A Warning

Biara tossed and turned, her dreams filled with disturbing images and visions that she would not remember upon awakening. Thrashing in her bed, she awoke in the night in a sudden gasp, her fel green eyes peering into the darkness around her, her heart racing.

For a moment she lay there, simply letting her breathing slow to normal and her heart return to a normal pace, her hands feeling the silken comfort of the bed beneath her. She shivered in the chill of the night, realizing she'd kicked all of her silken sheets off in the thrashing that accompanied her nightmares. With a resigned sigh, she slipped out of her bed, the silken nightgown she wore providing little protection against the cold. She nearly gasped as her bare feet came into contact with the cold marble floor, and she reached for a nearby robe to throw over her nightgown before moving slowly across her room.

Echoes of her dreams remained with her as she walked to the double doors that lead out to the balcony connected to her chambers. She threw the doors opened, stepping out onto the marble platform beyond and leaning against the stone railing that surrounded it. For a moment she simply breathed in, enjoying the night air that was somehow warmer than the air in her bedchambers. She peered out across Silvermoon City, the magical lights of her home twinkling in the night like the countless stars above.

The new spire that Selenthiel and her family had planned was coming along nicely, and already Biara had claimed a luxurious suite on one of the higher floors. Although construction was still ongoing, much of the structure was already habitable and her new quarters provided a breathtaking view of the city. Kyliska and Braeth'el still transitioned between the estate in Eversong and the new spire, but in her heart Biara was happiest here in the center of her city and near to Sunfury Court where she routinely conducted business. Staring out over the city was a comforting, familiar activity that brought peace to her troubled mind.

As she stared down at the ground many floors below her, she sighed again, realizing the source of her dreams. She'd met an old contact within the city that evening that she'd not seen in many years. One who had often given her timely advice and information when intrigues were rife and danger was all around her. His motives were unknown as were his loyalties, but the mysterious spy had always provided her with details that had been to her advantage. Seeing him again reminded her of many old times, old fights, and old losses that had seeped into her dreams.

With another sigh she stepped away from the balcony, walking back into her room and pausing near one wall. There, hanging on specially designed hooks, her primary battlestaff rested, glittering a dull gold in the night. Hesitantly she reached out, her fingertips caressing the gold and wooden weapon, feeling the magic within it. How many times had she held it in her hands? How many times had power flowed through it, sent to strike down her foes? It had been many months since she'd held it, since she'd fought at all. Life was peaceful now; a calm that allowed for work and time with her daughter. And yet, something nagged at her mind, some feeling of unease that her old contact had kindled further with his suggestion that the future could not be so bright as to be free of trouble.

"Am I being blind right now? Selfish to think that I have a moment to breathe?" Biara whispered to no one, her fingers still running over the wooden staff gently, as if patting an old friend. "Am I making a fatal mistake in thinking that things will be peaceful and that Kyliska will need to do little more than make arrangements for her own wedding?"

Battles still raged on Draenor she knew. The Iron Horde had turned to fel magic, but it all seemed so distant, so disconnected from life in Quel'Thalas. What threat could they pose to her now? To any of her family? Even the Alliance had been oddly peaceful. Was it to be this way forevermore, or was this the last breath before a plunge into deadly danger?

Even as the last thought crossed Biara's mind, a tingling sensation began to spread through her body. The wards on her face blazed with life, and when she looked down she could see the blue glow of further wards shining through the fabric of her nightgown between her breasts and further down the left side of her body. Wards meant to defend her, to protect her from foreign magic that she could sense stealing into the room.

In a rush she grabbed her staff, the weapon flaring to life as if no time had passed between their last contact. Endless magical power flowed through Biara, like a lover returning to embrace her. The thrill of it set her heart racing anew, set her gasping for a moment as a feeling more blissful than sex ran through her. She whirled, the weapon pointing at the middle of her bedchambers where magic built and began to tear at the fabric of reality.

A moment later a hole opened, a scene right out of Biara's nightmares visible through it. Ash rained down and flames raged across a hellish landscape. This was not what made Biara's eyes widen though, not what caused a startled shout to escape her lips. For within the image stood a Sin'dorei, one with deep red hair and a smile that was hauntingly familiar. One who wore an insignia bearing the Dayfire crest.

"Hello mother," the image said.

Biara's staff fell from nerveless fingers, her eyes wide in shock, "A-astariel...but...no, she sleeps in her room even now. This cannot be."

"Well, it can and it can't actually," Astariel said with a smile. "I don't exactly follow all of the rules if you understand what I mean. Like mother like daughter as they say. I have taken it upon myself to reach back in time, to tell you something that you need to know."

