Winter 4995, 20 Ginmoth

The General and Archmage attempted a very brief resistance once Sir Tristen left the Temple. Shon let them shout around him about the impossible logistics for all of one minute before leaving the office without looking back at the two city leaders calling for his return.

He was in no mood to deal with them or their insubordination. Truth be told Shon was in no mood at all. For months he'd been steadily building his icy emotion-blocking walls and now felt nothing but the desire to obey the orders given to him by his command. As a proper soldier should...

True, his shields had shown some cracks at the sight of Lily's hastily scrawled note, but now he had a very specific job to do and he was going to do it.

Ryuuko whistled a warning just before the General attempted to grab Shon by the shoulder. Shon pivoted, dodging aside and letting the older man stumble past him. He arched an eyebrow at the General and couldn't help but compare him, unfavorably, to General Rasnah. She wouldn't have lost her composure like this, even if a Horsa soldier had been left to assist. Then Shon buried that emotion too.

"Where are you going, soldier?" the General snarled at him.

Shon's eyebrow dropped and he stared unblinking at the man, "To do my job."

The Paladin reached for his flail but Ryuuko waved its barbed tail threateningly and he hesitated. The window behind Shon lit with green lightning for a flash and the General's eyes went wide. Shon stood his ground, saying, "We need to evacuate your citizens, General. I have no desire to take command here, but I will if that's what needs to be done to see my orders through."

Another flash of colored lightning, purple, and a whisper of a voice, Run... and Shon started walking again.

The General called after him. "We start with those closest to the Guild." Shon stopped, turning back to the Paladin. He watched the General as he stormed past, snapping at every Paladin and soldier as he went, directing them out of the Temple and towards the evacuation effort.

And so Shon found himself beside a line of civilians, waving them toward the guild and keeping them steadily moving in an orderly line with the threat of his stare alone. Soldiers of Horsa, directed by their Paladin officers, ran from house to house, hammering on doors and instructing the people to come out as room was made available while others shouted for those further back to stay inside and wait their turn.

Where was Shon's team now? Had they found the Warlocks? Found Lily... He forced the thought down, burying it behind his duty before it could influence him.

Run...

Shon flinched, grabbing his head in pain, startling the merchant he'd been waving towards the Mages Guild. Shon looked up and the merchant stumbled back from him. But it hadn't been their voice...

Ryuuko flew to his side, flapping hard to hover in the air and chittering in distress. Shon waved the merchant on but turned his back on the rest of the evacuees. Looking towards the mountains and the storm boiling above them.

Run... The voice whispered again but Shon didn't flinch this time. He knew he should feel worried, or even afraid, but the ice wrapped tightly around his heart held back the brunt of the emotions. Ryuuko landed on his shoulder and whistled directly in his ear as a bolt of green lightning lit the sky, striking the nearest mountain, followed closely by red then yellow.

The ground shook and the peak exploded, sending the people in line and the soldiers in the streets stumbling to the ground. Black and gray ash billowed into the sky and flaming stones rained down on the city, crashing through wooden roofs and brick walls.

A massive boulder, as large as a house, crashed through the southern wall, barreling through homes, and rolling down the river bed, taking out three bridges before finally stopping. The broken wall gave Shon a clear view of the lava flowing down the mountainside.

Run... Shon obeyed.

He didn't run for the Mages Guild and safety. He sprinted for the hole in the southern wall. Running with all his might, leaping over downed citizens and soldiers, racing the river of burning death flowing towards them.

Ryuuko latched onto his sword and chittered, clawing at the pommel and biting at Shon's ear. Still blocks from the wall, Shon drew his sword and dropped it to clang on the ground. He could feel the magic expand out from his skin as he left its area of effect but didn't slow, leaving frozen footsteps in his wake.

