"Agh! Damn it, Rhodes! My head feels like it's going to burst! Why does it hurt so much?" Jaina clutched her head, rolling on the ground. She felt as if a complex, agonizingly detailed magic circle had been branded into her mind, granting her the **Magic Arrow** spell at a steep price.
"Deep breaths, Jaina. The dizziness is normal," Rhodes said, trying to offer some comfort.
"Try it yourself and you'll see! I bet it didn't hurt this much when you learned it—not even close," Jaina muttered weakly, eventually sitting up, drenched in sweat.
The experience was like a direct neurological assault, worse than a Priest's Psychic Scream. Both the sorceress and the elf sat there looking utterly drained, their heads literally buzzing.
"This is Titan-level magic," Rhodes explained helplessly. "My situation is unique, so I didn't suffer the same pain, but for anyone else, this is the cost of entry." He hadn't expected the **Scholar** skill to be quite so violent when imprinting spells onto Azerothian natives.
"Gina, how many times can you cast this a day?" Rhodes asked, crouching beside her.
Without elemental skill bonuses, Magic Arrow costs 5 mana. Capurnia had estimated she could cast it about 10 times, implying her mana pool was around 50 to 60 "points" in system terms. However, Rhodes suspected their actual power was higher; they just needed to acclimate to this alien spell system.
"I can probably manage ten or so as well," Jaina said, rubbing her temples. "But I need to test it properly later."
"Want to try one now?"
"We need to rest. That's enough for today!" both women said simultaneously, exchanging a weary glance.
Rhodes shrugged and helped them up, shakily escorting the sorceress and the elf back to their respective rooms. They had been excited to learn "Titan Magic," but a single spell had left them feeling like they'd survived a brush with death. The sheer mental strain of having a foreign memory-construct carved into their brains was something only a top-tier mage could even survive.
"Great Master," Solmyr whispered. "It seems your companions will need at least two months of rest before they can accept another spell."
The **Scholar** skill was brutal. If these two weren't elite mages with high mental fortitude, their brains would have likely liquefied the moment the transfer began. Rhodes realized that while Heroes might learn these spells easily, ordinary mages or apprentices would never stand a chance.
"Understood. Solmyr, you won't be coming to the Eastern Kingdoms. Stay here," Rhodes decided. "When Uther returns, try teaching him the Level 1 spells: **Bless**, **Cure**, **Shield**, and **Magic Arrow**. If he can take it, teach him. If not, drop it. But do not—under any circumstances—try teaching him Level 2 spells until I return."
If Level 1 spells caused this much agony, Level 2 might be fatal. Besides, with Uther's Titan weapon, he could already dominate any threat currently in Kalimdor.
---
Rhodes then took Solmyr to Princess Calia, appointing the Genie as her personal bodyguard and magical consultant. Given his high intellect, Solmyr had already mastered various Azerothian magics, including Holy, Shadow, and Fel energy. He was as powerful as Jaina and far more imposing in his "Master Genie" form. Rhodes also left behind a contingent of Conflux troops—Sprites, Elementals, and Magic Elementals—to handle any emergencies.
The airship trip to the Eastern Kingdoms would take half a month. By the time they arrived, his town would produce eight more Phoenixes. Added to his current four, he'd have a dozen.
Tier 7 Phoenixes were no longer a rare luxury for Rhodes. He was producing 4 a week, which meant roughly 208 Phoenixes a year. Two hundred Tier 7 units per year was a terrifying statistic. In five years, he'd have a literal army of over a thousand Phoenixes. Of course, this required 8,000 gold and 4 units of Mercury per week just to hire them.
*I need more gold. I'm always short on gold,* Rhodes lamented. He also needed **Mithril**, the rare resource required for Tier 8 upgrades. While Mithril was "common" in the game version of *In the Wake of Gods*, it was extremely rare in reality, though it did exist in Azeroth. He'd have to start hoarding it.
He began to fantasize. In six years, when he marched on the Frozen Throne with a thousand **Sacred Phoenixes**—or even the Tier 9 **Oracle Phoenixes**—what would Arthas do? What would *any* boss do? A thousand Phoenixes chirping in unison would be enough to incinerate the entire Scourge in a single afternoon.
---
Capurnia and Jaina slept for over 24 hours. They didn't wake up until the following afternoon, still nursing slight headaches.
"You're finally awake," Rhodes said. "The Steamwheedle Cartel sent word. A magical airship arrives tomorrow to take us to the Eastern Kingdoms. Get ready."
"I want to sleep for seven more days," Jaina said with a massive yawn. "That hurt more than... well, anything. I just want to stay in bed."
"I'd love to join you," Capurnia sighed, "but my people are suffering. We can rest on the airship during the two-week journey."
"Don't worry," Rhodes said sternly. "Once you've recovered, I'll teach you more spells."
"Actually," the two women said in unison, "we'd like to wait at least three months. Or just give us more scrolls!"
"Fine, fine. Since you're both so 'traumatized,' I have a gift for you," Rhodes said with a mysterious smile.
"I hope it's not another 'exploding head' gift," Jaina muttered.
"I'm giving each of you a **Phoenix** to serve as your magical familiar."
Rhodes summoned two massive, majestic birds. In reality, these Phoenixes were far larger than Angels—15 meters tall with a 25-meter wingspan, their bodies wreathed in beautiful, living flame.
"Rhodes... you're joking, right?" Capurnia stared in shock. "You're giving me the symbol of the Sunstrider royal family as a *pet*?"