Winter 4995, 36 Ginmoth

Shon was entering the pub after his morning exercise when Oswall greeted the rest of the team by complaining loudly about his headache. As if he hadn't just spent the entire week rudely ignoring them.

Ebonwing laughed, suggesting that Tristen could heal him. Since if she did it, it would just make him too tired to ride. Oswall huffed his usual way and joined the Druid in her playful teasing of their boss, saying that the last thing he needed was a smack upside the head with a frying pan, even if it would stop hurting after.

Tristen looked far too shocked at Oswall's sudden return to normal to be offended at the insult to his healing ability, exchanging curious looks with Ranito. The Mage cleared his throat and took out his book to make a note while Alena stood, reaching over the table with a beaming smile to rest her hand on Oswall's head and heal his hangover.

Shon watched it all with a sigh, smiling faintly down at his breakfast while Ryuuko whistled and flew circles around the Rogue. Oswall tried to wave it away while Alena and Ebonwing laughed and Ranito and Tristen shrugged. No one commented on the change or the last few days.

An undercurrent of relief ran through the team as they rode through the Southernwood along the route marked out by Rose. It wasn't just Oswall's return to normal, they were going to face off against the Warlocks they'd been hunting for nearly a year. It finally felt like they were actually making progress.

The mood subdued when they reached the swath of destruction and started picking their way across. Ebonwing shivered, hugging her arms and slouching in her saddle, eyeing the open sky she shouldn't be able to see if the trees had remained.

Oswall eyed her, then turned in his seat to shout back at Ranito, "Hey! Old man. What did that Warlock book say about the storms?"

Ranito opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped, glancing at Tristen. The Paladin gripped his reins tight, his eyes locked on the horizon. Shon arched an eyebrow at his commander and Ryuuko flew to Ranito's shoulder to tilt its head and chitter at the Mage's hesitation.

Ranito coughed, answering, "We are still working on cleaning up the text's translation and will need to verify the studies and observations. There are some who doubt the conclusions due to the alien nature of the Warlock spe-"

"I didn't ask for a lecture," Oswall interrupted, "I want to know if we can stop this from happening again," he gestured around them. Ebonwing and Alena watched Ranito, waiting for his answer, but Shon continued to study Tristen, who looked like his teeth might snap under the pressure of his clenched jaw.

Ranito scoffed at being interrupted, but answered, "The Warlocks believe that the storms are caused by the death of the dragons and theorize that bringing them back will stop them."

"Madness," Tristen growled.

Alena furrowed her brow at Ranito, stating more than asking, "But the dragons died thousands of years ago."

"Yeah. Why now?" Ebonwing asked.

"We are still cross-checking our referenc-" Ranito tried to explain,

But Oswall huffed again, using his smoke to light another and mumbling around it, "Just answer the question."

Ranito rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath, "I think I liked it better when you weren't talking to us..." Then louder, "Dragons lived for thousands of years each, their magic building up in the land over time. When they died without a new generation to replace them the magic began to drain and created a vacuum. Nature abhors vacuums and rushes to fill them, creating the storms. The storms are natural phenomena that have merely increased in number. So far as we can tell, the theory fits with our projections..." Tristen growled and Ranito continued quickly, "But as I was trying to say, we still have more study to do before we can confirm their findings."

The team returned their eyes forward, each lost in their own thoughts. Oswall stayed beside Ebonwing and Alena slowed her horse to walk with Tristen. In the rear of the group, Shon watched it all with a sigh. It all came back to dragons again. With or without the Warlocks, the world seemed determined to either bring them back, or die with them. What would the kingdom do if that was the only way?

He shook his head to banish the thoughts. It was all well above his pay grade, and he needed to focus on the mission at hand.

They made it to the other side of the destruction in time to camp beneath the massive trees, tall enough that even a tower wouldn't rise above them, and sent Ryuuko and Ebonwing to scout the area. It wouldn't do to camp too close to the tower, and considering it was damaged by the storm, they didn't think it would be too far from the unnatural clearing. Even after the scouts came back without seeing it, or any other monsters, Tristen decided it would be best to stand a double watch. No one complained, and Shon spent his middle watch drawing while Oswall smoked the last of his cigars.

They didn't socialize, both seeming lost in their own thoughts.

Shon allowed himself to think of Lily. Where was she now? Was she perhaps camping under these same stars? Or had she returned to the Warlock tower? Would they perhaps stumble upon it already empty of enemies? Or perhaps she would pretend to fight against the team only to betray the Warlocks at the last moment? Would she have told him her plan if they'd gotten a chance to talk last night?