Burning ash and flaming stones fell from the sky, blanketing the city in gray and setting the wooden roofs alight with a hundred tiny fires. Soldiers and Paladins sprinted past him, some stopping to pound on doors and others running for their lives toward the ocean. Shon passed the water tower. The Temple hadn't managed to get to the furthest homes, the slums of mostly wooden houses packed tightly together; closest to the fields but the first in the path of the lava now flowing down the river's dry ravine.

Shon slammed into the edge of the broken wall, his body moving without his mind's input. Ryuuko took flight and Shon forced his magic into the stones. Ice shot from his hands, filling in the gap all the way to the other side to the river and down into its bed, thickening and expanding out to reinforce the area of lost stone. With a growl he forced the ice the other way, blocking off the southern gate as well. It also blocked his view of the oncoming lava but Shon felt when it struck his ice.

He stumbled, barely managing to roll before hitting the ground and returning to his feet. Ryuuko sent him its view from the sky, of the lava exploding against his ice. Steam and gas bubbling out of the quickly cooling stone where it met his cold. The lava slowed but continued to flow, taking the quickest route down toward the ocean. Around the city's stone walls.

His team had gone west. Shon ran east. Blocking the pain of the burning lava attempting to melt his ice, he ran for the wooden east gate and repeated the process. Blocking the opening with a wall of ice. His breath came in ragged gasps. Still, he turned, stumbling as fast as he could to the west.

Ryuuko darted ahead of him, whistling and sending him an image of his companions sprinting toward the first fingers of lava as they flowed past the west gate, blocking their path into the city. And Lily...

Lily sprinted ahead of them, wading right into the lava, which consumed her boots before she lept, sweeping her arms up and stealing the heat from the molten stone, landing on solid rock that was quickly being replaced.

Shon made it close enough to see with his own eyes as Lily shot the energy she'd gathered into the sky as a ball of fire, unable to hold it all. She'd created a temporary path for his team and they dashed over the cooled stone, Alena barreling into Lily to keep her moving through the gate as Shon fell to his knees before them.

The team barely managed to dodge out of the way of his ice as he sent it along the ground and up the gate. He flinched, falling to his elbows as the lava poped against his ice. He shook his head to try and clear his vision of stars that flashed before his eyes at the pain.

"Shon!" Alena's face swam into view before him, but he wasn't hurt in a way she could heal.

"Where's your sword!" Ranito called above Alena's attempted prayer to ease his pain.

And Lily's voice, her hot hands on his cheeks making his skin tingle, "You have to let it go. Release your hold on the ice. It will stay." Shon's carefully crafted shields cracked.

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The city burned around them, people running in panic all around, and yet Shon registered only some of it. "How..." He gasped to Lily.

"You're feeding it. Feel the connection and let it go." She instructed, calm in the chaos. But he didn't know how.

Above them, Tristen was taking charge. Bellowing into the crowd with a voice empowered by his god, "Stop!" citizens stumbled, compelled to obey by the magic, "To the docks." Tristen instructed them, "Don't push. Vicar, Druid, get to the water and assist. Do not allow any ship to leave unless it's full of people. Throw their stock overboard if you have to. Staff Sergeant, Archmage, go to the Guild and keep those gates open. We need to get everyone out. The walls won't hold forever and the buildings are already burning."

Shon forced himself to his feet, Lily at his side, "The slums... to the south." he gasped, "the evacuation order didn't reach them."

Oswall cursed, "Eb, I need a ride. That area is blocked off by the fires, there's no way they'll get through."

"Shon..." Lily reached for him again. Shon's mind spun in racing circles. Tristen had ordered their history kept secret. They would try and keep her once everyone was clear. Her hands were hot and smooth against his skin... She smelled like cinnamon... Run... The city was burning. Shon managed to push her hands down.

"Help them," he begged her, "Please."

Ebonwing was transforming into a stag, and Oswall leaped onto her back. Lily stepped away from Shon with a nod. She ran away from him, ahead of the Druid and Rogue, fast enough that Ebonwing had to push to keep up even in her animal form.

