The atmosphere of the
war room was tense as apprentices and spellweavers went about their
tasks. The large marble chamber hosted a number of scrying tables, and
along the walls stood warded cabinets and chests containing a variety of
deadly wands, staves, potions, and other implements of war used by
spellcasters. Throughout the room the dull hum of elves chanting spells
could be heard as the scrying tables were manipulated to show images
that the users desired.
All activity in the room ceased as the wide double doors leading into the chamber flew open and Biara strode in. Several of the lesser apprentices gripped their heads in agony as the sheer volume of protective wards and spells that the Magistrix had placed on herself gave them pounding headaches. Others just shook their heads, wondering how the mistress of the spire could withstand having so much magic laced directly on her person.
Biara took little notice of those within the room, moving quickly to the central scrying table while House Guards closed the doors behind her, sealing the chamber securely. At the table, one of her senior Spellweavers bowed his head, gesturing to the glowing table. Upon it could be seen a magically created map of the territory once known as the human kingdom of Lordaeron. Several areas of the map had glowing red sigils on it, placed there by Biara's Spellweavers as per her instructions. She looked at the elf before her, eyebrow raised in question.
"All goes as you have commanded my Lady," the Spellweaver said with a bow. "The game is afoot now, and the movements of your foes have been tracked and noted precisely, as was your desire."
Biara's face twitched slightly as her ire grew. "Game? You think this is a game? Not two hours ago I had to spellduel a filthy human within the Court of the Sun, within sight of this very Spire! They not only managed to breech the gates of this city, but were able to fight their way into the inner most sanctums of the High Council!"
She spun around, her fists clenched in anger and magic sparkling on her face. The rest of the elves in the room stopped what they were doing, anxiety plain on their faces as she continued her tirade. "What the FEL do we hire guards for, or train the city Militia to do? Why do the Spellbreakers even bother to patrol the streets if they are going to allow enemies so far into our beloved home that I could spit on them from my balcony?! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THIS IS A PROBLEM?!"
She whirled back to stare at the Spellweaver before the table. The elf had gone pale, but had the good sense to bow and gesture to the table again, taking the Magistrix's mind from her fury. "My Lady, what you say is true, and we have begun the preparations as you've requested."
Biara breathed in deeply, calming herself and giving the magical map the attention it deserved. Each glowing red sigil on it represented an attack on Forsaken interests within Lordaeron. When she reached out to touch a sigil, information about the attack, including losses and the suspected intention of the attackers, could be seen with her mind's eye. Each individual attack meant nothing to her, and all were, in their own way, petty raids that had simply killed a few Forsaken here and there and damaged Forsaken war equipment.
The nature of the dire threat became much more clear when looked at in whole however.
"It is clear, based on this information, that Commander Jaegerog was correct," Biara murmured as her slender fingertips touched each sigil, one by one. "The attacks in Lordaeron have a pattern to them, a purpose. Someone is trying to blunt the Dark Lady's war efforts, even as they launch surprise assaults on us here in Quel'Thalas."
The Spellweaver nodded, saying nothing as Biara continued to look at the results of their work. The two were interrupted in their review when the door banged open again and a House Dayfire guard entered. His clothing looked somewhat rumpled, and he had a black eye and a limp. He slowly made his way across the chamber, bowing before Biara.
"My Lady, I...uh ran into some difficulties when carrying out the task you assigned me," He stammered.
Biara rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, awaiting explanation.
"We...uh...tried to examine the bodies of the attackers in Silvermoon, and while doing so uncovered a few enemy spies who were either playing dead amongst the fallen or attempting to get out of the city. We pursued a few, but then we ran into a Sin'dorei. She...ummm...told us that the defense of Silvermoon was well in hand and we should be about our business. When I tried to...protest and tell her that you had sent us, she...ummm....beat us soundly."
Biara's eyebrows rose in surprise as she studied the guard. "What did the elf look like?"
"B-black hair, eyepatch...had some scars on her f-face," the guard stammered as Biara's piercing gaze met his.
The Magistrix barked out a laugh and waved a hand, dismissing the guard. "You are lucky that Lady Del'nigmis didn't execute you on the spot for interfering with her work. Let that be a lesson to you for questioning a mighty champion of our people."
She turned back to the map, studying the glowing sigils again. "Perhaps we should ALL take a lesson from Lady Del'nigmis. Sometimes the only thing that fools understand is the application of force, and my ally knows this quite well. Maybe our foes need to understand that their aggression will NOT be tolerated, especially not within sight of my spire, within my beloved city. I grow extremely weary of these barbarians entering our forests and destroying everything they touch."
She fell silent for a moment, her mind churning through ways to teach that all important lesson to the Alliance. The rest of the room was dead silent as the Sin'dorei within it waited for the mistress of the spire to speak.
Finally, she spoke in an almost hushed whisper, "If they wish to thwart the efforts of the Dark Lady, which they obviously do based on their aggression so far, then they should learn to KEEP their attention on her forces, and stay out of my homeland. She clearly frightens them, and fear is a weapon as much as anything else."
The Magistrix looked up from the map, her eyes scanning the assembled Spellweavers in the room. "It is time for the Dark Lady's forces to receive our aid. If the fools of the Alliance fear her, then let them see their worst fears come to life. Let them all become her thralls if need be, provided that our forests burn no longer."
"Prepare our resources for battle," she said to those gathered in the room. "I want scryers deployed to watch the forests of Lordaeron at all times. I want enchantments developed for the weapons of our soliders, and I want detachments of my Blackhearts prepared to deploy at a moment's notice."
