A Good Old Time

*Off the coast of Quel'Thalas in a place that had begun to be nicknamed 'Lover's Folly'*

The ship cut through the choppy waters, bopping up and down with each small whitecap that it struck as it made good speed towards the mass of vessels in the distance. A standard ship of Sin'dorei construction, it was an elegant vessel of gold and red, its mainsail catching the wind almost effortlessly as its expert crew guided it towards its destination. Atop the mast flew a single golden and red banner depicting the emblem of Silvermoon's Magistrate.

As the ships in the distance grew larger with proximity, Biara Sunfire walked along the deck of the Magistrate ship, her green eyes studying the flotilla keenly. There were a variety of ships at work in the area, most of them of goblin origin with odd shapes and designs. Quite a few of them were belching smoke and Biara found herself idly wondering if the clouds came from the engines or if the ships were genuinely on fire. Knowing goblins, the answer was likely both. Amongst the ragged collection of salvage vessels floated another ship, this one of Sin'dorei design and much larger than the ship Biara herself traveled on. Although she could not see it from such a great distance, she was quite sure that atop its own mast flew the proud banner of House Felo'melorn as they oversaw the salvage of the House Sunfire wreck beneath the waves.

As they drew nearer, the crew of the Magistrate vessel began to scurry around the deck, preparing to lower the sails to slow their speed. Biara watched them at work for a moment before returning her gaze to the sea. As she looked out over the water, she noticed two of the goblin vessels approaching them, the ships having broken away from the flotilla. Some voice of caution tickled the back of Biara's mind as she watched them, and she found herself gripping the gunwale firmly, staring hard at the ships now.

"Is something amiss, Magistrix Sunfire?" one of the deck crew asked. Another Sin'dorei stopped his work and looked over at Biara as well, concern on his face.

"There is something about those vessels..." Biara murmured. Her voice trailed off and the two crew members could see the wards sparkle on her face as she began to chant. A moment later she waved her hands towards the two vessels, completing the gestures needed for the counterspell.

What happened next could only be called astonishing as the two 'goblin' vessels began to shimmer, their forms wavering. A moment later the illusion around the two vessels shattered under the weight of Biara's magic, and in the place of goblin vessels were two heavily retrofitted orc ships, each with a large magical crystal on the deck and multiple decks of cannons along each side. The ominous looking vessels immediately picked up speed as their illusion broke, red and gold banners flapping atop their own masts.

"W-what...what is this?" one of the deckhands asked.

Biara merely shook her head, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she saw the familiar emblem of a sun breaking over the waves depicted on the ship's banners. Her voice was tight with tension as she replied, "House Dawnsea gunships. Looks like they picked up some Kor'kron vessels during the uprising."

Unfamiliar with House Sunfire's enemies, the deckhand closest to Biara shook his head in confusion, "What does it me-"

Biara turned abruptly, her eyes wide as she watched the gunports on the two ships open. She shouted, her cry carrying across the deck, "We're under attack! WATCH OUT!"

A second later she uttered the words to a blink spell, the magic curling around her and hurling her from the spot where she was standing not a moment too soon. Cannonballs spat from the sides of the first gunship, the projectiles covering the distance between the two vessels in a moment and slamming into the delicate observation ship the Magistrate had loaned to Biara. Explosions rocked the ship's deck, sending dead sailors and chunks of splintered wood in all directions.

Biara stumbled forward towards the aft of the ship as shouts of dismay rose up from the wounded and the echoes of more cannons firing sounded from the two gunships. She ran up the stairs leading to the ship's wheel as a shower of wood splinters rained down around her from two more direct hits to the center of the vessel. The Magistrate's ship was unarmed, and their only hope was to defend themselves with magic.

At the aft of the ship Biara skidded to a halt, crouching low as the sound of small arms fire came from the two gunships. Huddled beneath the cover of the gunwale were several mages who were part of the ships normal crew. Unused to battle, they huddled in a terrified clump while the captain battled to maintain control of the vessel's rudder.

Biara crouched beside them, her familiarity with combat making her voice firm and cutting through the cloying fear amongst the spellcasters, "We need to return fire or they'll destroy this vessel. We need to work together and hurl our spells as one. It's our only chance."

Several of the mages managed to nod at her, their pale faces full of fear but listening to her guidance. Biara gave them a reassuring nod, pointing towards the direction of the nearest ship, "On the count of three we rise and hurl our spells. Use fire. If you can set their ship alight they might have to withdraw. Aim true!"

