Winter 4995, 20 Ginmoth

It was just past noon when Lily stepped through the star-filled gate and found herself on top of a dark tower. Her slit eyes adjusted quickly to the gloom caused by a sky full of heavy storm clouds as she scanned the parapets for the Warlocks who she was supposed to be protecting.

There was only one on the tower, and he wasn't exactly waiting for her. He stood with his back to her gate -which dissolved into ash as she stepped away- and didn't bother to turn away from his table when he spoke to her. "Good, you're here. We're almost done. The storm gathers." He waved a hand absently at the sky. Lily looked up, noticing for the first time that the clouds were moving, drifting towards the mountain behind her.

She tilted her head at them, not finding the movement unusual. Until she looked to either side. All across the horizon, the clouds were moving to one central location. As if they were collecting at a spot just behind the peaks. That wasn't normal, was it?

"Well, that's ominous..." She said, tapping her staff on the stone and cocking a hip.

The Warlock finally turned around, though his nose was still buried in a book as he did. With eyes squinting and nose nearly touching the pages, he struggled to read in the darkness and ordered without looking up, "Give this to the journeymen on your way dow-" Lily lit a fire in the air to aid him, and he finally glanced up, just a fraction at first. Starting at her feet, he trailed up and started asking, "There is only one... of..." his eyes finally reached her fire-lit face, and he stopped, whispering, "Firewyrm..."

"Lily." She corrected him, "And it's generally seen as polite to say 'please' when you want someone to do something for you." She held out a hand for the book, cocking her head at the Warlock, who was still staring dumbstruck at her.

He snapped the book shut, glancing away and muttering to himself, "Perhaps one will be enough... if the one is the Firewyrm...."

Lily growled, snatching the book from the Warlock's startled fingers, "My name is Lily. Damn it."

"I... yes... of course." and yet he didn't use her name when he asked again, more politely, "Could you, please, give this to the Journeymen?"

Lily smiled with a bit more teeth than appropriate, "Yes. I could."

He nodded, then turned back to his table, "Thank you. Archmage Morna is already at the final test location. We will be meeting with her shortly for the final readings. We can't leave until the storm manifests but need to be gone before it triggers its disaster..."

Lily turned away, waving the book over her shoulder and heading for the ladder that would take her down into the tower, "Get the readings and get out. Got it."

Once through the trapdoor and away from the Archmage, she flipped through the book. It was written in draconic and seemed to hold copies of all their tests and results. Although she could read the language, she couldn't make heads nor tails of the technical aspects. She grinned anyway, whispering to herself, "I could deliver this... but I won't." Each of the two Archmages would have a copy anyway. They didn't need two... Lily pulled a satchel from her bag and slipped the book into it with her own copy of compiled notes. She might not be able to make use of it, but perhaps someone else could.

But will they? Lily asked herself. Then shook her head. She couldn't afford too many doubts. She had to trust that the kingdom would want to stop any impending disasters.

She skipped down the tightly spiraling stairs and entered the massive room that took up the entire second floor and had once been the library. Now it was empty of all but the essentials for the Warlock's current project, which the apprentices and journeymen were now packing away as well. By the time they were done, there would be no evidence left of their presence here.

One of the youngest, a female, looked up and dropped her book, "Firewyrm!"

Lily hissed, and the girl flinched away, retrieving her book and holding it tight to her chest as if it could shield her from the woman's wrath. The apprentice asked in a quavering voice, "You're... you're here to protect us?"

"That depends," Lily answered.

"On... on what?" she stammered.

"On if you can use my name." Lily bared her teeth at them, now all staring at her, "It's Lily, by the way."

"Lily... yes. Thank you, Miss Lily."

In a blink, Lily's smile turned genuine. She really did like the apprentices and journeymen of the organization. Most of them still had sense. She moved for a window that looked over the ocean, casually dropping her satchel beside the nearest empty shelf. "You're welcome. Let's get this over with before the storm hits, shall we? I can't fight the weather."

The Warlocks returned to their packing, and Lily sat on the window sill, her feet dangling over the ocean crashing into the tower far below. She sighed, looking up at the sky, wondering where Shon and his team were now. They wouldn't be foolish enough to come here, would they? Not when they knew a storm was coming...

The near-constant knot of anxiety in her stomach tightened. Are the clouds getting darker?

As if sensing her question, one of the apprentices whispered to the other, "It's almost time..."

