"So, where is this 'Isle of the Watchers' located?" Lyra asked, because while she was excited about the prospect of fighting Maiev, which was the reason she was following the Warden out of the Purple Parlor, she had no idea where this isle was located.
"Off the coast of Azsuna," Maiev replied, not finding it odd that Lyra has asked the question, as Khadgar had asked the same question when she enlisted his aid in opening the portal between the Black Temple and the Vault, "its the same isle that the Vault of the Wardens, where you and the other Illidari were locked away in, happens to have been built into. Since the Vault has been overrun with demons the isle has become an ideal place to train new initiates that wish to become Watchers... especially since so many died in Cordana's raid."
"Watchers?" Lyra inquired, because this was the first time she heard of something like this and temporarily forgot her anger towards the Warden that she was walking behind.
"Basically they are like me, only they are of a lower rank," Maiev answered, though this time she made sure to keep the tone of her voice hidden, meaning that Lyra wouldn't be able to tell if she was annoyed or angry, "We also built a shield of sorts to ensure new trainees don't escape from the island, in case their nerve fails them, and that when they admit defeat they're teleported somewhere safe until the exercise is complete. I intend to use the entire isle as our battleground... even if we won't use all of it."
Lyra grinned once more as she followed the Warden, though as they walked she heard some footsteps behind them, to which she watched as Trixie and Azuregos caught up with them. Trixie quickly explained that she wanted to watch what was coming next, because if either Maiev or Lyra went overboard, and she was fairly sure that something like that would happen, she wanted to stop them before they killed each other. She was fairly sure that if Lyra killed Maiev she would earn the ire of the other Wardens, and those that would replace those that died in the assault on the Vault of the Wardens, and possibly have a bounty placed on her head in the process. If Lyra was the one that died, however, Trixie knew that everyone would be out for Maiev's head, both the Alliance and the Horde, so it was in their best interest if someone made sure that nothing terrible happened while they fought.
Once they returned to Krasus' Landing Maiev had a mount prepared for her, to which she flew off and said that Trixie and Azuregos could follow along if they desired. Azuregos transformed almost immediately, shocking several of the nearby warriors in the process, though their shock was increased even further when Trixie did the same thing. Lyra had to chuckle about that, because not a lot of people in Dalaran knew that Trixie had transformed into a Blue Dragon during their time in Azsuna and that she preferred her new half-dragon form. She also enjoyed the shock looks whenever someone stared at Trixie's hybrid form, as a lot of people had never seen it before, though she knew that people would have stopped her if she hadn't been Khadgar's apprentice.
A few moments later Lyra stopped laughing and climbed onto Trixie's back, to which Trixie and Azuregos took off and followed after Maiev, leaving Dalaran behind and descending towards Azsuna. Lyra found it amusing that they flew over the various areas that they had traveled through some time ago, to which some of the Blue Dragons actually flew up to join them for a few seconds. When they reached the area that some of the demon hunters were still fighting in, to prevent the demons from surging into Azsuna, the Azurewing returned to their home... allowing Maiev and the others to land on the isle that they had been heading towards.
Lyra had to contain her laughter when she saw the initiates, because the moment Trixie and Azuregos landed the Warden trainees backed up and pointed their weapons at the trio, though it only took Maiev's arrival to tell them to back off... allowing Lyra to jump onto the ground and give Trixie some time to revert back to her hybrid form.
"I want everyone off the isle at once," Maiev commented, causing the other Wardens, those that had survived the assault on the Vault, to look at her in what Lyra assumed was shock, though at the same time Maiev pulled her glaive out, "the demon hunter and I need some... privacy."
The other Wardens seemed to understand what Maiev was talking about, because they started ordering the initiates to leave the isle, to which Lyra and her friends watched as the camp they had landed at started to empty almost immediately, leaving them alone with Maiev. As the last initiate left the isle, however, Maiev walked into the nearby tent and tapped a crystal that was resting at the back of it, to which Lyra and her friends watched as a shimmering blue barrier started to rise from the water. The barrier eventually formed a dome over the entire isle, trapping them on the side where all the demons were located, though at the same time that didn't bother Maiev as she faced Lyra and held her weapon at the ready... though as Lyra drew her warglaives Trixie and Azuregos backed away from the pair.
"Ever since I released you from your cell I knew that this day would come," Maiev said, though at the same time she held weapon at the ready, which Lyra mimicked, "Come then, Lyra Heartstrings, let us settle the score and determine who the better fighter really is."
Lyra, instead of wasting time, tapped into her powers and leapt into the air, to which she transformed into her Havoc form and landed near Maiev, where she dashed forward and swung her warglaives at her opponent. Maiev was smart enough to raise her weapon and parry her attacks, but instead of pressing any attack she maintained her defense and studied every move Lyra made. She knew why that was, because now that she was empowered by Dark Magic, which explained how she was able to overpower someone like Ysera, her strength, stamina, and speed were much faster than when she was solely in her empowered demonic form. At one point Maiev decided to go on the offensive and started sending her own attacks in Lyra's direction... along with attempting to rip the Twinblades from Lyra's hands.