The mages reluctantly prepared themselves, shifting in place. Several of them reached into their pouches or pulled out wands, preparing themselves for a battle they wanted no part of. Biara waited until another barrage of cannonballs slammed into the ship before beginning her count, knowing that the cannoneers would need time to reload.

"One....two....THREE!" she shouted.

 As one the mages rose, six in all and each with fire on their fingertips. Biara lead the attack, hurling a fireball across the distance between the two ships, her spell striking the gunship's deck and exploding there, sending sailors plummeting into the ocean. The others followed suit, their own spells striking various parts of the deck and starting fires here and there. The last spell hurled was conjured by a young apprentice, and Biara watched in admiration as her carefully aimed fireball actually slipped through the opening of one of the gunship's gunports. A second later a massive explosion rocked the ship as one of its powder rooms detonated, blasting a gaping hole in the side of the vessel. It immediately began to take on water, fires raging out of control from beneath its deck.

Biara turned to congratulate the young apprentice, seeing her eyes shining with pride at her success. Unfortunately at that moment the second ship fired shrapnel from its cannons, sending sharpened, twisted bits of metal across the distance and clearing the deck of the Magistrate's vessel. Biara lurched forward as hot metal struck her wards, nearly penetrating them. Dozens of sailors died around her, and the young apprentice she had been about to congratulate was hurled to the deck, her shoulder a mess of gore and exposed bone.

The Magistrate's vessel began to list as it took on water from the numerous holes that had been made in its deck, and Biara knew they were out of time. She turned to shout orders to the captain of the vessel, only to see him laying in a pool of his own blood where he had died at the wheel. She shouted the words to another blink spell, moving herself to the ship's wheel and taking it in both hands. With as much muscle as she could apply, Biara jerked the ship's wheel, causing the vessel to heave up in the water and throwing the remaining survivors on board to the deck.

The Magistrate vessel began to turn suddenly, the bow cutting through the water even as another round of cannon fire cut its mast down. Rigging, bits of wood, and doomed sailors rained to the deck as Biara held tight to the ship's wheel, her jaw clenched from her efforts. In the distance, the sailors on the House Dawnsea vessel began to shout as the Magistrate ship turned towards them, still moving at a good clip from its previous momentum. As the two ships continued to move, it was clear that they would collide and that there was little that would stop the collision.

"Brace for impact!" Biara yelled as the sinking Magistrate vessel slammed into the House Dawnsea gunship. The impact threw her to the deck and for a moment she saw stars as her head slammed into the wood. A second later she was back on her feet, desperation in her voice as she saw water begin to collect on the deck of the Magistrate's vessel; they had precious little time left.

"Everyone who can still stand, BOARD THEIR SHIP! FOR QUEL'THALAS!" Biara shouted, casting another blink spell and reappearing at the bow of her own doomed ship. A second later she was scrambling across the twisted wood that temporarily connected the two vessels, a ragged handful of surviving crew members scrambling behind her, swords in hand as they prepared for a boarding action that had far too few attackers to succeed.

As the boarding party made it to the deck of the gunship, the Magistrate's vessel began to slip beneath the waves, smoke from the nearby burning ship obscuring their last sight of it. Around them a fierce melee had begun as House Dawnsea's sailors tried to repel the assault. Highly trained marines, the House Dawnsea sailors began to cut down the relatively poorly trained Magistrate troops with ease.

In the center of the battle, Biara began to shout, her magic hurled outwards in all directions. Sailors burned or were frozen or impaled by ice as they assaulted the tiny group, the bodies piling up on the deck as the brutal slaughter continued. It was clear to everyone that the boarding party would lose the fight, but Biara continued onward, her eyes locked on her objective ahead.

Across the deck two mages hurled spells at her, their ice shards impacting on her wards and shattering against them. One of the mages watched Biara walk through the melee, chips of razor sharp ice reflecting from her barriers and hovering in the air almost in slow motion before striking the deck. In that moment, his eyes came to meet Biara's gaze, and the understanding of what she was about to do sent a spear of fear into his heart.

There was no remorse on her face, no fear, no sorrow. As she relentlessly walked through the battle, the blood of the fallen stained her robes and weapons flashed near her, but her gaze remained locked with his. He saw her pride, her ambition, and most of all he saw her fury. He knew that there would be no surrender from her, no quarter, and that she would fight to the bloodiest of deaths before she would ever give an inch. In the gaze that passed between them, he came to know why some amongst the House Dawnsea soldiers had nicknamed her 'Biara the Butcher'.

