Read Online Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War by Christie Golden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christie Golden
Ads: Link
pleasant as it is, I don’t think you came all the way from Northrend to compliment and be complimented.”
He sighed and took a sip of the tea. “Unfortunately you are correct. Lady—”
“Jaina, please. I don’t stand much on ceremony in my home.”
“Jaina…” He lifted blue eyes to her that no longer held any hint of lightness. “We’re in trouble. All of us.”
“Your flight?”
“No, not just my people. Everyone in Azeroth.”
“My, that’s a tall tale.” Kinndy stood in the doorway, looking both confused and wary. “Or at least exaggerated. Surely not every single person in Azeroth will be affected by whatever trouble the blue dragonflight has gotten itself into now.”
Her hair was a mess. Jaina suspected she’d put it up in pigtails quickly without even running a brush through it. Kalecgos seemed more amused than upset by the gnome’s sharp tongue, and he turned to Jaina quizzically. Jaina recalled Kinndy’s statement to Pained, that no one took her seriously. She felt sure that Kalecgos would learn to.
“Kalecgos, may I present Kinndy Sparkshine. My apprentice.”
“How d’ya do,” said Kinndy, helping herself to some tea. “I heard you talking outside to Archmage Tervosh. I got curious.”
“A pleasure to meet you, apprentice Sparkshine. I am sure that anyone Jaina chooses to take under her wing is a worthy student.”
Kinndy sniffed and sipped tea. “You’ll forgive me, sir,” she said. “Given all that’s recently happened, I and the rest of the Dalaran magi are a bit… leery of your flight. I mean, you know—war and attempted slaughter of all other magi. Things like that.”
Jaina winced inwardly. A twenty-two-year-old apprentice was all but accusing the former blue Dragon Aspect of, at the very least, bearing the responsibility for a previous Aspect’s actions, and at the most, being deceitful himself.
“Kinndy, Kalecgos is a dragon of peace. He’s not like Malygos. He—”
Kalec lifted a hand, politely interrupting her. “That’s quite all right. No one knows better than I what my people have done to others who use arcane magic in this world. I have come to expect Kinndy’s attitude from anyone who—well, who isn’t a blue dragon.” He gave thegnome a small smile. “A rather large part of my task as the flight’s leader, if no longer its Aspect, has been to try to show that not all of us approved of the Nexus War. And that since the death of Malygos, we have not attempted to control or manipulate others who use the arcane.”
“Isn’t that the flight’s job, though?” asked Kinndy. “Wasn’t the Aspect entrusted with that very duty? And don’t you still kind of perform that role, even if your unique abilities are gone?”
Kalecgos’s eyes took on a faraway look. When he spoke, his voice was both softer and deeper, though it remained his own. “‘Magic must be regulated, managed, and controlled. But it must also be appreciated and valued and not hoarded. Such is the contradiction you must deal with.’”
Jaina felt a shiver run along her spine. Even Kinndy looked subdued. Kalecgos’s eyes once again became bright and alert, and he regarded both of them. “These were the words once spoken by Norgannon, the titan who gave Malygos the power of an Aspect.”
“And so you make my point for me,” Kinndy said.
Understanding now that Kalecgos would not take umbrage, and thinking that it might be wise for her to hold her tongue and let the two of them hash it out, Jaina leaned back against the couch’s cushion and simply observed.
“All words are subject to interpretation,” said Kalecgos. “Malygos chose to understand that he was the ultimate minder of magic. Because he disapproved of how others were choosing to manage magic, he decided to recover it all for himself and his flight alone—that only they could appreciate and value it. I choose to regulate, manage, and control my own magic. To lead by example. To encourage others to
He sighed and took a sip of the tea. “Unfortunately you are correct. Lady—”
“Jaina, please. I don’t stand much on ceremony in my home.”
“Jaina…” He lifted blue eyes to her that no longer held any hint of lightness. “We’re in trouble. All of us.”
“Your flight?”
“No, not just my people. Everyone in Azeroth.”
“My, that’s a tall tale.” Kinndy stood in the doorway, looking both confused and wary. “Or at least exaggerated. Surely not every single person in Azeroth will be affected by whatever trouble the blue dragonflight has gotten itself into now.”
Her hair was a mess. Jaina suspected she’d put it up in pigtails quickly without even running a brush through it. Kalecgos seemed more amused than upset by the gnome’s sharp tongue, and he turned to Jaina quizzically. Jaina recalled Kinndy’s statement to Pained, that no one took her seriously. She felt sure that Kalecgos would learn to.
“Kalecgos, may I present Kinndy Sparkshine. My apprentice.”
“How d’ya do,” said Kinndy, helping herself to some tea. “I heard you talking outside to Archmage Tervosh. I got curious.”
“A pleasure to meet you, apprentice Sparkshine. I am sure that anyone Jaina chooses to take under her wing is a worthy student.”
Kinndy sniffed and sipped tea. “You’ll forgive me, sir,” she said. “Given all that’s recently happened, I and the rest of the Dalaran magi are a bit… leery of your flight. I mean, you know—war and attempted slaughter of all other magi. Things like that.”
Jaina winced inwardly. A twenty-two-year-old apprentice was all but accusing the former blue Dragon Aspect of, at the very least, bearing the responsibility for a previous Aspect’s actions, and at the most, being deceitful himself.
“Kinndy, Kalecgos is a dragon of peace. He’s not like Malygos. He—”
Kalec lifted a hand, politely interrupting her. “That’s quite all right. No one knows better than I what my people have done to others who use arcane magic in this world. I have come to expect Kinndy’s attitude from anyone who—well, who isn’t a blue dragon.” He gave thegnome a small smile. “A rather large part of my task as the flight’s leader, if no longer its Aspect, has been to try to show that not all of us approved of the Nexus War. And that since the death of Malygos, we have not attempted to control or manipulate others who use the arcane.”
“Isn’t that the flight’s job, though?” asked Kinndy. “Wasn’t the Aspect entrusted with that very duty? And don’t you still kind of perform that role, even if your unique abilities are gone?”
Kalecgos’s eyes took on a faraway look. When he spoke, his voice was both softer and deeper, though it remained his own. “‘Magic must be regulated, managed, and controlled. But it must also be appreciated and valued and not hoarded. Such is the contradiction you must deal with.’”
Jaina felt a shiver run along her spine. Even Kinndy looked subdued. Kalecgos’s eyes once again became bright and alert, and he regarded both of them. “These were the words once spoken by Norgannon, the titan who gave Malygos the power of an Aspect.”
“And so you make my point for me,” Kinndy said.
Understanding now that Kalecgos would not take umbrage, and thinking that it might be wise for her to hold her tongue and let the two of them hash it out, Jaina leaned back against the couch’s cushion and simply observed.
“All words are subject to interpretation,” said Kalecgos. “Malygos chose to understand that he was the ultimate minder of magic. Because he disapproved of how others were choosing to manage magic, he decided to recover it all for himself and his flight alone—that only they could appreciate and value it. I choose to regulate, manage, and control my own magic. To lead by example. To encourage others to
Similar Books