In the end, it didn't matter. He could only work with what he had, and all he had were questions and a plethora of possibilities.

He placed the finishing touches of his drawing -Lily and Rose sitting side by side- as Oswall woke Tristen and Alena to relieve them. Shon would focus on the mission and his role in it. That was all he could ever do.

The next day the team moved slowly east through the wood, Ryuuko scouting ahead to look for the tower. The pseudodragon could hardly be seen in its natural habitat, its winter gray and brown scales blending perfectly with the trees.

As the sun climbed towards noon, Oswall sighed in annoyance, "How long are we going to wander aimlessly? Is the damn pest even still out there?"

"As long as it takes, Staff Sergeant" Tristen chastised.

Alena interjected, "I'm sure Ryuuko will find them."

But Ebonwing snickered, "Unless its gotten distracted and found itself a mate." She turned in her saddle to grin at Shon, "What do you think, big guy? Did our little dragon go into heat out of season to make up for your lack thereof?"

Shon arched an eyebrow at her, but Ranito held up a finger, "I would like one of its eggs if that's the case."

"Wait. Ryuuko is female?" Alena asked, "How can you tell?"

Oswall sniffed, "Of course it is, that's why its such a damn pest."

Alena and Ebonwing both stuck their tongues out at him while Ranito explained, "All familiars are the opposite sex as their Sorcerer. Other than that, there is no way to tell until one lays its eggs."

"Damn," Oswall said, fishing out a new smoke, "We could make a killing sell-"

A shrill whistle cut off any further talk. Shon's eyes clouded over and he saw what Ryuuko saw from the canopy above. He flew over their team as two young trees, just out of sight of the humans, uprooted themselves. He could hear the wood creaking and snapping with his own ears and mimicked Ryuuko's whistle to call the dragon back and get the team's attention.

"Treants," He told them, turning his head to watch one of the approaching animate trees. Something didn't feel right...

Ryuuko circled down to land on his shoulder. It whistled again, sounding confused and concerned as it tilted its head at the other treant approaching from the opposite side.

Ebonwing furrowed her brow but kneed her horse closer to the one nearest her. She hesitated but started saying, "They're guardians of this forest, they might be able to point us in..."

The nearest true trees rustled as the treants shoved roughly past them. They were only about ten feet tall, young for the species, with naked branches like the rest of the forest. Ebonwing lifted a hand to gesture to one, her already strained smile faltering as it lifted both its huge branch-like arms.

Oswall dove from his saddle, knocking the Druid off her mount and onto the ground as the treant brought its fists down. Ebonwing's horse let out a shocked and terrified scream before it was driven into the ground, its back snapped.

Ebonwing rolled to look up in shocked horror as the treant picked up the dead horse and threw it at the others. Tristen's Warhorse was the only one that didn't panic, but that panic was the only thing that saved Alena. Her horse reared, throwing the Cleric over its haunches just before it was knocked aside by its dead companion.

Ranito struggled to control his mount as it bolted, but fell off, landing heavily. Shon didn't bother trying to stop his horse, jumping off and landing in a roll, drawing his sword as he went. Still mounted, Tristen drew his cudgel, holding it high and calling out a cry to Saint Giorgos. His spell washed through the area like a purple ripple over water and highlighted the corruption leaking from the treant's woody eyes and mouth. Black and purple smoke curled from the cracks in the usually goodly creature's features.

Ebonwing cried out in despair. Rose had warned them that she didn't know what else was guarding the Warlock tower... Now they knew.

***

Lily watched the sky as she lay on the flying carpet, her head resting in Rose's lap as they circled the tower. They stayed just close enough to keep it in sight but far enough that they could easily be mistaken for a distant bird if anyone were to look out one of the windows.

Lily hummed to herself in thought then said, "Hey Rose..."

Rose let out a long-suffering sigh, "I'm not helping, Lily. I'll let you down and you can walk to the tower."

Lily rolled her eyes. She had spent the entire previous day trying to talk Rose into assisting the team, more out of boredom than in any real hope that her sister might change her mind. Admittedly Lily's tactics were lackluster at best, trying to convince Rose that it would be 'fun' and give her more 'practical experience', things Lily knew wouldn't work. It was time to try for real, "I know," Lily said, "I was just wondering... you want to revive our species, right?"

"Yes," Rose answered, finally looking down to tilt her head at Lily.