"And the city still hasn't moved..." the other answered. Lily leaned on her hands, letting her head fall back to watch the Warlocks upside down.

One of the journeymen huffed, "They never do. Did you honestly think you were the first to consider warning them?"

Lily spun in her seat to tilt her head at the conversing Warlocks, kicking the satchel behind the empty shelf.

The other journeyman grumbled under his breath then spoke louder, "Where would they even go? Did you ever stop to think of that? We don't know how this storm will affect the area."

"But..." the first apprentice tried, but the first journeyman snapped her fingers, making Lily flinch. She really wished they would stop doing that... The knot in her stomach squirmed.

"Think, damn it! If they fled to another town and an earthquake or landslide were triggered, they would be crushed before they could leave. If they took to the sea and a hurricane or tsunami hit, they would be just as doomed. We don't know enough. That's why we're here."

The apprentices both looked cowed, but Lily tilted her head to the other side and interjected, "But how will you lot leave then?"

All four of them jumped at her voice, as if just remembering she was there. The first journeyman licked her lips but answered, "A gate, Firew... Lily. But not until the last moment. Even now, as it builds, the Archmages are taking readings."

"We have to meet them in the mountain now, hurry up!" the second snapped to his apprentices.

They all scrambled about to obey, and Lily slipped off the sill. The apprentices had tried to warn the city of the storm, but that had just informed the kingdom they were here. Perhaps that would be enough to save them. "Well... maybe they should do the same..." She commented.

"They won't listen." The female journeyman reiterated again.

"And now they've summoned that team..." one of the apprentices whined. Lily's stomach clenched.

The male journeyman huffed, "Maybe we'll get lucky, and the storm will catch them too." He grinned, but the look was wiped from his face at the glare Lily leveled at him. He paled, and his hands shook, scattering papers as her eyes flashed red. "They... they won't listen..." he stuttered.

Lily slammed her staff on the ground, sending out a wave of fire in a ring around her. Then she marched for the stairs, saying, "They'll listen to me."

It was true... wasn't it? Shon wouldn't ignore her warning. He'd seen what a magical storm could do. She remembered clearly a kennel of dogs... asphyxiated by the limnic eruption they'd discovered in Lenare. Her anxiety nearly flared to panic, and she barely managed to stop herself from sprinting down the stairs. Instead, she reached into her bag again and pulled out a sheaf of parchment and pencil. They would listen to her. They had to...

***

Alena shifted uncomfortably in her armor as the team left the Mages Guild and made their way toward the Temple of Horsa. Despite the time, the sky was dark with heavy clouds blowing overhead. People rushed about, some trying to light the city lanterns while others hurried to their homes to shutter the windows.

To the north, the sea was choppy, rocking the ships in the harbor, their tall masts waving like bare trees in the wind. On all other sides, the city was surrounded by tall stone walls—protection from the ever-present monsters outside the civilized lands.

They crossed over one of many bridges spanning the river running through the city, its water now low in the winter months. To the south, Alena could just make out the silhouette of a water tower looming in the darkness -providing the seaside city with emergency freshwater. Beyond that, built into the wall beside the south gate and reaching all the way to the riverbed, were thick bars to prevent monsters from sneaking in through the river.

Everything seemed secure. So why did she feel like she should be running back to the Guild and a magical gate out as fast as she could? Beside her, Ebonwing rubbed her arms, eyes darting about like a caged animal.

The Druid spoke in a whisper, "Something doesn't feel right..."

Ranito waved a dismissive hand, "It's just the storm. They're common in coastal cities."

Oswall shrugged and spoke in agreement, "It's just a squall. Everyone's already preparing for it."

Alena shook her head, "Is it, though? Something is definitely wrong..."

Tristen grunted from the head of the group, "The Warlocks were here. That's probably what we're feeling." But Alena had her doubts. If Warlock presence could be felt this keenly, shouldn't it be easier to find them?

Oswall waved his lit smoke in the air. Blowing out a series of rings, he sighed, saying, "I'm just glad they had enough sense left to come south in the winter. Who's bright idea was it to go hunting in the north this time of year anyway?" But no one answered his complaining banter, and the Rogue too fell silent.

Shon stopped just short of the Temple of Horsa. He never liked entering Horsa holy land, so Alena didn't think anything of it as she started to pass him. Until she saw him looking at the sky to the south. "Shon?" She asked, drawing everyone else's attention too.

