city, you know?”

Lena opened the box of her belongings - truthfully not all that much - and began to unpack in the spare bedroom in Eliza’s house the next morning. Originally, it had been Alex’s room, but with the elder sister now stationed in the army all over Azeroth, the room was empty most of the time.

After putting away her robes, she dug a small silver painting out of her bag. In the days after their grand adventure, Kara had sweetly flown back to Lordaeron and retrieved as much undamaged property as she could carry. One of her finds was a painting Lionel had commissioned for the bedroom of the whole family; it had fallen behind a nightstand and thus weathered the third war surprisingly well.

“I miss you, Lex,” Lena sighed, tracing her finger over her older brother’s face. He’d survived the Third War only to be killed in the attack on Theramore. “You would have liked her, I think. She’s got a quirky sense of humor just like you, and she loves to eat just like you.”

“Kara,” Alexstrasza murmured as the dragons walked slowly around the Vermillion Redoubt, a lushly forested enclave in the Twilight Highlands, “There’s someone I’d like you to look for, in your travels.”

The chromatic dragon nodded eagerly. “Of course! I’m excited to be traveling the world with Lena on her adventures, so I can certainly ask around. Who am I looking for?”

Alexstrasza regarded her progeny with a toothy grin. “How you’ve grown, my dear. I’m so proud of you. We’ve located all but one of your broodmates that were taken years ago in the attacks by Cadmus and their ilk.”

“Ah, of course. How can I help?”

One of the Dragon Queen’s attendants, a slightly smaller red dragon named Corastrasza, spoke up. “On Kalimdor, somewhere in the western edge of Dustwallow Marsh, we believe he has grown up as you did, though we don’t believe his adoptive family had anything to do with Cadmus. Our friends in SI:7 indicated Cadmus’ agents were killed by the Horde and the whelp, trapped in human form as you were, was adopted by some farmers. We need your help to find him.”

Kara nodded. “Lena said we’d need to head to Kalimdor anyway. She wants to visit her brother’s grave and pay tribute to him. It shouldn’t be too far a journey to get to the western part of the marsh at all. Do you know who the farmers are? I can ask around in the various settlements when we get there.”

Corastrasza opened up a yellowed vellum. “Yes,” she squinted at the tiny human handwriting, turning the scroll at various angles before settling in on it, “Jonathan and Martha Kent.”

The End

Author’s Notes

This fic began on October 27, 2021. Thanks to Blue and Senario for the motivation to write it; here we are 6 months later with the final product.

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