Shon moved as if to follow but Tristen grabbed him by the sword sheath and spun him around, "Your sword, Master Sergeant?"

Ryuuko bit the Paladin's gloved fingers and Shon shook his head. He had no idea and they didn't have time for this.

Tristen pursed his lips tight but nodded and let Shon go, "Help them." he ordered then turned his back on the burning city and continued to direct the evacuation.

Shon steeled himself and ran after the retreating rescuers. Blocking the emotions with the pain and exhaustion.

It wasn't hard to follow Lily's path. She pulled the fires off the nearest houses as she ran, creating a single safe road through the blaze towards the south. It wouldn't be enough. Too many couldn't get to that path. But it continued nonetheless, straight for the water tower.

Shon caught up in time to see Oswall vault from Ebonwing's back and wave her away. Paladins were attempting to break down the legs of the water tower, intending to spill its contents over the burning homes. Oswall waved them away too, reaching into his bag and pulling forth a fist full of clay. The Paladins exchanged looks but retreated around the building behind the tower.

Lily knelt by the wall, clutching her chest and gasping at the overuse of manipulating magic. Ebonwing transformed back into a woman and joined her. The Druid tried to rest a glowing green hand on her head but Lily knocked it aside and Ebonwing flinched, gripping her burned wrist in pain.

Shon started towards Oswall as the man formed the clay around the water tower's legs, sticking a single ruby in each and holding a third in his hand. Before Shon could reach him Oswall spun, grabbing Shon by the arm as he went and pulling him down to huddle with the rest.

"Os, what..." Ebonwing started but she couldn't get the question all the way out before the Rogue was whispering into his closed fist. A command word.

The clay he'd plastered around the legs of the water tower exploded. Their shelter shook, half the roof caved in and a woman screamed. Wood groaned and the tower came down. Washing the homes and streets in a flood of water, extinguishing many of the flames, and pushing running people down to slide in the muddy ash toward the docks.

People flooded out of the slums following the water and cleared paths as best they could. The woman screamed again, closer. She rounded the corner, screaming for help and pointing towards the door to their shelter. Flames shot from between the frame and the Paladins tried to pull her away, ordering her to escape. She fought them tooth and nail and Lily met Shon's eyes.

Lily growled, pulling herself up by the wall. Dodging around Oswall she ducked into the burning building.

Shon started to follow but Ebonwing grabbed his arm, "Shon, you can't-" she had to pull back, frost melting from her fingers.

He followed Lily into the fire.

Shon stopped in the entryway, covering his mouth and squinting past the smoke. Lily was trying to lift a fallen beam from in front of a heavy desk. She managed a few inches and revealed two young soot-covered faces huddled below. Shon ran to her side, his fingers hissing against the burning beam, and heaved. Together they lifted the beam and the two children scrambled free, sprinting for the door and their sobbing mother.

Lily let go and managed to force the fire aside long enough for the children to get through before the door's upper hinges crumbled and the burning door fell to block the way again.

Shon dropped the beam and reached for Lily. She jerked violently from his grip and his emotional shields crumbled. No... Not you... Never you...

Lily stumbled away from him but then she met his eyes and flung herself into his arms. "Shon, oh gods." she reached for his face, cupping his cheeks, "You have to get out. The fire..."

"It can't hurt me." he gripped her hands holding them to his face and leaned down to press his head on hers as the house burned around them. She'd just been surprised, she hadn't really pulled away from him. But since when had she been so easily frightened?

"Idiot," Lily whispered, pulling him down to their knees, "The smoke can." she hissed at him. But she still didn't let go. She leaned into him and steam rose from her cheeks as tears burned away before they could fall.

Shon let her hands go to wrap his arms around her shoulders, and her fingers trailed down to grip the singed remains of his shirt. Pulling him closer. "Idiot..." She whispered again. Then louder, "You have to go. Neither of us can survive a roof collapsing on us."

Shon nodded, making to stand and pull her up with him. But she pushed herself out of his arms. "Lily..." he breathed her name.