He narrowed his eyes at the distant mountains, and Ryuuko hissed. "Master Sergeant?" Tristen asked. Shon shook his head and started forward again.

Even he can feel it... Alena thought, The wrongness in the air... But then why couldn't Ranito or Oswall?

Inside the Temple, the team was greeted by two Paladins of Horsa in crisp black uniforms. They nodded respectfully to Tristen, who returned the gesture, and led the team down to the dungeons. Addressing their leader, the elder Paladin explained, "There were two of them, Colonel. Ranting that we needed to evacuate the city..."

"Trying to cause a panic." The other theorized.

The elder nodded in agreement and continued, "We apprehended them right away, but when we came down to retrieve them for questioning, they were gone."

Tristen hummed, asking only, "The guards?"

"They were stationed at the head of the dungeon, not the cell." The second Paladin explained.

The first continued, "We find prisoners respond better to our questions after some time in isolation." As if to demonstrate, he retrieved a torch from a crate beside the heavy dungeon doors and, lighting it, opened the way into the lightless hall lined with cells on one side.

Horsa dungeons were well known as the worst in the kingdom -for the prisoners at least. Deep underground and completely lightless, the hall smelled of must and old blood. The sound of a single steady drip echoed from the distant blackness, the torch not enough to light the area fully.

Alena took a deep, bracing breath before following Tristen in, but the Paladin stopped short and cleared his throat, "A bit more light, maybe. Vicar?" Letting her breath out as a sigh of relief, she began a prayer. Feeling the comforting warmth in her soul, she directed the light of her god outward. With a final word, the dungeon was illuminated with the light of a spring morning that banished every shadow, as if its source was from everywhere at once.

The Paladins of Horsa scoffed but extinguished the torch. Tristen merely nodded, "Thank you, Alena." before continuing down the hall.

Shon passed her to follow, turning his head as he did to nod his own thanks while Ryuuko chirped happily. Before her light, the dark, isolated dungeon was almost enough to trigger a vigil. Alena smiled at Shon, glad she could spare him that at least. But he was already looking away.

Tristen stopped before one of the cells without being told which and waited patiently for the Horsa Paladins to unlock the door. As they did, Ranito cleared his throat, "I presume they were chained with antimagic manacles?"

"They were, Archmage." the Paladins assured him.

There was no way the entire team could fit in the tiny cell, so Tristen waved only Oswall and Ranito forward. The Rogue busied himself inspecting the walls, tapping the stones with his dagger, while the Archmage chanted a spell that caused his eyes to glow with violet light. The others looked on from the hall.

"There is magical residue near the far wall..." Ranito informed them. Oswall went that way, inspecting the stones at the top all the way down to the floor. Ryuuko whistled, and Tristen turned, then stepped aside so Shon could squeeze past him and into the cell as well. Immediately he crouched to examine the ground. Brushing his fingers over the filthy floor, he brought them back up, black with soot.

Oswall squatted beside him, arms resting on his bent knees, "Same stuff?" he asked. Shon nodded, and Oswall sighed, standing again with a groan, "They might have been sealed but whoever cut the gate to get them out wasn't. They'll be long gone by now."

Ranito hummed to himself, taking out his ratty notebook and exiting the cell to scribble in the hall as he mumbled, "They have much more precise control with their gates than we do with ours. Perhaps it has something to do with the nature of the outer planes..."

"They should have been held in an antimagic field." Tristen frowned in disapproval, and the two Paladins of Horsa exchanged looks. An antimagic field would negate their magic too.

Ranito came to their rescue, speaking absently as he wrote, "Those are very difficult and expensive to create, Sir Tristen. An Archmage capable of casting it and a suitable item to store it in... Even the Guilds only have one each for testing Sorcerers..."

"Well, we know better for next time at least." Ebonwing commented with a shrug, "What do we do now, Tris? We can't track their gates."

Ranito grunted, "Collect the ash, soldier. Perhaps the Guild can work on that problem." Without looking up, Ranito fished a glass vile from his bag and held it up for Ryuuko to fetch and bring back to Shon.

Oswall left the cell. Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, he grumbled, "Why did they even gate them out at all? Why not execute them from a distance like they did back in Swailand?"

"They didn't have to." Alena theorized, "if they could get them out, then why not?"

"Maybe they can't afford to lose any more members," Ebonwing added hopefully.

