The battle was going
poorly. The fact was as clear in Biara's mind as a cloudless sky. She
had been in too many battles, fought too many wars to not recognize when
her own people were beginning to falter. It was only a matter of time
now before morale faltered and the rout began. Soon many more of her
allies, of her people would fall to the blades of the alliance, and the
idea of it made her mouth curl into a snarl.
The fighting had been heavy all afternoon on the island of Tol Barad. She had seen many small victories and even more small defeats, and now the Magistrix found herself pushed out to the edge of the combat, the area known as Ironclad Garrison falling to the hands of the enemy as they slaughtered the Horde defenders there. She brought her hands up and sent yet another blast of razor sharp ice shards into the mass of enemy that held the main courtyard beyond the menacing iron walls. Her spells had kept them at bay so far, but it was only a matter of time before they worked up the courage to step over their own fallen and hurl themselves into the remaining survivors outside of the structure.
Almost as if on cue to her thoughts, a roar began to sound from amongst the foes. Blades were raised in the air, flashing in the fading light of day as the mass of enemy surged forwards. Biara steadied herself, knowing that the next few moments would be brutal, bloody, and likely her last. Magic surged around her, the runes on her face glowing as she prepared to deliver death to the Alliance that dared to seek her life. As she brought her hands up, she felt a strange shifting in the leypower around her, magic fluttering and flowing differently, touching her own spells and seemingly enhancing them. Puzzled, she turned her head to see what new power had come to aid her.
Behind her stood a short Sin'dorei Magistrix, her blonde hair flowing behind her and an impish grin on her face as she uttered the last phrases to a spell that altered the flow of time itself. Biara smiled upon seeing her, recognizing the Magistrix that called herself Annie. Temporal spells were her specialty, and she was more skilled in this art than even Biara herself. The tiny Sin'dorei's spell reach its completion and time seemed to slow around the two, making their movements seem hundreds of times faster than normal.
Without a second thought, Biara turned and began to shout words of power. Her magic responded, coming faster than normally possible. Bolts of freezing cold frost and razor sharp shards of ice arced from her palms, hurtling into the massed alliance as they sought to overwhelm the few remaining horde fighters before her. As her spells hit, her targets were frozen solid, and additional lances of ice flew over Biara's shoulder, striking and shattering the enemies to tiny bits of gore. She could hear Magistrix Annie shouting behind her, her own magic mirroring Biara's and sending more waves of cold energy into their hapless victims.
The temperature before the two plunged as their magics played off one another. Enemies froze, their mouths open in unending and silent screams. The earth before them frosted over, trapping those unfortunate enough to try and walk over it, freezing their legs and inflicting horrific frostbite on exposed skin. Chunks of ice rained from the sky, pummeling enemies down into the dirt. Biara shivered with pleasure, feeling the very fabric of reality around them flicker with the energies unleashed by the two Sin'dorei working in concert.
Still, despite the carnage they inflicted on the alliance, more and more foes advanced from the opening of the garrison behind the battle, stepping over the frozen remains of their comrades and assaulting the few orcs and tauren standing before them. Blood flowed freely and blades clashed as the Alliance began to gain ground inch by bloody inch. Arrows flew from the crowd, striking the the barrier of icy power surrounding Biara and snuffing the nimbus of her spell out from the impact. She could tell that despite the best efforts of the Sin'dorei the battle would still be lost.
She turned to look at Annie again, their green eyes meeting with a knowing look. There was no need for them to speak, both knew their art, knew what to do in the end. No spell, no trick would avert the disaster now, and with each second the numbers of allies they had shielding them diminished further. Tools cast away that the two might live long enough to avenge them at a later time.
Annie nodded to Biara, passing her delicate hands in front of her face. Her form wavered and became indistinct. Biara mimicked the gestured, and the two Sin'dorei faded away, invisible as ghosts on the wind, as if they had never been there.
They walked away casually, their lives, their magic more valuable than this desperate last stand. They were made for better things, greater deeds than to die for a meaningless patch of dirt on a forsaken island in the ocean. Sisters in the art, the two would return eventually, and the alliance would learn of it only when their hearts froze solid in their chests. As each Magistrix made her own way from the field, wrapped safely in a veil of invisibility, they could feel each other giving a parting nod of respect.
