Babel's Magic-Khadgar FanFic

Cliffside Arrival

Eternally thankful that Khadgar didn't ask anything on the ride to Karazhan. Fain wasn't confidant either that she could have answered him at all between the rushing wind in her ears and the constant fear of being dropped from such great heights. The motions of Atiesh's body became easy to read over the past hour, Fain could tell when she needed more altitude and with a few mighty flaps of her wings achieved it. Or the opposite where the grand creature was caught by a favorable wind current and was able to soar above with little to no effort considering the mass being kept aloft in the sky.

A tap on her wrist and Fain jumped with a start as she realized Khadgar was trying to get her attention, "Fain, we're almost there. The view is, is just amazing. You should see." Though reluctant at first, Fain unlocked her arms from around his waist and slowly sat up straight in the saddle.

Below was a massive canyon surrounding jagged rocks, lined with different shades of green and grey from mosses, foliage and plants all clinging to life on the rocky surface.They scaled the face of a steep drop off leading her eyes up to the grand majesty of Karazhan before them. Towers and pillars dotting the plateau where all the masonry was erected. Even from a distance the intricate designs ascending each stone riddled tower was in such saturated detail they could spot it from atop the gryphon's back. Nothing compared to the central tower were at least five smaller towers hooked into with great arching bridges. The consistency of architect everywhere as it all came to a head in the middle adorning the magnificent spire soaring over every other building below.

Arms still limping around his hips, Fain sat in awe inspiring glory as Atiesh circled around the lower steeples and bobbed through a few of the waning towers on the outskirts of the main area. Swallowing her amazement Fain didn't even realize it when the gryphon landed with a soft click of her nails and tousled her wings before folding them in and taking up a well deserved seat on the stone floor. Khadgar's hands could be felt removing hers from his sides bit Fain did not move as she marveled at the works before her. Swinging his leg over the side of the saddle the mage hopped off and stretched a little before turning his attention back to his escort.

"Are you coming or are you going to watch like a child?" Khadgar couldn't help the smirk curling in at his lips, proud more than anything of the grandeur of the place. Knowing fully well he was one of the few left on Azeroth that could unlock the secrets to the oldest magic in their wold. The smirk turned into a full blown toothy smile when Fain's awe stricken face finally made the complete circle back to him and she starred mouth half agape, big slate eyes wide and windblown hair feathering this way and that way around her face, "Welcome to Karazhan." Khadgar stepped forward and offered her a hand.

Still a little wonderstruck at all that lay before her, Fain took the offered help as she tried to unhook her feet from the foot hold of the saddle. Not yet recovering to her land legs the woman lost her footing and took a half hearted tumble off the saddle into her mage counter part. A little grunt but catching her Khadgar held firmly onto her arms as Fain scrunched her face and rubbed the hair from her eyes and gained her footing. Turning her back to his chest, Fain starred up at the wonderful sky they just descended from. Vertigo still skewing her balance as she took a step back into Khadgar, which he welcomed with tender hands on her forearms, Fain gawked at everything before them. The sky meeting in a distinct line in the distance where powder blue sky turned into a verdant pregnant green ocean of trees. All of which was nothing compared to the great stone cliff they stood on like a throne overlooking the rest of the planet. Nothing but soft whispering wind and chirps of happy birds could be heard.

"Th-This....This is Azeroth?" Fain stumbled on her words as she stepped away from Khadgar's closeness towards the edge of the escarpment they were on. Peering down Fain felt the same woozy feeling of being up on Atiesh's back staring down the sharp rock face that plummeted into nothing but pure greens. Teetering a little on her feet there was a hand placed in the middle of her back and Fain gave a start but only remembered Khadgar was where her. Tossing her head back she looked to the mage on her left with childlike wonder, "Does your world always look like this?"

The corner of his brown eyes wrinkled a little as he couldn't help a tiny smile and Khadgar took in a deep breath of the spring time air, "More or less always this amazing. But it's spring time right now."