"Perhaps..." Tristen agreed, then shook his head and started back for the dungeon entrance, "We need to speak with your General and the Archmage of the Guild."

"They are both waiting in the General's office for you now, Colonel." The Paladins assured him, leading the way out.

Alena waited by the door for the others to pass her, watching as Shon trailed behind. As usual, he'd been the only one not to participate in the discussion. Alena walked beside him through the Temple of Horsa, prodding, "What do you think?"

Shon didn't answer, looking out the upper floors' windows as they moved closer to the General's office. "Shon?" Alena tried to prompt, and Ryuuko nipped his ear. He ignored both and didn't answer until they reached the door and started filing in.

"Why warn the city to evacuate?" he asked no one in particular then entered the office.

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Alena hesitated once inside, looking out the window as well. The sky had grown darker in the short time it had taken them to investigate the dungeon. Were the clouds moving faster?

Inside, Tristen made the formal introductions, then cleared his throat to ask, "What exactly did the Warlocks say when you took them into custody, General?"

"That we needed to evacuate the city. That a storm was coming that we wouldn't be able to weather." The General answered, leaning back in his desk chair.

"Sounds like a good idea to me..." Ebonwing muttered under her breath, hugging her arms again. Alena couldn't help but agree.

The Archmage of the local Guild heard and sneered, "And how exactly do you propose we do that, Druid? The sea is the least safe place in a storm, and the nearest city able to hold even half our population is a week's ride away."

The General shook his head but agreed, "We've weathered countless storms before this one, and we will weather countless more. The city is already buttoning itself up tight in preparation."

Alena wanted to argue but couldn't find the words, not in this room full of leading city officials. They would know... wouldn't they?

Shon turned away from those same leaders and walked to the window. His sword pommel swirling pale blue and growing transparent. Ryuuko let out a low whistle, and Shon actually spoke, "Warlocks don't deal with normal storms."

The General scoffed, "Now you're trusting Warlocks?"

Shon clenched his fists but didn't answer. Alena finally managed to stutter, "Don't you feel it? Tris? Eb?" she looked pleadingly to her companions. Ebonwing nodded, squeezing her arms tighter, digging furrows into her skin with her nails.

Tristen didn't answer right away. He joined Shon at the window, looking out for a moment, then studying Shon, who nodded without looking away from the window. The Paladin turned to the rest of the team, scanning every face, then looked back to the General.

Before he could speak, the office door slammed open and a young Paladin -freshly oath sworn- stumbled in, a note clenched in his hand, "We're under attack!" he breathed.

"What?!" The General surged to his feet, but Tristen was there first, holding out his hand for the report. The Paladin hesitated but handed the crumpled paper over while his commanding officer continued to demand, "Details, Second Lieutenant. What monsters? How many?"

"No... no monsters, Sir..." The Paladin stuttered, then regaining control of himself and -snapping to attention- explained, "A woman. A fire Sorcerer with golden hair and red tattoos across her face-"

"We are under attack... by a single woman?" The General asked, dumbfounded.

"She... she downed five of our soldiers and two officers... Sir..." The Paladin informed him meekly, "She demanded we deliver this note to the team here to hunt Warlocks."

"What?" nearly everyone called in unison, making the poor young man flinch. Alena and most of the team crowded around Tristen, who was still holding the note. Even Shon turned away from the window, Ryuuko flying over to land on the Paladin's head, presumably to look at the message and send the image to its human.

Tristen passed the note first to Ranito, who seemed to deflate before Ebonwing snatched it from his fingers, read it quickly, then passed it to Alena. It was written in a messy scrawl and read: 'Leave now. Storm coming. Use gates. Don't know what storm will trigger.' with a rough drawing of a six-petaled flower at the bottom.

***

"They're still here? And with the firewoman?" Oswall asked in disbelief, pulling the paper from Alena's slack fingers and turning it over as if he expected to find more on the back.

"But why? Why stay after freeing the others?" Ebonwing chimed in.

"She says 'trigger,' So this isn't a normal storm?" Ranito narrowed his eyes out the window as he spoke.

"Tristen..." Alena's voice came out as a whisper. But Shon's didn't.

"Sir Tristen." Shon's voice broke through the calls of outrage and confusion still filling the room. He watched their leader, his cold eyes framed by strands of black, darker than the sky outside.

He didn't say anything more, but Tristen took in a deep breath as though Shon had stood on the desk and given a speech. Turning back to the General, Tristen ordered, "Evacuate the city."