"Well... they're only kind of gone aren't they?" Lily asked. Rose tilted her head to the other side so Lily continued with a shrug, "Well, Sorcerers are technically distant descendants of dragons, aren't they? So they're kind of like family..."

"Lily..." Rose started warningly,

Lily just shrugged again, continuing as if musing to herself, "There are eighteen captured Sorcerers, three are fire, I'm sure at least one is red, five are water. I wonder which ones are bronze and which are black..." She snuck a glance at Rose out of the corner of her eye and struggled to hide her grin.

The water dragon's jaw tightened. Looking up to glare at the tower in the distance she spoke through clenched teeth, "Whoever said you weren't manipulative didn't spend enough time with you."

Lily snickered, "It's not a lie though. Truth is far more effective." She reached up to clasp Rose's cheeks, making her gasp and forcing her to look back down and meet her eyes, "You don't have to fight, but it would be nice if you could drop me off on the tower top. The others will be coming through the front door by necessity. But we're dragons, and we can fly."

Rose growled, "Fine," she snapped, "But that's it. I'm not helping."

Lily rested her hands back on her stomach, lacing her fingers together and closing her eyes, "That's fine. Like you said, better not to risk your cover." she let her eyes open just enough to see Rose roll her eyes and continued to grin, feeling as the carpet changed direction to head towards the tower.

She sat up a moment later as animals screamed below, followed by a crash and creaking of wood. The two dragons looked over the edge of the carpet to see two treants facing off against the team standing back to back to face them. Only the Paladin remained mounted. One horse was dead, another limping on a twisted leg, three more bolted into the forest.

Lily hummed, "Well I guess we know what they're using to guard the tower now..."

Rose stopped the carpet to hover above the battle, "What will you do?"

Lily tilted her head at Rose, "Hmm? I thought you were taking me to the tower?" she shrugged waving a hand down at the fighting team, "There's only two of them. If they can't handle that, then there's no way they can handle the Warlocks."

Rose blinked at her, "You are a very confusing woman." then she started the carpet off again.

Lily sat cross-legged, looking back at the shaking trees and sound of battle only a mile or so from the tower, whispering, "I trust them. They'll be fine."

"They'd be better if you helped..." Rose said.

Lily shrugged again, "Well yeah. But they don't need my help. Not with those anyway."

Rose directed the rug away from the broken side of the tower -where someone might be looking out- and tried to avoid as many upper windows as she could, taking Lily to the top. Lily stood as they approached, hopping from the carpet to one of the crenelations and skipping to the trap door.

Rose called out, "I'll meet you back at the camp."

Lily spun beside the ladder and grinned, "I suppose you're used to not knowing how your plans are unfolding until after the fact aren't you?" Rose glared and Lily shrugged, waving goodbye, "None of the team besides Shon has faced Warlocks yet. But I'm sure they'll be fine..." then she jumped down the trapdoor. Lily swore she heard Rose cursing and giggled as she took the steps down, checking each door on the way.

The Archmages would be the most dangerous, but they weren't the ones that could cause the biggest potential problem for both the dragons and the team.

***

Back to back, the six companions faced off against the two treants. Alena, Oswall, and Ebonwing against one; Ranito, Tristen on his mount, and Shon against the other.

"Can we save them?" Alena asked, drawing her mace. She managed to raise her shield to the nearest corrupted treant in time to have one woody fist glance off and crash into the ground where Oswall had been standing.

The Rogue came out of his rolling doge with his crossbow raised, "We don't have the time," He let loose his bolt, landing a hit in the treant's purple glowing eye that it didn't seem to notice.

Ebonwing growled, "Remove the hearts." then started her transformation into a great grizzly. She swiped one clawed paw at the treant's chest, digging deep into the wood, causing purple smoke to float free like gaseous blood.

"We can try," Ranito called, then began casting. His eyes glazed in concentration as he held the spell at the last word, instructing the others, "Breakthrough the trunks."

"That's our cue, Cleric," Tristen shouted, raising his cudgel and spurring Kevlar to rear. The Warhorse landed one solid hit against the other treant's chest, sending it back a step, before the intelligent mount pivoted so Tristen could hit it in the same spot with his own blow, splintering wood and making the magical tree groan.

Ryuuko took flight with a hiss and Shon spared a glance at his sword. It wouldn't do much to chop through the thick outer wood, but that wasn't the only weapon at his disposal.

