Good Morning

He opened his eyes and allowed them to slowly take in his darkened surroundings.  He slowly unfolded his legs with his knees giving nearly no sound of protest until he began to stand up, though the groan he gave was more pronounced than the groan of his joints.  He stood up carefully, looking at the sleeping form of his wife, no correct that, the woman who was his wife years ago.  In the predawn twilight that filtered in through the window, she looked every bit the woman he loved and had a family with all those years ago.

He shook his head, leaving the bedroom in his robe as he entered an adjacent room.  He waved a hand over a candle with a slight mutter, causing a small flame to sputter to life.  He stared at the empty runed basin for a moment before muttering again as he tapped the side, watching the water fill it from seemingly nowhere.  When the basin was full, he dunked his head into the icy cold water and let the shock of it travel his nerves to awaken his dulled senses.    He pulled back after a moment, gasping in air as his hand reached to a towel.  Drying his face and what loose hair had gotten wet, he untied his now once again long hair.  He let the silver strands of it spill out around his head and shoulders as he looked at himself in the mirror.  The candlelight did nothing to hide glow of his eyes, more apparent in the dark than normal.  The slightest green tint of Fel Arcanus.  He then finished his morning ritual of cleansing with the towel and the basin until his entire body bristled from the cold, his nerves becoming alert.
He shook his head again, this time forcing his hair to spread out further than it currently had been.  Reaching down to grab the brush beside the wash bowl, he slowly began the process of brushing out his long hair.  An exercise for his artificial hands as much as a process of grooming, the slightest hint of dawns early light shining in through the partially opaque washroom window.  In the growing glow of dawn, he tied back his hair quickly with a long piece of leather.  The morning light reflected off his hair in the mirror, giving him the illusion for a moment of a halo above his head.  He gave a small smile at the humor he found as he turned and snuffed out the candle with his fingers.

Back into the bedroom, he once again paused to watch his slumbering wife.  In his mind replayed the years they had.  His now estranged son, then the loving son who admired his father.  His now dead or missing daughter, then the forever curious explorer of her surroundings.  Finally of his now undead wife, then vivacious and full of life.  The center of his family and his universe.
He snapped back into the reality of the now as the sleeping form stirred.  She would sleep a while longer, shortly after the full light of the sun poured in through the windows.  He quietly opened his chifforobe and taking out the robes he would wear for the day, taking from the drawers a pair of gloves that matched.  He quickly changed his clothes and tugged on his gloves as he left the bedroom with one more fleeting glance at the woman in his bed.

He took the stairs slowly as his body completed it's own waking rituals.  Downstairs he could hear the sound of cooking, the scent of bacon and coffee becoming stronger with each step.  As he completed the task of descending to the first floor, he made his way into the kitchen.  There, as he expected, was Jhorlith wearing a black sleeveless dress and an apron.  The succubus was still new to her contract, but her predecessor Nimna had done well to train her.  She turned from the stove and forked out the sizzling bacon onto a strainer above a bowl that would save the grease for later use.  She then began on cooking the eggs as I went to the cabinet and pulled out four mugs, setting them on the table beside a container of sugar and fresh cream.  "Good Morning, Professor." Jhorlith said as she flipped the eggs.  She pointed at a pot near her with the spatula.  "Coffee is ready, and eggs are coming up.  Warm toast and butter are on the table."  The old man nodded his head, taking the coffee pot and setting it on a woven mat opposite of the cream and sugar containers.  "Good Morning.  Has there been any changes in last nights experiment?"  The succubus shook her head as she plated up some of the bacon and eggs, setting them on the table before the old man as he sat down and nabbed a piece of toast.  "No sir, not changes as of yet.  It appears to be stable."  She then took an empty mug and spooned a small amount of sugar before pouring the steaming coffee into the mug.  She pushed it in front of the old man before pouring herself a cup without any additives.   She sipped her coffee in silence as the old man quickly ate his breakfast and drained his cup of coffee with a speed that suggested he most likely didn't even take the time to taste anything.  "Good." he said as he stood back up.  "I'll be in the laboratory for the morning if I am needed."  The succubus nodded as the old man stood and promptly left the kitchen, heading towards the doorway attached to the side of the stairwell main entrance room.  He took a white coat off the hook that hung beside the door and slipped it on before opening the door to begin the trek into the cold and dark basement.