"You..." The General slammed his hands down on the desk, "It's one woman!"

"Who came with a warning." Tristen told him, "Evacuate the city. Through the Mages Guild."

"You have no right!"

"I operate under the direct orders and authorization of the king of Daanlin, General," Tristen informed him, "I will take full responsibility for this decision." He turned his back on the fuming General, but the Archmage argued,

"There is no city that can take our population without warning, and the Guild can't possibly..."

"Then split them up." Tristen interrupted, "We have reason to believe that this isn't a normal storm."

"If it is a magical storm, then it will trigger another disaster," Ranito informed them, reclaiming the paper from Oswall and smacking it with the back of his other hand. "The Firewyrm..." he ignored Ryuuko's hiss, "... has claimed she is still an ally to the kingdom. This is her chance to prove it."

Shon made a sound as though about to speak, and Oswall turned his way, but Tristen interrupted, "Master Sergeant, you stay here. Work with the Temple and Guild to get the people clear in as orderly a way as possible. Try to avoid a panic."

"Uh... Tris?" Oswall asked, raising a hand as if in a classroom, "This is Horsa..." But Tristen wasn't listening to him. He was staring at Shon with an expression the Rogue couldn't quite identify. Expectation? Judgment?

"Shouldn't Ranito or Os be-" Ebonwing started, but Shon snapped a salute to Tristen, silencing her.

Tristen returned the salute just as crisply and made an about-face, marching for the door, "The rest of you, come with me. If the Warlocks are still here, then it's our job to find them."

"You're leaving us with the Hengist man?!" the General asked in disgust.

Tristen stopped at the door and spoke over his shoulder, "The Master Sergeant is an agent of the king and kingdom, and you will work with him. There is no one more capable of keeping a cool head than he is and no one more devoted to protecting the people of this kingdom." He turned his head a little further, arching his neck to glare at the General, "We are one kingdom, Sir. The king expects you to be able to work with every member of it."

Tristen didn't wait for a response and strode with long legs and a purpose down the halls. Oswall had to sprint out of the office to catch up. Passing him and turning around to walk backward in front of him, he tried again, "If the firewoman really is with the Warlocks, then we need Shon. He's our frontline fighter and the only one immune to fire. Not to mention he's a damn Monk, and so is she. We-"

"She is secondary, Staff Sergeant," Tristen said without meeting his eyes. "The Warlocks are our primary objective, and we have to be able to face them with any one of us possibly out of commission."

"But we shouldn't if we don't have..." Oswall tried, but Tristen stopped walking. Alena and Ebonwing nearly ran into him in their rush to follow and fell back as he stared down at Oswall. And the Rogue was reminded precisely who he was dealing with. A Paladin of Saint Giorgos, and his commanding officer. Oswall looked away first.

Tristen passed him and continued out of the Temple without further argument from the team.

They started jogging once outside, then running once they caught sight of the sky, now like a boiling lake of black tar. They made for the west gate, where a crowd of torches showed a commotion had occurred not long ago.

Oswall half expected to meet the infamous Firewyrm there, but she was nowhere to be seen. Tristen snapped at the nearest guard, "Where is she?"

"She ran off uh... Colonel." the soldier snapped to attention and gave Tristen a salute once he finally noticed the Paladin's rank displayed clearly on his pauldron.

"Where?" Tristen asked again, returning the salute and allowing the man to relax a fraction.

"Along the coast... but there's nothing but rocks and cliffs that way. There's no way she could make it around-"

"She must have a boat waiting or teleported out." another guard chimed in.

"Perhaps..." Tristen said but then gestured for the water, "Druid Ebonwing, fly along the coast and see what you can find. The rest of us will follow the road west."

Ebonwing waved two fingers at the Paladin in a mockery of a salute, "You got it, boss." She shifted into a seagull and took off for the rocky direction the Firewyrm had taken.

To the rest of the team, Tristen said, "The Warlocks were here for a reason, and the firewoman is still here, meaning they may be too. Have your manacles at the ready and be prepared to fight should we find them."

Oswall nodded with the rest but eyed the sky as they started out. Had that lightning been green? He growled, readying his crossbow and jogging to move beside Tristen and try again, "If this is a magical storm, then shouldn't we be evacuating too?"

"Not now, Os." Alena hissed at him, but Oswall just spat and watched Tristen for an answer.

