Coffee & Chaos
Lightlillie had arrived in the Azure Span. In her hands, she carried two steaming cups of coffee, their rich aroma a sharp contrast to the crisp, magical air. She felt the warmth of the cup as she walked, savoring its heat against the chill.
She chuckled as a Pepe suddenly landed on her head, bundled up in a tiny, cozy outfit. Though she wasn’t particularly fond of the cold, she had dressed warmly and was especially grateful for the earmuffs she had bought from a vendor in Valdrakken.
It was March, and spring was beginning to bloom across Azeroth, but the Azure Span remained one of the coldest places, where the temperature rarely changed.
Lightlillie stepped into the grand halls of the Azure Archives, the scent of ancient books and arcane energy swirling around her. A cool breeze drifted in through the towering windows, rustling the parchment of floating scrolls. She scanned the library, searching for Kalecgos—and there he was, standing between the towering bookshelves, his arms crossed. But he wasn’t looking at her. His sharp gaze was locked onto something else—a small, blue whelp, darting frantically between the shelves.
The whelp, no larger than a tuskarr’s fishing basket, was pulling books from the shelves with alarming speed, scanning their pages for mere seconds before huffing in frustration and dropping them unceremoniously to the floor. Then, without missing a beat, it dashed off to grab another.
Lightlillie suppressed a chuckle as she approached Kalecgos. She held out one of the cups to him, her amusement evident in her voice.
“I see you’ve got a new student?” she mused, taking a sip from her own cup.
Kalecgos accepted the coffee with a weary sigh, shaking his head as the whelp continued its chaotic search for… something.
Books lay scattered around the floor in a messy, growing pile, and yet Firestanza—the name came to Lightlillie in a flash, as if she could hear the whelp’s inner turmoil—seemed completely oblivious to the mess they were making. What was she searching for so desperately?
Lightlillie watched as the little dragon let out a frustrated growl, flaring their wings before grabbing yet another book.
“What is your name, little whelp? Are you a new student?” Lightlillie asked, tilting her head curiously.
The whelp startled, wings twitching as she spun around to see the draenei mage standing there. Firestanza hadn’t noticed her enter, too lost in their frantic search. She flickered toward her, ears twitching at the sight of the kind-faced mage who radiated warmth and determination.
The whelp hesitated for a moment before flapping her wings and landing on Kalecgos’ shoulder, curling up slightly as if seeking comfort. Then, as if all the emotions had been waiting for this moment, the whelp let out a shaky breath and started to cry.
“My name is Firestanza... but I am scared of fire... and I am blue, but I'm not too keen on frost either, it makes my nose freeze... and fire scares me... Arcane looks very pretty, but all that flashing makes my head hurt. To be honest.. I don’t like any of them, but everyone keeps saying I am a dragon, that I must breathe fire or frost or arcane…”
Their voice cracked, and she buried her face into her claws, letting out a small sob. Kalecgos sighed softly, lifting a gentle hand to stroke the little whelp’s back in comfort.
Lightlillie stepped closer, her expression filled with sympathy. She knelt slightly to meet Firestanza’s gaze and offered a gentle smile.
“Sometimes we find answers when we don’t force them to come. Maybe you would like to join me on a little adventure, I would love a companion as my pet alpaca Dottie is home, see Alpaca's are not so keen on the frost either.”
Firestanza blinked up at her, sher sniffles quieting as curiosity sparked in her tear-filled eyes. An adventure…?
And just like that, the first ember of something new was lit.
A Story by the Fire
The snow crunched beneath Lightlillie’s hooves as she and Firestanza made their way toward the Tuskarr village. Cozy lights flickered from within the round, fur-lined tents, and the rich aroma of warm stew and salted fish filled the air.
Stepping inside Elder Poa’s tent, they presented her with a scroll from Kalecgos—an old victory tale she cherished as part of her growing collection.
Inside, a few villagers and their children, bundled in thick furs, sat gathered around a large fire. An elder Tuskarr, her voice deep and steady, spoke as the young ones listened intently to her story.
Among them, a Tuskarr child named Nanuk spotted Firestanza and immediately brightened. "Would you like to play with us?" he asked eagerly. "We’re going sledding with the Ottuks later!"
At Lightlillie’s encouraging nod, Firestanza smiled and settled down with the group, her earlier worries momentarily forgotten in the warmth of their company and stories.