After passing through many wards and arcanic locks, the final of which leaving him with the feeling of being electrically charged, he finally arrived in the expansive laboratory beneath his house.  He picked up his wand from a pedestal nearby and tapped three glyphs, causing the multiple sconces to light and fill the room with an odd blue light.  He then picked up his monocle from the table nearby and adjusted it over his right eye.  An ensemble of glyphs and runes began to appear and then fade from his view, being replaced by a single green rune.  He adjusted his chair and sat down before a miniature obsidian obelisk.  He set the end of his wand on the top, causing glyphs to alight down the construct on all sides.  He cleared his throat as he turned in his chair to face a stasis construct.  "Professor Keido Mal Van Dure, day 382 of experiment 00453, subject number 263 'Jubham Infeparn'."  He turned a glowing crystal on the panel before him, causing more light to pour onto the suspended 'creature'.  "Subject became afflicted with an aberrant form of previously undefined demonic energy, now labeled as contaminant 023theta.  Upon initial contraction, subject appeared normal with only occasional errors with incantations.  After a week, the coloration of aural flames began to change in hue, darkening to black from the natural emerald hue.  After this change, the subjects behavior became more erratic, his memory becoming less and less reliable.  By the end of the second week, strange growths began to form at the base of his horns as his fingers and toes fused themselves.  At this time, the subject became a danger to himself and others.  Subject was then placed in a spacial stasis while further study was conducted of his affliction."  He turned another crystal as lines of arcanic text began to scroll over the stasis field, the monocle glowing as it displayed it's own string of glyphs and runes in his vision.
"Subject is now being contained in a temporal stasis in order to further prevent the spread of contamination.  All efforts to counter the contagion have proven ineffective.  The new energy form has proven itself a difficult subject to study, much less to counter."  Keido closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.  "Efforts continue to identify contaminant 023theta.  Awaiting new shipment of draenic energy crystals in order to continue safe replication of contaminant 023theta for further experimentation."  He opened his eyes and watched the imp as it floated in the stasis chamber.  "I'm sorry, old friend.  Another day has passed and I've yet to figure this bloody puzzle out."  He turned his chair back to the obelisk, deactivating it with his wand in the same manner he activated it.  He slowly stood up, tucking his wand into a holster at his side designed to house it.  With a sigh, he turned and left the basement.  As he hung up his coat back where it was, the sun was shining brightly through the house.  "Jhorlith, when the package comes today, leave it in front of the laboratory door."  He heard her agreement in Sayaadi from in the study and nodded as he walked to the front door.  He grabbed his belt of pouches and side bag, draping his cloak around him and taking hold of his staff.  He looked out at the city before him.  Stormwind glistened ever so slightly as the morning dew began to evaporate.  The day was warm, but not unbearable.  The slight cloud cover also promised a mild weathered day.  He took in a deep breath before leaving the small enclosed front yard, making his way towards his workshop in the Mage District where more problems awaited him.  Paperwork to fill out.  Requests to approve or deny.  And he was still awaiting word from Dalaran about whether or not the Kirin Tor would approve of association and assistance.   And then there was the matter of the creation of the specialized stone for Sabariel and the beginning of her specialized training.
If he was fortunate, he would be able to arrive home in time to make another attempt in identifying and solving the puzzle in his laboratory.  If he wasn't...
He didn't dwell on that as he began the trek up the long spiral pathway up the Mages Tower.
Today was going to be a good day.  It had to be a good day.