The Paladin nodded, "We will look for half an hour. If there is no sign, we will return and help with the evacuation."

"Only an hour? We could have kept Shon if..." Oswall started to argue, but Tristen surged ahead of him, the joints of his armor glowing with purple magic as he infused his body with divine strength.

Oswall growled again but fell back to jog with Ranito. Something had passed between Shon and Tristen. Something Oswall didn't know about. And Oswall didn't like lacking information. It could get someone killed.

"Leave it alone, Oswall..." Ranito huffed to him, struggling to keep up with the rest even as they slowed back down to a more comfortable jog.

Oswall eyed him, "What do you know, old man?"

Ranito found the energy to scoff, "When it is and isn't appropriate to question your commanding officer apparently." He slowed to a walk then stopped altogether, leaning on his knees and calling to the others, "Slow down! Unless you want to be down two members."

Alena and Tristen both slowed to a walk, and Ranito began moving again. "You were saying?" Oswall asked him with a sneer.

Ranito rolled his eyes, "Think, Oswall. What did Tristen say to the General? Shon is the most likely of us to be able to keep his head in a time like this. Who else do you think should have stayed? Me? I'll be needed to counter the Warlock's magic and attack all of them at once. You? You would just be another soldier among many. Shon is a Paladin who isn't a Paladin and sworn to a god whose tenants are protection. The General and Archmage both voiced that they didn't want to evacuate." He actually smiled, "Can you picture it? Either of them actually trying to bully Shon?"

"Which is why Alena couldn't stay..." Oswall conceded, repressing a shiver at the mental image of Shon's glaring cold eyes if anyone tried to stop the evacuation now that Tristen was gone.

"And Ebonwing was needed exactly for the job she is filling now, as the only one able to fly." Ranito actually pat Oswall's shoulder, "Let's just pray that the Firewyrm really is on our side."

Oswall huffed, knocking the Mage's hand aside with his crossbow, "She's just one woman."

Ranito shook his head but didn't respond. He knows her, Oswall thought. He's the only one that really does. Well, him and...

Oswall narrowed his eyes at Tristen but didn't confront him again. He would believe the justifications. For now.

"I don't know, Tris..." Alena said, "Everything in me just keeps telling me to turn around and go back."

"Not yet." Tristen answered, "They are here. I can feel it."

A gull cried overhead and dove for Oswall, making him duck before it transformed back into Ebonwing. The Druid ignored his curses and pointed north, back towards the coast and a massive cave that would flood in high tide. "No signs of her. But she must be a hell of an acrobat to get over those rocks without having to swim."

"She is." Ranito commented, then shrugged when they looked his way, "An acrobat. She studied with tumblers in Clearhelm."

"Well, if she did go that way, then she's in that cave. That's the only way back inland that wouldn't require scaling sea cliffs." Ebonwing said.

"She could probably do that too..." Ranito mused, then explained, "She used to climb up the balconies to avoid the stairs for fun."

"What is she? A damn monkey?" Oswall asked.

"She did train as a Monk..." Alena reminded them.

Tristen just shook his head and started north, "We would've seen signs of her if she came up the cliffs. We'll check the cave."

***

Lily wouldn't really have described the area where the Warlocks had set up as a 'cave.' Sure, it had a stone ceiling and tunnels in the rear that led to real caves, but it was too big, with one entire wall worn away to look out into the ocean.

"An overhang..." she whispered, not sure if that was an actual term or not. She shrugged. It didn't matter. It wasn't like anyone was listening to her talking to herself anyway, "The underside of an overhang..." It was as if the ocean had taken a bite out of the bottom of this mountain, and the stone was just too stubborn to fall into the water just yet.

It would flood during high tide, but they didn't have to worry about that right now, at least. She sat on a narrow ledge halfway up the inner wall, looking out at the ocean, at once too still, with no real waves she usually associated with the beach, and yet constantly moving in a chaotic choppy mess, more like a massive lake. The water reflected the black sky, but unlike the unnatural clouds, it was occasionally lit by the multi-colored lightning from above. Now coming at closer intervals.

The Warlocks gathered below her, the Archmages snapping orders in a mix of draconic and common to the apprentices and journeymen. They had summoned fires to float, much like her own, around the circle where they cast their spells and took their measurements. But where her fires were native to this plane and normal, theirs were black in their hearts, giving off a purple light. Lily suspected, from experience, that those fires might even be able to burn her. The thought made her shiver.