She turned away, looking back at the map. "If it is war with the Dark Lady they want, then war they shall have, only not in her territory, oh no."
"Let them see how they like it when war is brought to their homes."
All activity in the room ceased as the wide double doors leading into the chamber flew open and Biara strode in. Several of the lesser apprentices gripped their heads in agony as the sheer volume of protective wards and spells that the Magistrix had placed on herself gave them pounding headaches. Others just shook their heads, wondering how the mistress of the spire could withstand having so much magic laced directly on her person.
Biara took little notice of those within the room, moving quickly to the central scrying table while House Guards closed the doors behind her, sealing the chamber securely. At the table, one of her senior Spellweavers bowed his head, gesturing to the glowing table. Upon it could be seen a magically created map of the territory once known as the human kingdom of Lordaeron. Several areas of the map had glowing red sigils on it, placed there by Biara's Spellweavers as per her instructions. She looked at the elf before her, eyebrow raised in question.
"All goes as you have commanded my Lady," the Spellweaver said with a bow. "The game is afoot now, and the movements of your foes have been tracked and noted precisely, as was your desire."
Biara's face twitched slightly as her ire grew. "Game? You think this is a game? Not two hours ago I had to spellduel a filthy human within the Court of the Sun, within sight of this very Spire! They not only managed to breech the gates of this city, but were able to fight their way into the inner most sanctums of the High Council!"
She spun around, her fists clenched in anger and magic sparkling on her face. The rest of the elves in the room stopped what they were doing, anxiety plain on their faces as she continued her tirade. "What the FEL do we hire guards for, or train the city Militia to do? Why do the Spellbreakers even bother to patrol the streets if they are going to allow enemies so far into our beloved home that I could spit on them from my balcony?! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THIS IS A PROBLEM?!"
She whirled back to stare at the Spellweaver before the table. The elf had gone pale, but had the good sense to bow and gesture to the table again, taking the Magistrix's mind from her fury. "My Lady, what you say is true, and we have begun the preparations as you've requested."
Biara breathed in deeply, calming herself and giving the magical map the attention it deserved. Each glowing red sigil on it represented an attack on Forsaken interests within Lordaeron. When she reached out to touch a sigil, information about the attack, including losses and the suspected intention of the attackers, could be seen with her mind's eye. Each individual attack meant nothing to her, and all were, in their own way, petty raids that had simply killed a few Forsaken here and there and damaged Forsaken war equipment.
The nature of the dire threat became much more clear when looked at in whole however.
"It is clear, based on this information, that Commander Jaegerog was correct," Biara murmured as her slender fingertips touched each sigil, one by one. "The attacks in Lordaeron have a pattern to them, a purpose. Someone is trying to blunt the Dark Lady's war efforts, even as they launch surprise assaults on us here in Quel'Thalas."
The Spellweaver nodded, saying nothing as Biara continued to look at the results of their work. The two were interrupted in their review when the door banged open again and a House Dayfire guard entered. His clothing looked somewhat rumpled, and he had a black eye and a limp. He slowly made his way across the chamber, bowing before Biara.
"My Lady, I...uh ran into some difficulties when carrying out the task you assigned me," He stammered.
Biara rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, awaiting explanation.
"We...uh...tried to examine the bodies of the attackers in Silvermoon, and while doing so uncovered a few enemy spies who were either playing dead amongst the fallen or attempting to get out of the city. We pursued a few, but then we ran into a Sin'dorei. She...ummm...told us that the defense of Silvermoon was well in hand and we should be about our business. When I tried to...protest and tell her that you had sent us, she...ummm....beat us soundly."
Biara's eyebrows rose in surprise as she studied the guard. "What did the elf look like?"
"B-black hair, eyepatch...had some scars on her f-face," the guard stammered as Biara's piercing gaze met his.
The Magistrix barked out a laugh and waved a hand, dismissing the guard. "You are lucky that Lady Del'nigmis didn't execute you on the spot for interfering with her work. Let that be a lesson to you for questioning a mighty champion of our people."
She turned back to the map, studying the glowing sigils again. "Perhaps we should ALL take a lesson from Lady Del'nigmis. Sometimes the only thing that fools understand is the application of force, and my ally knows this quite well. Maybe our foes need to understand that their aggression will NOT be tolerated, especially not within sight of my spire, within my beloved city. I grow extremely weary of these barbarians entering our forests and destroying everything they touch."
She fell silent for a moment, her mind churning through ways to teach that all important lesson to the Alliance. The rest of the room was dead silent as the Sin'dorei within it waited for the mistress of the spire to speak.
Finally, she spoke in an almost hushed whisper, "If they wish to thwart the efforts of the Dark Lady, which they obviously do based on their aggression so far, then they should learn to KEEP their attention on her forces, and stay out of my homeland. She clearly frightens them, and fear is a weapon as much as anything else."
The Magistrix looked up from the map, her eyes scanning the assembled Spellweavers in the room. "It is time for the Dark Lady's forces to receive our aid. If the fools of the Alliance fear her, then let them see their worst fears come to life. Let them all become her thralls if need be, provided that our forests burn no longer."
"Prepare our resources for battle," she said to those gathered in the room. "I want scryers deployed to watch the forests of Lordaeron at all times. I want enchantments developed for the weapons of our soliders, and I want detachments of my Blackhearts prepared to deploy at a moment's notice."
She turned away, looking back at the map. "If it is war with the Dark Lady they want, then war they shall have, only not in her territory, oh no."
"Let them see how they like it when war is brought to their homes."
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