For a moment, Biara paused, her gaze shifting from the mage to the crystal that he guarded, the one that had been used to cloak the ship in its illusions. It was there to serve the needs of the crew, empower their spells, and provide for magical sustenance if they desired such. A powerful artifact, it contained delicately prepared spells to contain all of the raw magic within it. It took Biara only a moment to focus on the weakest part of its wards, one perfectly manicured nail pointing at it as she spat out the words of her spell.

The fireblast rocked the crystal, shattering the delicate balance of power and causing it to surge throughout the structure, overloading it with all the violence of the magic contained within it.

A second later the magic was released, the explosion the last that the mages guarding it ever saw.

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In the distance, the House Felo'melorn ship that had been guarding the salvage site turned towards the battle, the concerned sailors on its decks preparing to intervene and stop the fight before it got any worse. As they made headway towards it, they peered through the thick smoke that had risen up from the burning gunship, trying to ascertain what was going on.

The explosion was almost blinding, and many of them shielded their eyes as the second gunship detonated in a catastrophic blast. In the distance they could see debris being hurled into the air, cannons, bits of wood, and even crew members flying out over the ocean before plunging into it with  splashes here and there.

Although they couldn't see it, amongst those flying through the air was a flame-haired Magistrix whose robes had caught alight from the enormous blast. Her arc landed her near the burning ships, plunging her into the depths of the ocean.

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It was cold, but the cold was soothing after nearly being on fire. Biara drifted in the water, the surface slipping away above her. She was in a daze, and her entire body ached from the concussion of the blast. Too tired and injured to swim, she watched almost passively as flickering lights of small explosions and fires illuminated the surface of the water, a firestorm consuming the remains of the three vessels above her.

And so this is how I die. It's fitting somehow, that I would die committing a massacre like my mother, but also die with valor fighting against my foes as my father would have wanted. I wonder if he will be proud of me, proud to know that I didn't give up even at the very end? It was how he raised me after all.

Above her the water's surface slipped further away, the cool darkness of the ocean's depths slowly claiming her. She knew that she had little time left, that the air in her lungs would expire and that there was no way now to take a breath or to rise back to the surface. All her power, all her magic could not change that fact.

It is strange to think that in another moment I will be gone. Time comes and goes for us all, but it always remains the constant behind it. I have but a moment of it left. At least the fires that consume my enemies above me are beautiful in their own way.

Her time was coming to an end, yet time itself would carry on. It made her think of her experiments with temporal magic; all of the various spells she had cast, had absorbed, and had even explored with others. It was odd to think of in that moment, but seemed fitting somehow when her own time was over. And yet her thoughts about time became more pressing as something strange began to happen.

It came to her in a wave of pain, the shock of it almost causing her to expel the last of her breath. It was akin to what divers described when they ascended from the depths too fast; tiny bubbles of agony flowing through her limbs. Biara knew that it was just a sensation however, even as she writhed in pain beneath the water. She had studied magic long enough to know that something was seriously wrong with her, that the magical fields from the exploding crystals above were interacting with something within her.

In the black depths of the ocean, Biara's eyes widened in horror as she came to realize it was not magic external to her, but magic that she had absorbed long ago. Magic that had been placed on a certain book that she was forbidden from reading. It was a spell that she had almost literally eaten in a sense, rising up to claim her now. A temporal lock placed on a tome so she could not get to it.

The temporal magic was within her, was within her blood. It was a little piece of time itself that could not die, that would not end with her death. Interacting with the wildly fluctuating magic above the water's surface where the crystal had detonated, it reached out to similar magic, similar spells sealed with blood.

And it found what it was seeking.

Biara brought a hand before her face, shocked to see it glowing so brightly that she could view it beneath the water's surface. She screamed as her entire body glowed, the spell colliding with the field above and whisking her away towards similar magic locked away elsewhere.

In her final moment, Biara's mind was filled with a wry thought that almost made her smile as she disappeared.

What have you done to me, Jazari?

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The surface of the water bubbled once as the space where the Magistrix had been beneath it was suddenly filled with empty vacuum from her sudden departure. It went unnoticed as three ships burned and sank beneath the waves, a testimony to the fury of the Scion of House Sunfire.

The rescue ships on the scene found no trace of Biara Sunfire amongst the wreckage.