Elder Poa observed Firestanza and said “That little whelpling carries a heavy heart”
Lightlillie sighed, watching Firestanza with fondness. “She is searching for something she doesn’t understand yet. She fears fire, dislikes frost, arcane makes her head hurt… and she wonders if she is even a dragon at all.”
Elder Poa nodded thoughtfully. “Ah, I see.”
Later, as Firestanza returned from her games, curling up near Lightlillie, Elder Poa glanced at the little whelp and spoke gently. “Would you like to hear a story, little one?”
Firestanza nodded shyly, tucking her tail around her feet. Lightlillie hugged her with comfort and with a couraging look.
The elder chuckled and began. “Long ago, there was a dragon who did not know her magic.”
Firestanza’s ears perked up.
“She tried to breathe fire, but no flame came. She tried to summon frost, but no ice formed. She felt lost, unsure if she was even a dragon at all.”
Firestanza leaned in, hanging onto every word.
The elder continued, “One day, she stopped trying so hard and simply listened—to the wind, to the sky, to the stars. And do you know what happened?”
Firestanza shook her head.
“She found that her magic was not fire or frost, but something else entirely—something all her own.”
The little whelp gasped. “What was it?”
The elder smiled. “That is for each dragon to discover on their own. Magic is not just given; it is found.”
Lightlillie glanced at Firestanza, whose eyes were wide with wonder. Perhaps, just perhaps, they were on the right path after all.
In the evening, Nanuk and Firestanza ran toward Lightlillie, a Tuskarr woman named Sivak, following them with a warm smile. She introduced herself to Lightlillie, explaining that she was Nanuk’s mother and that Nanuk wanted to know if Firestanza and Lightlillie could stay with them for the night.
"Nanuk and Firestanza had such a wonderful time together—it would be a shame to end their fun so soon! And for you, Lillie, we have a cozy guest tent that my husband, Toklo, just finished renovating. We would be honored to have you as our first guest!"
Lightlillie smiled and nodded in agreement, bursting into laughter as Firestanza and Nanuk cheered before dashing off to continue their play.
The Missing Herb
The next morning, the Tuskarr camp filled with panic—Big Kinook, the renowned soup-maker, had forgotten a crucial herb from today's fishsoup! Without it, the dish would be incomplete. But the ingredient was too far away to retrieve before the broth grew cold.
Firestanza’s ears perked up. “I know that herb! And I was the fastest flyer in whelp daycare—I can get it!”
Without hesitation, she spread her wings and soared into the sky, determination shining in her eyes. Lightlillie watched as the little whelp glided gracefully through the air, cheering alongside Nanuk, Sivak, and Toklo, who had come to witness their friend’s moment of self-discovery. Lightlillie could also feel that Kalecgos was aware of what was happening—and that he was smiling.
Firestanza returned not only with the missing herb but also with another she thought would enhance the dish.
Big Kinook hesitated but added the extra herb, he was a renowed food enthusiast and wasn't afraid to experiment with new things. The moment he tasted the soup, his eyes widened in astonishment. The Tuskarrs and Lightlillie, who eagerly took a sip, gasped in delight. It was the most delicious thing they had ever tasted!
“This is incredible! How did you know this would work?” Big Kinook asked.
Firestanza shuffled her claws, looking a little shy. “I love herbs and seasonings… I’ve always been fascinated by them, but I never thought it was something important for a dragon to know.”
Lightlillie chuckled warmly. “Then perhaps you’ve found your magic after all.”
From that moment on, Firestanza was no longer just a whelp searching for her magic—she was a chef in the making.
A few months later..
A few months later, Lightlillie was taking Dottie for a walk near their apartment in Stormwind when they stopped to check the mail. Among the letters, she noticed a package. Curious, she opened it and found a letter inside.
"Thank you for everything you did for me, Lightlillie. You will always be one of my best friends, and I cannot wait for you to come back and taste all the new foods Big Kinook and I have been making! I'm having so much fun—Nanuk is my best friend, and his parents want to adopt me! I finally feel like I’ve found my home. Thank you!!
With love,
Firestanza"
P.S. Elder Poa wanted to send you something too!
Lightlillie reached into the package and pulled out a beautifully decorated Victory Scroll. As she unrolled it, she read the title—"The Whelp Who Found Her Flavor."
Overcome with joy, she let out a cheer, lifting the scroll high as Dottie happily bounced around her in excitement.
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