The treant clasped its branches together over its head to hammer down as the other had done to the horse. Ranito was pushed aside by Kevlar's dodge, but Shon hoped back, just barely out of reach, before leaping through the dirt and rocks thrown up from the ground to land on the creature's fists. Running up its arm and reversing his sword in both hands he drove it into the treant's crack of a mouth. Leaping and using the blade as a pivot he drove both feet into the damage already created by Tristen. Shon broke through the wood and swung away, revealing a hollow center containing a pulsating knot of purple vines.

Behind them, the other treant swung its branches into the bear-Druid's sides. Ebonwing grunted, taking the blows and digging her claws into the treant's chest. She ripped outward, falling to all fours in time for Alena to run up her back and hammer her mace down in the weakened spot, exposing its poisoned heart.

Oswall and Ranito made their finishing attacks in unison. The Mage pointed with both index fingers, two rays of fire exploding from each to strike around the heart. Oswall triggered the magic of his crossbow, letting loose three bolts in quick succession, brushing the sides of the heart but cutting some of the arterial-like vines free.

Still swinging from his lodged sword Shon reached into the now burning tree as it thrashed wildly. Clenching the heart and pulling with all his might, he ripped it free, finally letting go of his sword to land as treant fell.

Ebonwing reared once more as Alena jumped from her back, biting the heart and clawing around its damaged sides to wrench it free.

Heartless, the treants fell still, just another set of dead trees in a forest. Purple smoke billowed from between the Druid's teeth and out of Shon's clenched fist, flowing like liquid to pool on the forest floor before merging together and streaking away like a snake.

The team caught their breath and Oswall was the first to find his words, pointing along the path the smoke took, "Well... I think we know which way to go now,"

"That went surprisingly well," Ranito commented, brushing his hands off on his robes and flinching. Apparently, he'd landed hard enough from his horse to hurt.

Tristen dismounted, instructing Kelvar to try and gather the runaway horses. Alena saw to Ranito's bruised ribs, then rushed to her limping mount, trying to soothe its fear and examine the damage at the same time. "I could use some help, Eb." She shouted.

The Druid didn't answer. She dropped the treant heart into her hands as she transformed back into a woman, staring down at it with tears in her eyes.

"Eb?" Alena whispered, moving away from the limping horse.

Shon approached solemnly, brushing the shriveled vines away from the heart and revealing what looked like a blackened seed. He held it out to Ebonwing, "Perhaps the Grove..." he tried.

Ebonwing sniffled and Ryuuko landed on her shoulder to nuzzle her cheek. "Maybe..." she whispered, taking Shon's seed and holding both to her chest. "Treants are guardians of the forest... To corrupt them..." She looked up, her dark eyes steely with hate, "They'll pay dearly for this."

The team all nodded in agreement and Ebonwing put the seeds in her bag before moving to help Alena calm her horse enough for them to examine the wounds. They had to reset the broken leg, something that wouldn't have been possible without the Druid there to magically soothe the animal. Ebonwing herself healed the leg, an injury that would have cost its life without magic.

It lay on its side, breathing deeply and falling asleep after the healing as Ebonwing and Alena moved to say a prayer over the dead horse.

"I guess we walk from here. The others are long gone." Oswall grumbled.

"Kelvar will find them," Tristen assured them, "but we should go. If that smoke warns of our coming..."

Shon jerked his head at Ryuuko, sending it a silent order to scout ahead as he retrieved his sword and the rest followed. He got the first look at the tower once Ryuuko found it and sent the image back. As Rose had explained, the structure was heavily damaged by the storm. An ancient and massive tree had crashed into its north side, crumbling part of the wall.

The battle was only a mile away, and the team made good time, catching up with Ryuuko and standing just inside the forest cover as they surveyed the land and damage.

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"Only one door," Oswall commented.

"If the Waterwyrm's blueprints were accurate then that broken portion should lead to one of the Archmage's labs." Ranito pointed out.

"Can we get a look inside?" Tristen asked Shon.

Shon nodded, gesturing with his chin toward the damage. Ryuuko let out a quiet whistle and took off, landing just below the hole and clawing its way up the bricks to peak over the edge.

Shon studied the room through Ryuuko's eyes. "Three people..." he whispered to the others. Based on their perceived ages' he guessed, "One Archmage and the two Apprentices."

"That only leaves the other two." Alena mused, looking to Tristen for instruction.

The Paladin nodded, "As quietly as we can then. Ranito, a muffle for Alena and I, if you please." Ranito began the spell, reaching out a moment later to tap both Tristen and Alena, muffling the clinking of their armor.

Ebonwing transformed into a bird and attempted to land on Shon only to be waved off to perch on Oswall instead. Tristen nodded Oswall forward first.