Biara smiled to herself as she passed through a portal to Silvermoon; it was good to have true friends of the art. People who understood what was really important.
The fighting had been heavy all afternoon on the island of Tol Barad. She had seen many small victories and even more small defeats, and now the Magistrix found herself pushed out to the edge of the combat, the area known as Ironclad Garrison falling to the hands of the enemy as they slaughtered the Horde defenders there. She brought her hands up and sent yet another blast of razor sharp ice shards into the mass of enemy that held the main courtyard beyond the menacing iron walls. Her spells had kept them at bay so far, but it was only a matter of time before they worked up the courage to step over their own fallen and hurl themselves into the remaining survivors outside of the structure.
Almost as if on cue to her thoughts, a roar began to sound from amongst the foes. Blades were raised in the air, flashing in the fading light of day as the mass of enemy surged forwards. Biara steadied herself, knowing that the next few moments would be brutal, bloody, and likely her last. Magic surged around her, the runes on her face glowing as she prepared to deliver death to the Alliance that dared to seek her life. As she brought her hands up, she felt a strange shifting in the leypower around her, magic fluttering and flowing differently, touching her own spells and seemingly enhancing them. Puzzled, she turned her head to see what new power had come to aid her.
Behind her stood a short Sin'dorei Magistrix, her blonde hair flowing behind her and an impish grin on her face as she uttered the last phrases to a spell that altered the flow of time itself. Biara smiled upon seeing her, recognizing the Magistrix that called herself Annie. Temporal spells were her specialty, and she was more skilled in this art than even Biara herself. The tiny Sin'dorei's spell reach its completion and time seemed to slow around the two, making their movements seem hundreds of times faster than normal.
Without a second thought, Biara turned and began to shout words of power. Her magic responded, coming faster than normally possible. Bolts of freezing cold frost and razor sharp shards of ice arced from her palms, hurtling into the massed alliance as they sought to overwhelm the few remaining horde fighters before her. As her spells hit, her targets were frozen solid, and additional lances of ice flew over Biara's shoulder, striking and shattering the enemies to tiny bits of gore. She could hear Magistrix Annie shouting behind her, her own magic mirroring Biara's and sending more waves of cold energy into their hapless victims.
The temperature before the two plunged as their magics played off one another. Enemies froze, their mouths open in unending and silent screams. The earth before them frosted over, trapping those unfortunate enough to try and walk over it, freezing their legs and inflicting horrific frostbite on exposed skin. Chunks of ice rained from the sky, pummeling enemies down into the dirt. Biara shivered with pleasure, feeling the very fabric of reality around them flicker with the energies unleashed by the two Sin'dorei working in concert.
Still, despite the carnage they inflicted on the alliance, more and more foes advanced from the opening of the garrison behind the battle, stepping over the frozen remains of their comrades and assaulting the few orcs and tauren standing before them. Blood flowed freely and blades clashed as the Alliance began to gain ground inch by bloody inch. Arrows flew from the crowd, striking the the barrier of icy power surrounding Biara and snuffing the nimbus of her spell out from the impact. She could tell that despite the best efforts of the Sin'dorei the battle would still be lost.
She turned to look at Annie again, their green eyes meeting with a knowing look. There was no need for them to speak, both knew their art, knew what to do in the end. No spell, no trick would avert the disaster now, and with each second the numbers of allies they had shielding them diminished further. Tools cast away that the two might live long enough to avenge them at a later time.
Annie nodded to Biara, passing her delicate hands in front of her face. Her form wavered and became indistinct. Biara mimicked the gestured, and the two Sin'dorei faded away, invisible as ghosts on the wind, as if they had never been there.
They walked away casually, their lives, their magic more valuable than this desperate last stand. They were made for better things, greater deeds than to die for a meaningless patch of dirt on a forsaken island in the ocean. Sisters in the art, the two would return eventually, and the alliance would learn of it only when their hearts froze solid in their chests. As each Magistrix made her own way from the field, wrapped safely in a veil of invisibility, they could feel each other giving a parting nod of respect.
Biara smiled to herself as she passed through a portal to Silvermoon; it was good to have true friends of the art. People who understood what was really important.
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