One Last Favor

Saveenah tossed and turned in her sleep, her dreams invaded by creeping images of darkness and danger. Unrecognizable faces and sounds assaulted her senses as she felt something spinning quickly out of control. In the darkness of the early morning, she awoke with a start, shooting upright in bed and gasping loudly.

"Savvy..?" Kyliska asked sleepily beside her. "Is something wrong?"

Saveenah panted, the darkness of her dreams pounding at the inside of her skull, something within her screaming at her that it was not a dream, that something was wrong. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and reaching out around herself, feeling the natural world and, oddly enough, the great amounts of magic that were within Kyslika's home that were also a part of her birthright.

A moment later her eyes snapped open.

"Something is very very wrong. We need to go. Now!" Saveenah shouted, leaping from the bed.

Behind her Kyliska gasped, tumbling out of her side of the giant bed and snatching her sword up from the nightstand beside her. Both elves dashed from the room clad in only their underthings, not even bothering to light a candle as both of them could see fairly decently in the dark. With Saveenah leading, they dashed into the corridor beyond, turning towards the nearest staircase and dashing up the stairs.

Kyliska had a thousand questions in her mind as her sister lead the way into Biara's portion of the tower. The druidess paused for a moment, as if attempting to reach out and sense something. She grimaced and then darted forward again, rounding a corner and skidding to a halt as two of Biara's apprentices straightened and glared at the mostly naked Kaldorei that had suddenly run up to them. They were guarding a pair of double doors that Kyliska knew lead to Biara's conjury beyond, and they stepped in front of it, blocking the path.

"Halt! You will not pass into Lady Dayfire's conjury! Remain where you are so we can summon the guards!" one of them shouted.

Saveenah shook her head, shouting at them, "Hurry! You have to move out of the way before it's too late! Move!"

"Get out of the way you idiots!" Kyliska barked behind her sister.

The two apprentices frowned, shifting their glares to Kyliska now. "We take our orders from Lady Dayfire and-"

"Oh for Elune's sake!" Saveenah cried. Her form shimmered and where she had been standing before was now a huge silver bear. The two apprentices gaped at it, mouths hanging open as it charged at them at full speed.

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Within the conjury things had gone downhill swiftly. Biara was in a near panic, all of her magic concentrated on an attempt to close a gaping portal that was shimmering in the middle of the room. Around her, apprentices screamed and cried out as vines, plants, and even leafy creatures lunged from the portal and attempted to impale them, the vines clinging to the edges of the magical opening and preventing her from closing it.

Biara's concentration was momentarily interrupted as the double doors to her conjury burst inward and were ripped from the hinges, the sound of a roaring bear echoing through the room and the unconscious forms of two of her very unlucky apprentices sliding a short distance into the room to lay unmoving on the floor.

A moment later Saveenah ran into the room in her underwear, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of the plants assaulting everyone within the chamber. Kyliska followed after her, smirking at the fallen apprentices, a sword in her hand even though she too was in her undergarments.

"You need to get out of here now!" Biara shouted, still directing the flow of magic. "Two of my idiot apprentices opened a portal to the Everbloom in this chamber! It's all I can do to stop it from ripping open further! Get out and get help!"

Behind the Magistrix a vine lashed out, impaling one of the Sin'dorei apprentices that had been aiding her. The Magistrix grew pale as the strain of holding more of the magic was transferred to her, and she fell silent as she struggled.

Saveenah shook her head, stepping forward defiantly, her hands coming up and her voice humming a beautiful, wordless tune as she brought her power to focus. Instantly several of the vines that had been lashing out within the room fell still and slid to the floor, the apprentices they had been attempting to slay breathing a sigh of relief as they turned to aid Biara in her spell.

More vines lashed out, emerging from the portal and attempting to strike Saveenah, as if the plants somehow sensed what she was doing. She idly stepped aside, the thrashing tendrils becoming calm as they neared her and still. Leaves rained down around the portal's edges as she focused her energies in an attempt to aid the Magistrix.

The portal bubbled forward again, a form emerging from it that looked like a cross between a humanoid and a plant. The creature paused, gaining its bearings and instantly affixing an amber-glowing gaze upon the druidess. The Botani hissed, bringing its branch-hands up and directing its power at Saveenah.

Instantly a hundred vines shot from the portal and hurtled towards the druidess. It was all Kyliska could do to curse and leap aside as they enshrouded her sister in a writhing mass of thorn-covered plant life. Cursing again, Kyliska jumped back to her feet and hovered around the edges of the mass of vines, hesitant to chop at them lest she hit her sister.

From within, Saveenah's humming could be heard again, and the vines became more frenzied as they slowly parted. They surrounded her now, no longer attempting to strangle her but instead lifting her up and supporting her. Saveenah glared at the Botani, her silver eyes glinting as the vines around her bloomed with a thousand flowers, surrounding her head in a heart-shaped halo of beautiful blooms. In that moment, it was clear who was the true master of the natural powers unleashed within the room.

The Botani hissed again, pointing at her and sending a thousand little thorny shards hurtling towards the druidess, intent on impaling her as a podling might. A mighty gust of wind whirled around Saveenah, leaves torn free creating a tempest in front of her. Nearby Biara grit her teeth as she continued to try to regain control over the portal, her dress fluttering in the gale as natural energies collided in the center of the room.