The Rogue moved with hardly a whisper, crouching low and staying in the shade of the trees for as long as possible before sprinting across the short clearing to the door. He rested his ear on the wood before waving the others over.

They moved as quickly and quietly as they could but found the door both unlocked and the wedge-like hall beyond empty. Still cautious, they waited by the door while Oswall snuck in to check the lab doors. At the north door, he held up three fingers, confirming Shon and Ryuuko's findings as the pseudodragon flew around to land on its human. At the other door, he shook his head and held up a closed fist. Empty.

They all looked to Tristen in silence while the Paladin narrowed his eyes at the stairwell at the other end of their entrance. He nodded, pointing to Shon then Ebonwing, then towards the stairs, pointing up. Sending him with one healer to clear the upper levels, and leaving the other four to take the three in the lab.

Ebonwing flew back and Shon let her land on his other shoulder, only to have her take off again with a barely choked squawk of surprise at his cold. Ryuuko twittered a quiet dragon laugh and Shon rolled his eyes. She landed on his sword hilt instead and Shon started off as quietly as he could.

He stopped at the landing, freezing as footsteps sounded down the stairs from above. He held up a fist but then the team collectively flinched as a familiar female voice shouted from the floor above, "Oh hey! Exactly the Journeyman I was looking for!"

The footsteps stopped, and a quiet rustle of robes on stone signaled the Journeyman turning from only a few steps around the corner to call back to Lily, "Firewyrm? You're back..."

"Yep! And I need your help," She was being far too loud and Shon closed his eyes to pray while Oswall pressed his ear against the north door again. "Where are the Archmage's?"

The team held their breath as the Journeyman answered, his voice growing quieter as he returned to the floor above, "Archmage Stav is in his lab directing repairs and Archmage Jok is seeing to the subjects..." Shon held up a single finger then used it to point down. The Sorcerers, 'subjects', were all in the basement. He arched an eyebrow at Tristen down the hall, meeting the Paladin's eyes and holding them. They could trust Lily to handle the Journeyman...

Shon counted his heartbeats until Tristen finally nodded, sending Shon and Ebonwing down into the basement to handle the lone Archmage.

***

Lily called out to the Journeyman as he started down the central stairs from the second-floor library towards the labs. Perfect. Exactly who she was looking for. He sounded leary but answered her questions and turned to approach nonetheless.

"I need your mirror," Lily told him, tilting her head in question, "It's in that secret magic room isn't it?"

He furrowed his brow, "Did you find the Windwyrm then? Where-"

He was far too curious for his own good. Lily interrupted him, waving her hand in his face, "I don't have all day, are you going to open the door for me, or do I need to tell the Archmages you refused to help?" though if they knew what he would be helping with, they would probably commend him.

As expected he assumed to know exactly what she was talking about and paled, "Of course Firewyrm-"

"Lily."

"-I can open the way for you. Do you know how to use it?"

Lily spun on her heel, starting back up the stairs with a shrug, "I'm sure I can manage."

She led the way up the tightly spiraling stairs, past the storage and personal rooms of the tower's occupants to the room she'd deemed particularly worthless to the kingdom teem. An unused bedroom. Apparently, it belonged to the second journeyman, lost during the storm when the Wind dragon escaped.

The Journeyman eyed the doors she passed, finally calling up, "You know we can use any-"

"This one." Lily interrupted, pointing then stepping back to stand with hands on hips, watching expectantly.

The Journeyman sighed but was used to insane demands and didn't argue. Stepping up to the door, he began the spell that would turn it to starry night and lead to the extra-dimensional space. Once he was done he pushed the door open and stepped aside to bow as Lily passed him inside.

She went right to the mirror and used the reflection to watch him follow her in. Perfect. They were making this far too easy. Lily hummed, rubbing her chin and appearing to study the mirror. Her hesitation lured the Journeyman closer and he asked again, "Do you know how to use it?"

Instead of answering his question, she asked her own, "Do you know if a Mage could use this to trace the other mirrors the organization uses?"

He blinked in curious surprise and rubbed his head in thought before answering, "It's possible. That's why we keep it in-" he cut himself off with a gasp as Lily took the sides of the mirror in both hands and pulled it roughly from the wall, "Firewyrm! Wha-"

Her plan was made clear as Lily turned and threw the mirror to the ground, shattering it into a million reflective pieces that shone with the multicolored light of the five torches.