"Spring?" Fain didn't understand and looked back down at the trees so lush and beautiful.

"Spring, its a season. Don't you have seasons where you come from?" Khadgar's hand had dropped from her back and he turned his body to her with his question. Fain gave a confused look not picking up on his words and shook her head.

"It's dry, for the most part. In the north it use to rain and white rain, the white rain is what told is how much water we'd have during the hottest days. But since Gul'dan came to power, the orcs have swallowed up more and more of the land. Nothing is the same except heat and sun," her expression told more than just her recollection of her homeworld. Khadgar wanted to reach out and hug the woman seeing the loss etch itself on her face. He with held though and turned his eyes back out to the sea of green.

"We here in Azeroth have four seasons. Now we are in spring, a time of new. Babies are born, plants are sown into the earth, things germinate and grow." Khadgar explained, he took Fain's hand and drew a circle in the palm of her hand, a light flickered and a small arcane seed appeared not two inches above her palm, "When they have been birthed or burst from the seeds, summer comes and gives the light and warmth needed to grow," Dancing his fingers around the teal colored aberration in her hand, the small seed seemed to swell then burst with a tiny seedling. Fain starred in wonder as it turned from two tiny leaves into a small twiggy tree and then into a miniature version of what laid out before them, "Summer comes and makes everything strong and healthy and ready for winter. But before winter come Autumn. Foods are ready to be harvested, days come to an end quicker, nights colder and weather changes. Babies are full grown, plants baring their last foods and storing up for winter." The tree in her palm slowly shed it's leaves, one by one falling to the roots and disappearing the moment it touched her skin, "Some are ready for winter others perish, so is life, and snows, rains and winds come. It's when we celebrate the most festive holidays." Khadgar gave her a sly smile as she looked utterly confused but he knew if she were to stay long enough the mage couldn't deny taking her to see the grand lighting of the Merry Tree in Ironforge, "All comes full circle and Spring starts all over again, all in a year." Khadgar beamed a smile down on her and with one swift movement the arcane life in her hand fizzled out at the end of his story.

Touching her palm with curious fingertips, Fain couldn't feel a trace of his magic on her skin as she was still processing what he'd said, "...I want to see it. I want to see it all." She announced, hand still in his as she looked up with determination, "I want to see these seasons, how do we get to see them?"

Chuckling Khadgar padded her palm between his larger hands and shook his head before letting her hand go and walking away from the cliff back over to the patient Atiesh, "It takes an entire year to see all of it happen. You don't make mother nature go any faster or any slower, she has her rhythm as she always had. You would have to stay here much longer than one war to see all of it."

The phantom touch he left on her skin lingered and Fain gingerly held her hand feeling his own even as he walked over to the gryphon and began unpacking the beasts saddles. Upset by how easy it was for him to show her all that tremendous magic and then say she had to wake, the foreigner frowned with a small huff as she looked back out at the trees, "Then I shall stay, I will stay and I will see these seasons in all their greatness. If it is true, or simply you lie to me and no place is capable of such magic."

"Lie to you?" Khadgar lugged a sack off the saddle as he unbuckled it and let it drop at his feet before giving her a smile across the way, "Why would I lie about my own world?"

"...I do not know, but it seems no place is capable of such changes in such a short time," Fain retorted, walking over and snatching the heavier of the two duffle bags from him, "You simply promised magic, for your sake I hope your world delivers." Khadgar couldn't help the shiver her stern words sent through his spine and still the goofy grin persisted as she walked right past him into the main arch ways of Karazhan's main building.

Atiesh snorted and gave a shook, Khadgar simply rolling his eyes at the bird and thinking to himself how much he might have to favor Lothar for a while after this stunt of sending the woman and himself to Karazhan. Childlike innocence Khadgar couldn't help the giddy feeling in his stomach thinking of Fain staying even longer in his world.