The shards were picked up by the wind and dashed against the ceiling and floor, harmlessly bouncing and coming to rest. The vines supporting Saveenah gently lowered her to the floor, and she walked barefoot towards the Botani, her silver hair whipping in the wind of her spell. Nearby, one of the windows shattered and more than a dozen birds hurtled into the room, flapping and cawing in the air above the druidess, distracting the Botani and making it take a few hesitant steps back as Saveenah walked towards it with confidence.

In that moment, Kyliska struck, having used the distraction of the battle with her sister and the sudden appearance of the birds to mask her movements. Her sword came down hard, her warcry echoing through the room as she clove the Botani in half. Its dead, vine-covered form slid to the floor and instantly many of the plants within the room became still.

Saveenah sighed, her hands coming up above her and one of the smaller birds in the room alighting on her shoulder as she focused on the portal, encouraging the vines to be still. Her efforts gave Biara the upper hand, and instantly the glowing opening became smaller. As it was compressed, Biara's control over it grew, and it rapidly began to shrink further until it collapsed in on itself.

In the silence that filled the room, Saveenah began to hum again, natural energies flowing from her. Glowing green leaves rained down upon the fallen, and slowly they began to groan and stir as their immediately wounds began to knit closed. It would take more attention for those who had been struck by the vines to recover, but they would live at least.

As Saveenah's hands came down, one of the apprentices pointed at her, his voice harsh, "What is a Kaldorei doing in here?!"

Kyliska lurched towards the Sin'dorei, her hand coming out to jab a finger into his chest, "You shut the fel up! That's my-"

"Contact with the Cenarion Circle," Biara cut in smoothly, placing a hand on Kyliska's shoulder and squeezing it gently in warning. "It was lucky that Kyliska was able to reach her so swiftly, or we all would have been in grave danger of being defeated within our very own estate."

The apprentice frowned but seemed to accept the answer, several others gathering around Biara. One of them in the back of the group shouted, "Why is she naked?"

Biara rolled her eyes, beginning to shoo the apprentices towards the door with some not-so-gentle shoves, "Oh, you know, druids right? They are so silly with their communing with the forest and all that. Why don't the rest of you get to the infirmary and have Kyliska's Blood Knights check you for wounds. Yes, that's it...all of you go now."

One of the apprentices paused in the doorway, stubbornly refusing to leave, "What are you going to do with her?! We can't have a Kaldorei in the middle of Eversong!"

Biara glared, her friendly expression giving way for a moment to the anger lingering underneath, "I'm going to send her back home. I would suggest that you instead consider what I'm going to do to you and the others who foolishly opened that portal without my permission or guidance. Consider that, for a time."

The apprentice blanched and quickly scurried from the room. Biara paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to compose herself before turning towards the others, "Well...I believe thanks are in order, Druidess. You have rendered us a great service this day, and I find myself in your debt now."

Saveenah smiled and shook her head, "It is my duty to keep the natural balance of the world intact. Those...things...do not belong here in your forest and would damage the harmony of Eversong. I'm glad I was able to help in time."

Biara nodded and smiled, "As am I. Unfortunately it appears that your stay here may need to come to an end, lest my apprentices and others become suspicious. I can send you wherever you'd like to go...once you are dressed of course."

Saveenah nodded, "I understand, and I'd like to thank you for letting me stay as long as you have! I will certainly be staying in touch with my sister, so this will not be our last meeting."

Biara paused and surveyed the room, seeing the destruction and the disaster that the druidess had averted with her timely aid. She nodded, "I believe that is the truth. Again, thank you. Come and find me when you are ready, and I shall prepare a portal for you."

As Biara left, Kyliska turned towards her sister, "Do you really have to go? It seems like I just found you and now we'll be apart again."

Saveenah leaned over and gave her sister a hug, carefully avoiding the sap-covered sword still in her hand, "I will never be apart from you again, Kyli. For as long as we both have Mother's necklaces, we will be able to reach one another. My door will always be open for you, and I hope one day that you and I can walk the forests together for a time as I've visited you here. I would like that."

Kyliska smiled, dropping her sword with a clatter as she hugged her sister back, "You know I will come to visit. And you're right, we'll never be apart now. I'm so glad that I found you, Savvy. I love you."

"And I love you, Kyli!" Saveenah said happily, letting her sister go and wiping a tear from her eye. "We will have our entire lives to get to know one another better, I promise you that!"

Kyliska nodded and smiled, "We will! Now let's get you dressed before you head off, yes? I think you've already attracted enough attention if you know what I mean."

Saveenah laughed and nodded, "Yes, you are right. I do not think they wear so little in Stormwind. That is where I wish to go. I will see the city for myself, and learn more about the peoples of this world."

Kyliska hugged her sister again and smiled, "Good! Father will be worried about you, but I think you're making the right choice in exploring the world first. He's kept you there for too long. Go and find who you are, and know I'll be here to support you."

Saveenah nodded, "I will...handle Father. I know that he will be displeased but you are right; it is time to spread my wings. I will return home when the time is right and speak with him. Come, let us get started before we annoy your adopted sister. I have already stretched her hospitality enough I fear!"

Together, hand in hand, the two sisters walked out of the destroyed conjury room and back towards Kyliska's quarters. Although they would soon be apart physically due to the world and its worries, they would never truly be separated again, no matter what.