She brushed her hands off before placing them on her hips again, within easy reach of the collapsed staff sheathed across her lower back, and nodded down at the mess, "There. We don't want them finding the groups doing legitimate work." She grinned at the Journeyman who looked like his eyes might fall out of his head.

"You... but..." he fell to his knees and actually started trying to piece the glass back together, "Why?!" he finally shouted. As if she hadn't just explained herself.

Lily rolled her eyes but turned away from him to study the rest of the room, particularly the desk that held drawers and a small stack of books that looked like ledgers. "What're these?" She asked, picking up one and flipping through it.

He didn't get a chance to answer before shouts from below and sounds of battle floated up to them. "Oh good, they're here." Lily snapped the book closed and waved it in the air, "So what are these? Smuggler contacts, or something else?" She rushed around the Journeyman as he stood, blocking his way to the door and waving the book so close to his face that he had to step back or have his nose smacked. It also served to distract him from her drawing her staff, spinning it to full length as she did.

"It's too late to help them, but you can still help me." She continued to smile and the Warlock scowled.

Throwing his hand to the side, smoke flowed from his palm and condensed into a black-bladed dagger. Lily leaned forward and tapped him on the chest with the book, whispering, "Don't do that, things are bad enough as it is. Just tell me what these ledgers are for so I can keep the important parts safe. You don't want the kingdom to track Central do you?"

The Warlock slashed at her, though only to give himself space as Lily stepped back to avoid it, dropping the book to free up the hand. "That's why such things are kept here!" he shouted.

He tried to stride past her but Lily stuck out her staff to block his path, "Yes, but some of this stuff needs to be found. Like your contacts for human trafficking for examp-"

"Traitor!" He tried to slash again, for real this time.

But he was no warrior. Lily rolled her eyes and easily smacked his hand aside, "Hardly. I warned them." She glared at the Warlock, slamming her staff down at her side, "Anything that happens here, you've done to yourself."

But he wasn't listening anymore. With a snarled curse he stepped back, glass crunching below his boots as he brandished the black dagger at her. "What are you going to do?" Lily growled at him, "Not only can you not kill me. You wouldn't dare try. I'm a priceless sample."

The Journeyman cursed again, his eyes darting to the door once more. "You can't help them." Lily said, "The kingdom is here. It's over." As if to emphasize her declaration the tower began to shake. Broken glass tinkled as it bounced against the stone and books fell from the desk. Lily widened her stance, balancing as the tremors increased in intensity. She'd felt it's like before. One of the Archmages was trying to collapse the tower.

***

Oswall listened at the door while Tristen and Alena, still muffled, approached with Ranito trailing behind. None of the sounds from within showed any sign that the Warlocks had heard either Lily or them. Surprise and Four against three? Not bad odds.

Oswall braved a whisper, signaling to the others that it should be safe as long as they kept their voices low, "What's the plan, boss?"

Tristen opened his mouth to answer but Ranito spoke first, "If this tower is anything like the others, then this room should be sunk into the ground approximately six steps."

Tristen looked to Oswall to confirm, adding, "That fits with the voices, they're lower than the door at least."

The Paladin rubbed his chin in thought for a moment then gestured to Ranito, "Stay on the landing. Focus on defense and countermagic." Then to Alena and Oswall, "You two handle the apprentices then aid me in bringing down the Archmage. We're trying to bring them in alive, but-"

"Shit happens." Oswall finished for him, remembering the interviews from Swailand.

Tristen must have seen the hate through Oswall's attempted nonchalance, because he glared down at the Rogue, "Which is why we recruited professionals. Don't make Alena waste her spells on these outlaws, Staff Sergeant."

Oswall grumbled, but looked away from his commander's gray eyes, reaching for the door latch, "After you, boss."

He pushed the door open and stepped back so Tristen could take center stage in his full platemail. When the Paladin spoke his voice reverberated with power, silencing the Warlocks even as the apprentices dropped their tools in shock and the Archmage's face twisted in hate. "Warlocks. In the name of the king of Daanlin, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of kingdom citizens and practice of outlawed magic."

Alena and Ranito filed in after him, taking up position to either side. Alena near the stairs with her shield and mace at the ready and Ranito staying on the landing. Oswall stayed crouched behind them and out of sight. Let them think it was only those brash enough to come barging in...

The Archmage pointed a crooked finger at the party and hissed out a spell that shot purple fire at Tristen. Ranito lifted a hand and the Warlock's spell seemed to crash into a wall of glass, sparks splattering across its surface and leaving them unscathed as the Paladin of Saint Giorgos glared down at him.