She shook her head, "Go. I'll take the window. The tower is on the west coast, you can reach it from the water. There are books there. In a satchel by the window. Make sure Ranito gets them." Even now her mind was clear enough to think of the mission. Shon could barely string the words together to comprehend.

"Shon!" Oswall's voice sounded from beyond the still-burning door.

"Go!" Lily shouted, pushing him away, "We have to end this or it'll just keep happening. Please, Shon. I don't want to save the world if you're not in it with me."

Shon clenched his fists and nodded. Lily's shoulders sagged in relief for only a moment, then she turned and dove through a burning window with a crash.

"Shon!" Ebonwing's voice joined Oswall's in a near panic and Shon turned, punching through the door and leaving the building.

He let his companions pull him through the ash-covered city. He didn't know where they were leading him, could barely put one foot in front of the other. His vision swam with blinking stars as the lava continued to fight his ice. He'd never managed to let it go.

Finally, they reached the Mages Guild and he fell to the ground outside its steps. Ryuuko twittered in a panic over him but he managed to roll over and stare at the sky. Light of every color flashed behind the falling ash, barely illuminating it. Lily was right. They had to stop this or it would just happen again and again... Even if the Warlocks were wrong about Ryuugen, the storms alone would be enough to devastate the kingdom.

Ranito and Tristen's concerned faces swam into view beside Ebonwing and Oswall's. Shon managed to breathe, "The tower... is west... on the water..." Before he was finally forced to let the magic go.

***

"Where is the Firewyrm?" Tristen demanded of Oswall and Ebonwing as they attempted to hoist the unconscious Shon into the Mages Guild.

To the north, a handful of ships bobbed far enough out to sea to avoid the falling ash. An artificial rain fell over the ships still in the harbor as another Sorcerer attempted to keep the docks and sails from catching fire while Alena helped direct the citizens onto vessels. All around, Paladins of Horsa directed stragglers into the stone Mages Guild, tending to the wounded while Mages herded those strong enough to walk through the gates leading to the capital of the province, to reduce crowding in this one safe shelter.

The walls had held. Lava flowed around and past them to pop and steam in the ocean. But the city was destroyed. It would take years, possibly decades to rebuild.

"She didn't come out of the house," Ebonwing answered.

"Must have gone through a window. I heard glass break," Oswall added, grunting as he tried to heave the much larger Shon up the steps, "Fuck." He dropped Shon, ducking out from under his arm and causing Ebonwing to buckle under the added weight. Oswall shivered despite the heat of the falling ash, "Bastards still damn cold."

"A little help..." Ebonwing spoke through clenched teeth and Tristen ducked down to take Oswall's place, hoisting the man up with an arm over his armored shoulder.

"She can't have gone far. We'll get Shon inside and search." Tristen said.

But he obviously wasn't thinking clearly and Ranito huffed pointing out his mistake, "She's a fire sorcerer and can wade through lava. We saw it ourselves. She's long gone."

Tristen smothered a curse. They had lost the Warlocks, the Firewyrm, and the city. Shon had purposefully used his sealed magic and Oswall possessed and used illegal explosives.

The paperwork was going to be a nightmare.

***

Lily made it to the wall of the city and nearly cried. Every muscle hurt and her head pounded. She grit her teeth and started to climb anyway, sheer stubbornness pushing her forward.

She needn't have bothered. Lily was only a few feet up the wall when a black void opened beside her and a robed figure stepped out. Rose's journeyman looked her over for a moment, then around at the burning city before he stepped aside and bowed low to her.

"Yoryuu's noble balls, I never thought the day would come where I was happy to see you," Lily said as she let herself fall from the wall, stumbling a little. The Warlock tried to catch her but she jerked out of his hand, "I'm not that happy to see you." she snapped at him, then stepped through the portal and back to the Central Talon. The journeyman followed and the gate dissolved into black ash behind them.