War

Biara stormed through the laboratory, Kyliska trailing behind her with an equally stern look on her face. The pain from the still healing wound in her back, along with the embarrassment of having that Suncrown WITCH heal her drove Biara on, despite her exhaustion.

Someone, or many someones, were trying to kill her. It was time to repay the favor.

She walked up to a bookshelf, yanking a large spellbook from its spot and slamming it down on a nearby alchemy bench. The book glittered with deadly wards that Biara dismissed with a wave of her hand. Magic flared as they died and she opened it to a specific page.

She turned to look at Kyliska, "After I do this, things will be different here. The days of our House being invaded, of us being stalked in our own city, come to an end now. We will begin our planning in earnest to discover the identity of these assassins, and put an end to them. If they seek to contest me within Silvermoon itself, then I will seize everything of theirs, and their lives if need be, to see that order is restored here. I will seize the city itself if that is what it takes to ensure that our lands are safe, and our people have a future."

She trailed off, letting the unstated threat hang in the air. Power would be used one way or another to put a stop to the foes of House Dayfire. Her attention returned to the alchemy table, and Kyliska rested a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder for a moment as Biara scrawled something on a piece of paper.

"First a letter to set things in motion," the Magistrix said.

Dearest Grimm,
They have attempted to take my life again. I know not who, but I was wrong to doubt your words of caution. It is clear now that a state of war exists within Silvermoon, but against what foe I cannot tell. Is it a rival House? Is it my own relatives? A movement of our enemies amongst the alliance? There are too many foes to count my friend.

I cannot stand alone in a time like this. I need your blades, I need your eyes. I need you to begin the work that you were born to do. In the meanwhile I will take my sister someplace safe. My spire is no longer the sanctuary it was, and it will remain as a trap to lure my enemies in. Enclosed with this letter you will find a bloodstone amulet. Through it, you can make your thoughts known to me if you wish, to send me information. Be well my dearest friend.
With affection,
Biara

"Grimm will do the spying work, if he's still of a mind to aid me. In the meanwhile, let us help our enemies to an early grave. Since they made me break my oath, let us show them exactly what it entails to challenge the might of a Magistrix," Biara purred.

Her finger went down to the page before her, and she began to chant the words to a spell. A sphere of glowing magic appeared in the air before her, looking to be made of water suspended in mid-air. As Biara's spell came to a conclusion, a water elemental emerged from the sphere, standing at attention.

Biara pointed at the construct, "You will guard this spire, replacing those whom already guard it. Those not given authorization shall be repulsed from the premises immediately, on pain of death. A single warning only will be given. The two Sin'dorei who stand here are the only ones to be given access to the upper chambers, the laboratories, or any of the living quarters within this spire."

The creature made no noise, but swiftly departed, leaving an almost humid feeling to the air as it passed. The sphere before Biara stirred, ripples forming on its surface, and another water elemental appeared. It too sped off on the same task. The sphere rippled again, and yet another appeared. Again and again this happened, while Biara watched, her expression one of tight lipped anger.

Dayfire Spire would be held by her own constructs. Let them try to subvert that which had no mind to subvert, and nothing to reason with. Let them assault that with no body to strike. She grinned wickedly.

"There is one more thing we must do sister," Biara turned to Kyliska with a smile. "We need to continue to let them think we are here, so that they show their hand and allow us to strike back at them."

Biara moved forward, chanting a spell. Instantly two illusionary copies of Biara appeared, each looking exactly like her and frowning at her with irritation.

"Oh great, it's you..."  one said.
"Not again..." the other said.

Biara rolled her eyes and then reached out, touching Kysliska's shoulder. She chanted the words to a spell and then touched one of the mirror images. It morphed, changing shape until it looked like Kyliska. The Magistrix smiled; there was one more spell to cast. She chanted again, touching each of the images and placing deadly wards on them. The assassins that came for the two sisters would soon find out how very bad an idea it was to kill the images; the killing wards would do their work nicely.

"You are both to go to the living quarters of this spire and remain there until I return. You will appear as me, although you will have no attendants or freedom of action," Biara told the images.

Both mirror images rolled their eyes, offered her a rude gesture and then obediently walked away to do her bidding. Fel how she hated those copies. They acted like stuck up prissy brats everytime she summoned them. Biara sighed deeply and then turned back to her sister.

"I have placed killing wards on all the laboratories, libraries, and other valuable areas of the spire. My apprentices know not to disturb such markings. In the meanwhile, we will depart as we've discussed, and begin planning our countermeasures," she said to Kyliska. "Come sister, I think you will find our new accommodations quite lovely while we are away. Consider it a simple holiday."

Kyliska smiled and said, "Of course sister, only the entertainment of this particular holiday will come when we are bathing in the blood of those foolish enough to challenge our House and the Horde."

Both sisters laughed, and then Biara chanted a few more words. Her letter to Daser Grimm popped out of existence, sent magically on its way to him along with the amulet she had prepared. Another spoken word opened a swirling portal, and the two Dayfire Sisters stepped through it, disappearing from sight.

Behind them, the swirling sphere continued to spit out water elementals, creating an ever increasing army of deadly magical constructs within the spire.