"It's here! Any moment now..." The female Archmage called.

"Be ready, Karla," The male instructed the female journeyman. "Once we have the readings, we will stay long enough to try and identify the triggered disaster, then gate out."

Lily leaned down to look over the Warlocks with a relieved, "Finally,"

The female Archmage just glared up at her, "You shouldn't have gone to the city! What did you hope to accomplish by slowing us down, Fire-"

But Lily interrupted with a dramatic roll of her eyes, "You weren't waiting for me. You were waiting for the storm. Just do whatever it is you do and get out."

"These storms are coming at reduced intervals," one of the journeymen said nervously, trying to calm the building animosity between Lily and the Archmage. "If we can't stop them, then it won't matter if Master Ryuugen comes; the world will be devastated anyway."

"Which is why we can't afford mistakes," The Archmage snapped at him, then returned her glare to Lily, "If you've led the kingdom to us..."

"Then I will deal with them," Lily answered. A scarlet flash of lightning reflected off the water and Lily looked away from the Warlocks, back to the ocean and sky. They wouldn't stay... not with this happening right above them... They're not...

"In the name of the King of Daanlin, declare yourselves!"

Lily closed her eyes and cursed. Idiots...

A purple flash of lightning reflected off the dark gray armor of the Paladin of Saint Giorgos. He held up a one-handed mace, but as they watched, it expanded into a huge two-handed cudgel. He entered the overhang far enough for the others to file in behind him. A woman with a shield bearing the sun of Soleil stood to his right, and another in tight leather braced herself as if preparing to sprint at his left. Behind them, a short, scraggly-looking man leveled a crossbow over the Druid's head, and a Mage she recognized slipped his hands into his sleeves from behind the Cleric.

"Of course, it would be Ranito..." Lily mumbled under her breath.

The team was focused on the six Warlocks and hadn't seemed to notice her yet. The Journeymen responded first. The male's arms dissolved into smoke and reformed in the shape of whip-like tentacles. The female held her hands out before her, summoning her own smoke that formed into a dirk with a black blade. The Apprentices cowered at first but managed to steel themselves enough to gather purple fire in their palms. The Archmages didn't react, absorbed in their readings once more. That was good, at least. They were the most dangerous.

"Warlocks. Surrender yourselves to the judgment of the kingdom," The Paladin called, his cudgel taking on a purple glow.

The female apprentice whimpered, scanning the cave and whispering, "Help..." then shouting, "LILY!"

"Awe..." Lily cooed as if to a particularly cute animal, "You do know my name." She stood on her ledge and brushed off her pants, taking a moment to spin her staff, then jumped down to stand between the Warlocks and kingdom team.

She leaned on her staff and cocked a hip, tilting her head at the team, "I know I warned you lot to escape. Or do you think you can fight the weather?" She tried to maintain her carefree mask, but one was missing... Where was Shon? Her stomach churned with anxiety.

Ranito cleared his throat, "We are evacuating the cit-"

"No, you're not. You're here. Picking a fight." Lily responded, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm flattered that you want me to come back with you enough to risk yourselves like this, but no means no."

The Paladin took a step closer. Lily didn't move. He called, "We are here for the Warlocks Firewyrm-"

"Lily."

"-stand aside. Bringing you in is secondary to capturing them."

Lily blinked at him, tilting her head to the other side, "I'm not sure if I should be pleased or insulted..."

But the Paladin was ignoring her, glaring at the Warlocks. When he spoke again, it was to his team and quite enough that Lily couldn't hear, but she thought his lips might have formed the word '...dagger...'

Lily's hand snapped out just in time, catching the crossbow bolt midair before it could hit the Journeyman able to gate them out behind her.

"Shit." the scraggly man cursed, and Lily looked at the bolt in her hand. Then burned it to ash.

"Stay out of this, Firewyrm!" The Paladin called.

"Lily." Lily corrected again.

"I knew we needed Shon..." The archer cursed again, throwing the useless crossbow over his shoulder and drawing twin daggers.

"Where is your last member, by the way?" Lily called, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"He's aiding in the evacuation," The Cleric answered. Of course, he is... noble, foolish, man...

But the Paladin shushed her, "He has his own job, and we have ours. Step aside."

"What a coincidence!" Lily shouted, "It looks like we all have a job to do here." She spun her staff and brought it down at the ready. The team braced itself, "These people might be Warlocks, but they haven't done anything to endanger anyone. Go back to your city and help your people."