Biara could hardly believe what she was hearing and seeing, and yet it was as plain as day before her. An older version of her daughter spoke to her through the portal, one who was a powerful mage in her own right. One who should know better than to tamper with temporal magics as she must surely be doing. And yet, her smile was infectious and her words brought mirth up in Biara's heart. It made sense after all, why would her daughter follow the rules guiding the use of temporal magic or any other magic for that matter when her mother was so carefree with them? That the elf was an adult and alive somewhere, sometime, meant that she would do her job raising the girl properly, if imperfectly. Exactly as it maybe should be.

"You are taking a great risk, contacting me like this," Biara said, trying to keep her tone stern even though the encounter was already sending her thoughts racing ahead. "I suggest you be brief before the Bronze's decide that you've pushed things too far."

The image of adult-Astariel nodded, smiling at her mother and shooting her a wink, "I will vex them many times in my life, do not trouble yourself over that. But you are right, and my rule-breaking has very hard limits. I have come to tell you just one thing and one thing alone; do not stop, do not give up."

Biara blinked in surprise, staring at the flickering image, "I..I'm not sure what you mean."

"I mean that your fate is not to die in your spire, surrounded by books and notes, Mother," Astariel replied. "Call it your destiny, call it what you will, you were born in the fires of battle, and it is there that you must discover what you were meant to do. Do not stay your hand, do not stray from who you are inside. If you do, if you choose to shut yourself away and retire from the world around you, then those you love most will be the ones to suffer. Follow your heart."

Biara swallowed a lump forming in her throat, all of the dreams, the warnings, the hints at some hidden danger coming together in pinpoint focus within her mind. She straightened, nodding at the image and replying in a firm tone, "I am a Magistrix of this city, and I will never stay my hand if it is in danger. I swear it on my blood."

The image of Astariel smiled sadly and nodded, "Then my message has done what I meant it to do. I must go now, before they discover what it is I've done. I love you, more than I can ever say. Know that I will come to understand your choices one day, even if it seems that I do not. Farewell."

Biara felt tears building in her eyes as the image began to crackle and fade. She reached out towards it, her voice choked, "I love you as well my daughter. I will always be proud of who you are, and who you will become."

And then the image was gone, the magic fading rapidly within the room and leaving a scent of burnt ozone within the small space. Around Biara she could feel the wards that she and Tyavel had designed activating as they finally began to detect an intrusion. She smiled softly as she bent down to retrieve her staff, knowing that Astariel would have known how to breach the wards around the home that she would grow up in.

A moment later the doors to Biara's bedchambers burst open, causing Biara to jump and turn towards it, her staff at the ready. A group of Sin'dorei piled into the room, looking flustered and all holding weapons. Leading them was a blonde-haired Magistrix with locks so light they were almost white. In her white knuckled hand she held a wand, the weapon pointed at Biara for a moment as she assessed the threats in the room.

"Biara! The wards on this spire were breached!" Tyavel said, sounding exasperated and looking like she'd just darted out of her bed.

Biara sighed, lowering her weapon and nodding at her counterpart, "They were indeed, Magistrix. But not by a foe. They were breached by an ally bringing tidings."

After a moment more of peering, Tyavel lowered her weapon, staring at the other Magistrix and gesturing for the guards that had burst in to back out of the room. She and Biara were, after all, in their nightgowns, "And what tidings were so important that our wards were breached in the middle of the night with no warning?"

Biara met Tyavel's challenging gaze, her tone firm but calm when she replied, so as not to challenge the other Sin'dorei, "We have overlooked something. Some danger, some threat that we have yet to identify. Something is coming, and we must prepare ourselves lest it wash over us and destroy what we have sought to build. I beg of you, Tyavel, please lend me your aid. Only together, by putting aside our past differences, can we ensure the safety of our combined family."

For a moment Tyavel said nothing, simply staring into Biara's eyes, the words fading in the echoes of Biara's bedchambers. After a time she nodded, her tone one of compromise, "Very well, if you feel there is something urgent to be concerned about, then we will prepare. No harm will come to my family, our legacy, or our holdings while I can still cast spells."

"You have my blood oath that my own magic will be bent to this same task," Biara said.

A silent understanding fell between the two Magistrixes as each began to plan within their minds what to do next. After a moment Tyavel whirled, her voice echoing through the hallways as she shouted at the guards, "Awaken the apprentices and have them clear the laboratory in this spire! Summon my brother at once so we can begin preparing and training the ranger force. Have Lady Sunfire's Blood Knight Captain summoned to the war room at once! No, I don't care that it's the middle of the night, get moving at once!"

Biara smiled as Tyavel's voice echoed away, the sound of people hurrying to obey her orders following the Magistrix. She gently set her staff against the side of her bed, letting her robe fall away as she went to gather some clothes and prepare herself for a long day of meetings and planning. The entire time she was preparing herself, she kept her eye on her staff, the comfort of the weapon nearby putting her mind at ease.

She would not let her guard down even for an instant in the days to come. The safety of House Sunfire's holdings and of Quel'Thalas would be foremost in her mind.