Imajin That!

When an ambitious young troll magically disguises herself as a gnome in order to study in Dalaran, mayhem ensues! Can Imajin cope with student life, keep her secret, and become a powerful archmage? Side story leading up to "Straydog Saga."

Part 1: I'm on a boat!

The tiny speck of a girl shivered at the sight of the towering white gates of Stormwind. The gnome with a puff of bright orange hair and big baby-blue eyes did her best not to panic in the presence of such constructed majesty. She had traveled from her modest home in Durotar to marvel over finely-polished statues and iron-clad soldiers. Had her strange potion not worked, Imajin would surely have been killed on sight. But the strange, nauseating mixture transformed her tusks into petite teeth, her blue skin to a ruddy peach, and her tall stature into one that could easily be hidden in a backpack if needed.

But no ill intent dwelled within the young creature of barely 15 years as she crossed over into what would have been enemy territory. Imajin's goal was not to reach the keep where the Alliance figureheads dwelled or the busy trade district where many could be harmed. Ima scurried as fast as her stubby little legs would carry her towards the docks where, according to a large piece of elaborate parchment, a boat was waiting to take her and other prospective students to the tepid reaches of the Borean Tundra. After perfecting her common writing skills, Imajin sent her application along with a supporting magical projects portfolio to study among the Dalaran apprentices and students.

To her shock and delight, the school portion of the magical city accepted her, but as the tiny creature she claimed to be. Imajin traveled all over Kalimdor to find the ingredients for a potion that would transform her into her petite persona, and when the potion took affect found herself ready to make the journey to her new home in the magical city.

There were portals in the illustrious mage district that could have taken Imajin to her destination in an instant, but fledgling and prospective mages were barred from their use, per safety regulations and general volume of patrons. Ima could smell the delicious aroma of human cuisine she had only read about from books she'd acquired from the abandoned human ships and other refuse near her coastal home. Ima had been collecting the tomes and decoding them ever since she could lift them from the sea. When she spoke common, none would question her gnomish origin. Imajin's stomach growled, compelling her to stop her progression for just a moment, to purchase some warm baked bread.

"What'll it be, miss?" the baker asked, quickly waving a hand to her wares. Ima tapped a tiny finger to her lips before pointing at one of the smaller pastries. Ima pulled out 50 silver pieces and in a few moments her stomach was enjoying a full if not rushed feeling. She hiccupped a little as she continued on her way. As she entered the crowd, Ima found it increasingly hard to keep her pace while avoiding careless feet and curious human children.

"S-Scuse me, HEY!" Ima squeaked as a tall figure nearly kicked her like a child's toy.

"I'm sorry, miss." the night elf apologized before muttering to his companion: "I don't mind gnomes, I'm just always tripping over one…" Ima's hearing was keen, but she did not pursue the comment. Instead, she emerged from the canals to find a row of ships small and large waiting to leave or offloading their cargo.

"Lets see here…'The Purple Needle'…" Imajin muttered to herself, checking her acceptance letter once again to clarify the instructions. The sea air caused images of her tiny Sen'jin village to waft through her dreamy mind. Imajin shook her head and continued to the boarding areas, passing ship after massive ship before she spotted a medium-size boat decorated in purple banners. "There it is!" Ima smiled. But as she walked closer to the vessel she felt her blood run cold. It was drifting out of port, and she was not on its esteemed deck.

"W-WAIT!" Imajin screamed, red-faced and legs straining to carry her towards the fast- drifting ship. She cursed herself for a moment as the bread in her stomach turned into a stone. But it was then that one of the basic spells mentioned in a sandy, washed up tome came to mind. She closed her eyes, making sure the path was clear first before uttering the incantation. She felt the word around her shift, as if someone took a rope that was tied around her wasted and yanked hard. When she opened her eyes again, she was teetering on the edge of the bow.

"H-HELP!" Ima squeaked as she flailed, trying to lean forward enough to fall onto the boat instead of the Stormwind harbor. A strong pair of hands grasped Imajin's waist and pulled her from a watery peril and onto the deck.

"Such tardiness will not be tolerated in the future, miss…" The human mage asked with a smile.

"I-Ima Ation." She blushed. The sight of humans usually turned her stomach, but the one who stood before her seemed to cause her cheeks to flush at worst. He gave her a dashingly warm smile and confidently nodded.

"Well, Miss Ation, wherever did you learn that spell?"

"A b-book…" Ima bowed her head in defeat as the human mage sighed.

"In any regard, please find your way below deck for check in and the meet and greet." Ima looked up at the tall, red-haired human and gave a submissive nod. It was then that her nimble vision saw a small sticker on his elaborately decorated robes. The small, square sticker read: 'Hello, My Name Is:' with the name Romulus Redmane finely scrawled beneath. Imajin's face turned bright red as her command of the common language slipped into a series of lolls and sputters. Romulus's smile shifted into a look of concern. "A-Are you alright?"

"Y-You're…are you…I mean…you…R-Romulus the Obsidian Slayer?" Imajin finally managed to utter. The great slayer of black dragons and operations chief of the White Branch Initiative always took small breaks for recruitment and student orientation days. Though he never spoke of it, teaching brought a warmer feeling to the tall human's chest than any great victory in battle. But at the moment, if it was possible for the straight-standing human to inflate any taller, he appeared to in the presence of the tiny gnome.

"You've done your homework. That will serve you well in your studies. Now, lets get you below deck and signed in." Romulus nodded and ushered the tiny Ima below deck, where her fellow prospective students and faculty dwelled. Ima nervously smiled as she noticed the group's decided lack of students of her stature. As she later would learn, gnomes primarily left from Ironforge in their skillfully crafted air-ships to the great violet city. The humans seemed to stand with humans. Elves seemed to keep to their own small group. It wasn't until Romulus gave her another nudge did Ima feel her feet start to move.

"Name?" the disinterested purveyor of the sign-in sheet drawled.

"Ima Ation." she squeaked and presented her acceptance material as instructed in the letter. The human at the desk quickly looked for the purple eye stamp and checked off the name on his list. He handed her a large bundle of paperwork. Accepting the stack nearly sent the gnome off balance.

"Fill these out. Should keep you plenty busy on the way to Northrend."

"Y-Yes sir." Ima nodded and teetered towards a short table. Romulus bid her good luck before heading to his private cabin, which made her cheeks go rosy. She sat down on a tiny stool, pulled out her ink and quill, and began the tedious task of filling out class and club sign-ups and other administrative documents.

As the exciting day hung with the setting sun, Ima felt her tiny hands begin to cramp. But soon she would be in Northrend, and her nervous heart beat with the uncertainty that would hopefully disappear the moment she set foot inside the violet-colored city.

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