There was no way it was going to be that easy. The Paladin snarled, "Archmage," and Ranito threw something toward the Warlocks. Lily let go of her staff long enough to flick her wrist and lite the cloth on fire. It burst alight and fine sand erupted in the air, but too soon to sprinkle Lily or the Warlocks, falling between her and the team.

The Druid growled, the sound nearly as bestial as Lily's, "We'll have to deal with her first, Tris."

The Paladin met Lily's eyes for a brief moment, and Lily knew what was coming, "Seal her." he ordered.

"Good luck with that." Lily snarled.

The Druid moved first. She fell to all fours, but instead of taking the form of an animal, vines erupted from the ground around Lily's feet. Lily jumped, burning the plants to ash before landing again. She continued the downward motion, ducking just far enough that the panther the Druid had become flew over her head.

Lily spun from the ground, standing on her hands and bringing her legs up to kick the cat back toward her teammates. Both feet landed in quick succession, followed by one end of Lily's staff as she lept back up.

The Druid landed hard, sliding along the sharp stone with a pained yowl. The Cleric rushed to her aid, but where had the Rogue gone?

Something cool and numbing snapped over Lily's wrist. Her entire right side tingled with the sealing magic, and Lily panicked. She moved too fast for the Rogue to respond. Grabbing his hand and pinning it to her staff, she lept, twisting in the air over his head and landing behind him, using her staff, with his hand still pinned, to strangle him. But his other hand was still free, and that one held a dagger.

He managed a scratch on her hip before she let him go to dodge, kicking him away and back toward the others as well. "I don't want to kill you..." she gasped, reaching over with her unsealed arm and melting the maniacal off, freeing her magic fully again. She glared at the team, and for a moment, the word was washed in red, though if from magical lightning or her blinding rage, Lily wasn't sure and didn't care. "Don't... do that again..."

He could have stabbed her... Instead of using the maniacal, he could have embedded his dagger in her spine, and it would've been all over. Lily needed to take them more seriously.

The others hadn't stayed idle as she struggled with the Rogue. The Paladin sprinted towards the Warlocks, calling out to his god, Ranito chanting just behind. The Warlocks stepped back from the righteous call to Saint Giorgos but lashed out a moment later. Lily gritted her teeth and slammed her staff to stand upright in a crack between the stones. Raising both hands, a wall of flame erupted behind her, blocking her and the team off from the Warlocks. Fire licked at the fighters on both sides, and both groups fell back from the heat of it.

"Enough!" she screamed, her word emphasized by a flash of blue lightning, "We don't have time for this. "You," she turned for the Warlocks, glaring at them through the flames, "Get out of here!" she turned to the team, "You. A magical storm is coming-"

"It's here." The female Archmage announced, her voice sounding nearly bored.

Green lightning flashed, followed by red and yellow. The ground shook, and everyone but Lily, the Druid, and the Rogue fell to their hands and knees.

An earthquake, then? But no, it was over too fast. Lily looked at the ocean. The waves continued to battle each other beneath the boiling sky. So not a tsunami...

"A gate, please, Karla. We're done here." The male Archmage requested casually.

"No!" The Paladin lunged, but Lily condensed her firewall to a point just before him and let it explode, knocking him back with the force of it.

"What happened?" Lily called to the Warlocks as the journeyman cut a circle in reality, and the apprentices sprinted through it, their arms full of supplies. The Rogue tried to shoot them again, but Lily managed to catch that bolt too, tossing it to the ground. Ranito finished his spell, a bolt of white lightning flashing from his fingers only to be countered by the last Warlock Archmage summoning a black rod and grounding the electric magic.

He looked at Lily and gestured for the portal but answered, "An eruption, Firewyrm. There is nothing that can be done."

"An..." The Cleric breathed,

"Eruption?" The Druid finished, a woman once again.

The ground shook again, and Lily snarled, "Go."

"Come with us," The Warlock answered, but Lily was already running. She planted her staff, vaulting over Ranito and the Rogue, and sprinted out the overhang.

She skidded to a halt just outside, the team rushing to file out behind her. The black clouds continued to boil and churn. The magical lightning wasn't able to illuminate them but reflected off the ground and ocean. And in the distance, a red glow. An orange river of molten lava flowing from the mountain peaks, down the dry river bed, towards the city.