Oswall was reminded exactly who, and what, his boss was as Tristen lept down, the stone cracking beneath his feet as his own purple light flared from between the creases of his armor. He readied his weapon, expanding it with a prayer from a one-handed mace into a two-handed cudgel, his focus never leaving the Archmage.

Hardly deterred, the Warlock spread his arms wide, shouting to his apprentices, "Slit their throats!" He finished the command with another spell, bringing his hands together. Darkness, as thick and black as ink, expanded from his fingers to fill the room and blind the party.

Oswall managed to catch a glimpse of the apprentices exchanging grins before the darkness claimed them all. He snickered.

"Cleric!" Tristen shouted to Alena, and she began to chant.

More at home in the dark than the light, Oswall whispered in her ear, "Give me your cuffs and a full minute." He felt Alena nod, and heard the muffled clink of her armor and unmuffled tink of her platinum manacles as she removed them from her belt.

The Archmage laughed, but it wasn't enough to cover the tale-tale sounds of the apprentices attempting to move up the stairs in silence. They aren't bad. Oswall thought to himself, "But I'm better," he whispered, catching a wrist with the manacles as it attempted to lunge at Alena.

The apprentice gasped, and her counterpart hesitated, whispering, "What?" Too bad. Oswall caught the dagger as it fell from the first apprentice's shocked grasp, pivoting to rest the blade against the second's throat. Amateurs. She shouldn't have made a sound.

He tugged on the maniacal, listening for the positions of the footfalls, and swish of robes as the apprentice tried to catch herself. He let the dagger drop from the second and twisted his captive around, bringing her between him and her counterpart. Holding her arms behind her back and clasping the bindings on her other wrist, he sealed her magic but couldn't help a flinch on her behalf as she screamed, her partner's dagger lodged in her shoulder.

Oswall swung the second set of manacles down just as Alena finished her spell, banishing the darkness with her light. He captured the second apprentice's wrist as she stared in horrified shock at what she'd done. Oswall shoved his human shield aside and off the side of the stairs, jumping down the last three steps to twist behind the second and finish cuffing her.

That was both the Apprentices down, only the Archmage to go. But Oswall hesitated before going to Tristen's aid.

The Padin was parrying tentacles.

Four long black limbs jutted out from the Archmage's back, keeping Tristen at bay and bludgeoning him hard enough to dent his armor in the effort. Oswall watched as one tentacle wrapped around Tristen's weapon and another around his left leg, spreading him wide for an attack. The Warlock's hands hadn't been idle, he twisted his fingers in complex patterns and spit another spell, shooting purple bolts from his palms that Ranito barely managed to dispel.

Tristen roared, flexing his muscles and sending out another wave of his own divine purple light that dissolved the ends of the tentacles daring to touch him. He pointed at the Warlock with his cudgel as he attempted another spell, commanding, "Silence!"

The Warlock's spell spluttered as he failed to finish the words, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. Oswall could read the following curse on his lips as the Archmage fell back a step, but he couldn't comprehend what followed. He was defiantly speaking, though the Rogue couldn't read the language. The tentacles continued to thrash, keeping Tristen away, and the Warlock threw his hands to either side, his palms glowing with a dark purple light once more.

The ground began to shake. Oswall stumbled, barely catching himself as the Warlock attempted to collapse the tower around them.

Ranito fell to his knees but Alena managed to stay on her feet, running down the stairs and bringing her shield up to block the bricks and books falling through the ceiling from crushing the bound Apprentices. A rock rebounded from her shield, knocking her helm off her head as blood flowed freely down her face, mating her blonde hair to her head. She stayed conscious, growling in defiance at the crumbling roof.

Tristen attempted to charge the Archmage. But he couldn't get through the flailing shield formed by the tentacles. Oswall dashed to Alena's side, probing her up under her shield and looking around for anything he could use to interrupt the Warlock's spell. Then the shaking stopped.

The Warlock spluttered, clawing at his throat and spitting up what seemed like an endless stream of water. Drowning on dry land, his tentacles went limp and Tristen rushed forward, platinum manacles studded with amethysts in hand.

The magically conjured water stopped as Tristen bound the Archmage's magic. Oswall looked at Ranito only to find the Mage looking just as confused as he felt.

Something bronze reflected the sunlight through the broken wall and Oswall managed to catch a glimpse of flowing hair before it disappeared around the side of the tower. "So much for not helping..." he grumbled.

***

The Journeyman Warlock stumbled but caught himself with another curse. Lily could just make out his words over the rumbling, "...have to tell them..." He lifted his dagger.

