Rhodes settled into a seemingly regular and privileged life within Azshara's court. He was granted freedom to roam specific areas of the royal capital, though always "accompanied" by Vashj or a handmaiden she had appointed.
On the surface, they were guides; in reality, they were wardens. Rhodes was well aware of this but chose not to call it out. For now, he had no need for drastic action—he was content to let history unfold according to the records.
Queen Azshara found Rhodes's stories utterly fascinating, showing an intense yearning for the fantastical sci-fi worlds he described. And why wouldn't she be? Rhodes purposefully selected classic novels to recount. He didn't visit her every day, however; occasionally, he busied himself with other pursuits, such as exploring the magical system of ancient Azeroth.
During the era of the Night Elf Empire, the arcane arts had reached a pinnacle. Master magi were everywhere, wielding a level of magic that the future could never hope to match. With Azshara's tacit approval, Rhodes began frequenting the "Astromancy Hall" in the Royal Mage Quarter—a circular structure built from floating arcane crystals, where magical dust swirled beneath a dome to simulate the movement of the stars.
Guided by a Highborne sorcerer, Rhodes began studying their magical tomes. To be honest, since arriving in Azeroth, he had never systematically studied the world's magical theory. When he cast spells, he didn't need to connect to Azeroth's Ley Lines; he simply transcribed spells into his own spellbook or used Eagle Eye to "steal" them. While this method was invincible in the early stages, it presented hurdles for his true growth later on.
For instance, with the Holy Light, Rhodes could use his imagination to make the power "bloom." But with Arcane magic, he relied on Medivh's heritage and spells gleaned from the Blood Elves and Dalaran. These spells were rigid systems; they couldn't be expanded or reshaped as freely as his Light.
Ten thousand years in the past, however, the environment was entirely different. Due to the Well of Eternity, magical elements were incredibly abundant. Leveraging his immense spiritual strength and mana, Rhodes could tap into this ambient energy to experiment with new spell creation. The ancient Elven texts provided fresh inspiration, and within a month, he had significantly expanded his repertoire of Azerothian spells.
The Night Elf mages were equally curious about his Holy Light. However, after some study, most gave up on it. The Light and the Arcane belonged to different systems; learning the Light for them was as alien as rerouting their training toward Druidism or the path of Shadow.
Instead, Rhodes found common ground through a different medium: Heroes of Might and Magic spells.
He introduced some Level 1 spells: Magic Arrow, Bless, Stone Skin, Shield, Curse, Haste... Even these basic spells left the Highborne mages intoxicated. The reason was simple: a spell like Magic Arrow had a negligible mana cost, yet its power scaled with the caster's personal strength. It was versatile, long-range, and—most importantly—did not require them to change their underlying magical framework.
The defensive and buffing spells were even more popular. Rhodes's versions could be cast on thousands, even tens of thousands of subjects simultaneously—they were true mass-scale magic.
"My lord, please explain the principle behind this vibration!"
"Mr. Rhodes, how exactly do you catalyze 'Haste'?"
"Is this 'Bless' spell similar to the Holy Light?"
The Highborne mages swarmed him, pelted him with questions. Compared to the alien Holy Light, the Heroes magic felt like a goldmine. Rhodes was prepared. He cleared his throat and addressed the expectant crowd:
"Everyone, first understand a concept: 'Universal Resonance' of magical energy." He traced a simple rune in the air, a sliver of Arcane energy flowing through it. "Traditional Arcane spells require precise models, like building a delicate structure out of blocks. The spells I bring are more like..."
He explained that while he initially couldn't teach these spells, the acquisition of specific learning abilities and the summoning of the archmage Sandro had allowed him to master the theory. With Anveena (the Sunwell's avatar) further refining the knowledge, he could now propagate Level 1 and 2 spells.
"So, it's about finding a specific frequency of energy vibration to cast? That makes sense," one young mage noted. "But energy decays during transmission. How do you maintain the effect?"
"A good question," Rhodes nodded. "That is the key. Observe—" He cast a small-scale Haste. A faint blue field formed around the mages. Those within felt their bodies become weightless, their movement and even their casting speeds significantly increased.
"I didn't apply energy directly to you. I changed the curvature of space-time within the field. Like a stone dropped in water, the ripples propagate naturally."
"So the essence is... guiding, rather than creating?"
"Exactly," Rhodes smiled. "They use very little mana because they are 'starting' a naturally occurring physical rule. Your models fail because your output is too strong. Remember: these spells require precision, not brute force."
The Highborne were fast learners. Within three months, many had mastered the basics. However, none could achieve Rhodes's terrifying scale of effect; their personal mana pools simply couldn't support it.
Three months passed in this relative tranquility. Between lecturing mages and storytelling for the Queen, Rhodes spent his nights admiring Vashj's "violet skin" and even introduced some modern-style lingerie designs for the handmaidens to model—a style he found quite refreshing.
One day, Rhodes arrived at Azshara's palace for their usual chat. This time, however, a blue magical vial sat beside the Queen. He could feel the surging power within it.
"Lord Rhodes," Azshara said with a playful glint in her eye. "Per our agreement, I shall grant you the waters of the Well of Eternity. It was delayed by some affairs, but here is your reward. You may consume it directly."
She wanted to see if this "Human" could truly absorb the Well's power. Legend whispered that the Night Elves originated from Dark Trolls; once they touched the Well, they evolved. She wanted to see what kind of evolution the water would trigger in Rhodes.
"Your Majesty... you want me to drink it right here?" Rhodes asked, surprised. A single vial of this stuff was enough to seed a Sunwell. He was genuinely curious what it would do to a single individual.
"Indeed. I want to see the change. Don't worry, I'll give you two vials. If you serve me well, three or four are not out of the question."
The more Rhodes resisted her, the more Azshara wanted to break him. A woman's competitive streak, once ignited, is hard to extinguish.
Rhodes nodded. He uncorked the vial, feeling the raw, ancient power of the world-soul, and drank it down. His body, tempered by the Light and the forces of Heroes, braced for the impact of the Well's concentrated essence.