After what happened at the summit of the Black Temple, where her weapons were ripped from her hands and tossed to the side, Lyra refused to have her weapons taken from her, to which she ensured that Maiev didn't accomplish what she was planning.
A few seconds later Lyra decided to change things up and started rushing around the area that Maiev was standing in, using her speed to her advantage by keeping Maiev confused, before she appeared somewhere near her target and swung her Twinblades once more. Maiev, following the same attack pattern she had used in the Black Temple, rolled to the side as she avoided the attack, though this time around Lyra had been expecting that and had planned accordingly before she launched her attack. Lyra shifted her stance for a moment and dashed towards her target, following after Maiev at a much faster speed than her opponent might have expected, before she spun around and planted her left hoof in the middle of Maiev's chest. The force of the kick sent Maiev into one of the nearby trees and felled the small piece of wood, though this time Lyra patiently waited for her foe to stand up before they continued their fight... because she wanted the satisfaction of beating Maiev while she was on her feet.
"I'm impressed." Maiev commented, getting back onto her feet as she stared at Lyra, while at the same time gripping her weapon even tighter than she had been moments ago, "Despite how short our first encounter was, you managed to memorize my movements and started planning for the next time the two of us fought each other, in case such a future came to pass. Not many can claim to have memorized my movements, even if its just a fraction of what I am capable of, but you have earned my respect as a proper opponent... Lyra Heartstrings."
"Our battle has only started, Maiev," Lyra replied, though at the same time she held her Twinblades out and prepared herself, because this fight was going to get more exciting in the next couple of seconds, "and I intend to be the victor."
"Despite all your power you will never be able to beat me," Maiev stated, causing Lyra to growl once more, though she had to wonder why her opponent was provoking her all of a sudden, "so long as you rely on the fel energy inside you, and the demonic power that courses through your veins, you will never beat me."
Lyra flared her demonic wings and surged towards Maiev, their weapons colliding with each other for a few seconds and sending sparks in every direction, before the two of them separated from each other and stared at their opponent once more. Maiev studied Lyra for a few seconds, which Lyra did at the same time, before they gripped their weapons and dashed forward again, though this time around they locked their weapons together and struggled against each other, where Maiev stared into Lyra's corrupted eyes as they battled each other. A few seconds later, however, Maiev changed tactics and slammed her foot into Lyra's chest, causing her to stagger backwards, before she spun around and cut two light gashes into Lyra's chest.
In retaliation, however, Lyra swung her right warglaive and cut a light gash into Maiev's chest piece, one that only added to chest piece's number of scars without actually damaging Maiev, though Lyra growled as she backed away. The two remained where they were standing before they surged towards each other, but this time around Maiev wasn't fooling around as she dodged the incoming attack and cut another gash into Lyra's left arm. Lyra growled as a few drops of her blood touched the ground, as she was annoyed that Maiev was still hiding a portion of her power, but it made sense that her power would be great considering that she had to have fought against Lord Illidan... but that didn't stop her from trying to beat her opponent.
Maiev's attacks increased, showing Lyra a bit more of the legendary Warden that everyone spoke about, before she spun around, slipped the center of her glaive around one of Lyra's warglaives, and literally yanked it out of her hand, before repeating the process with the second weapon... leaving Lyra without her weapons once more. Lyra growled as she faced her opponent and prepared herself, because this was where the real battle began... though before they could resume their fight Trixie noticed a blue arcane ball pass through the barrier and approach her. Maiev and Lyra, however, sighed when they noticed the ball, because they both knew that the only person that could get something through the barrier was Khadgar... which meant that he had already discovered something and was immediately telling them before they ended up killing each other.
"Trixie," the ball said, confirming their suspicions that it was Khadgar that was speaking to them, though at the same time Lyra transformed back to her normal form and picked up her warglaives, "I need you, Lyra, and Azuregos to return to Dalaran at once. Something strange has happened and I feel that the three of you should be the first ones the Council informs... I'll explain more when you arrive."
Lyra mentally moaned for a moment, because she had been seriously hoping that she and Maiev could settle their score, but this was the first time that she was cursing the fact that Trixie had such an observant teacher, as he had ruined their match and it would be some time before they could do this again. Trixie seemed annoyed as well, though she and Azuregos silently transformed back into their dragon forms as Maiev lowered the barrier, to which Lyra climbed onto Trixie's back. Once she was in place they got into the air and waited for the barrier to completely fall apart, before they headed towards Dalaran as Maiev moved towards where her forces had been staring at the isle, so she could tell them to resume their training.
Lyra, Trixie, and Azuregos had to wonder what was so important about what Khadgar found, especially since they had been in the city not ten minutes ago, when they gave him and the Council their report... but they knew that they would find out soon enough, and Lyra was bound to have some words for the Archmage for ruining her rematch.