"Don't do that..." Lily warned. He didn't listen and started drawing a circle between them.

Lily jerked her staff, drawing its blades. Time seemed to slow down. The Warlock's eyes went wide, his lips parting in a silent scream as his dagger continued its arc up, past his stunned face, before falling to the ground just as the tower stopped its shaking.

The dagger dissolved into smoke once more and the Warlock collapsed to his knees, gripping his wrist, still too shocked to scream. Lily jerked her staff again, banishing its blades, and squatted down before him, "I warned you." She whispered into the too-silent air between them. Reaching out, she placed her hand over his stump, arterial blood spurting between her fingers, "Clench your teeth. This is going to hurt..."

Finally, the Journeyman screamed. He blacked out a moment later, and Lily stood with a sigh. Resting her staff in her shoulder, she waved the smoke and smell of cooked meat away with her clean hand while wiping the burned blood from the other on her pants. Sighing again she eyed the door. The lack of shaking probably meant it was over...

"Damn," She whispered, turning away from the unconscious Journeyman and retrieving the logs from the ground, "and I didn't even get a real fight..." She tossed the books on the bed then reached up to grab the hanging curtains, ripping them free and tearing off a strip to bind the Warlock, "Damn kingdom... taking all my fun." She grumbled as she tied the Warlock's remaining hand, palm flat, around his own neck. Even if he woke up, he wouldn't be able to summon his blade without stabbing himself through the head or collar.

That done, she spun her staff, collapsing it back down to sheathe once more before falling onto the bed to leaf through the books. She was going to take Rose's lesson on "pruning" to heart, but that didn't mean she wanted the entire Warlock tree to come crashing down.

Yet.

***

It had been over a week...

It was hard for the captured Sorcerers to count the days in the windowless basement, but together they'd determined that they were fed twice a day and their chamber pots emptied at least once. So the youngest boy had started making a mark on the wall every other meal to try and keep track of time since the strange fire Sorcerer with golden hair had promised them hope. She'd said it would be about a week. It had only been a little over that and the others were already starting to lose faith.

Emma, the lonely ice Sorcerer, wasn't one of them. Even as she stood pressed against her bars, arm held extended through them by the Archmage with the glass eye as he took yet another blood sample, she hoped.

The woman had said that Emma would meet someone like her, and that they needed to look for a man with cold eyes... Did that mean they were going to be saved by an ice Sorcerer?

She watched the Warlock's glass eye as it shifted in color through the spectrum. It lingered on silver for a fraction longer than the rest. Did that mean anything? He mumbled to himself in that strange language as he wiggled the needle in her arm. She managed not to flinch. Show them nothing. Be still. Be silent. Be ice...

Her tribe had suspected that she might be a Sorcerer, and though they'd tried to keep it secret, she'd heard the whispers. It was easy to listen when you chose not to talk unnecessarily. They'd not wanted to get her hopes up in case she didn't awaken, but supposedly ice magic ran in her family. Still, the Shaman would occasionally give her extra lessons on the elements and their nature. As if, somehow, he already knew.

Ice was stasis, stillness, and focus. Like earth, it was stubborn and seemed unmoving, but unlike earth it could affect the other elements with its cold. Wind drove snow, and water moved great icebergs through the northern oceans. Even earth could be cracked open by ice as it melted then froze again. Only heat, the innate trait of fire, countered it, forcing it to move, slide, and change. Emma was ice, and though she struggled here, she wouldn't show it, wouldn't allow these evil people to drive her into despair again. The firewoman had given her hope, allowed her to change, and Emma had grabbed it and held tight.

In the other cages, the despondent teens sat in silence, some rubbing their arms where they'd received injections or had samples taken. Only Ryan, the oldest fire Sorcerer, glared through his bars at the Warlock.

The door to their prison opened slowly. "About time!" the Warlock snapped without turning away from Emma's arm, "Just because I told you we aren't in a hurry doesn't mean you shouldn't be punctual." But it wasn't the Journeyman returning from his errand.

Emma tried to hide her surprise, not wanting to alert the Warlock to the massive stranger glancing around the room. He was as tall as those of her tribe, though he dressed as a kingdom man.

She couldn't fully smother a gasp as his eyes met hers. Emma thought she knew ice. She grew up in the northern wilds of Clearhelm and had always had an affinity for the cold. Then she met this man's eyes.

A blue so pale they almost seemed white, framed by black hair that slipped free from its tie. He was a blizzard given life. It took all her self-control not to shiver. His gaze slipped away from her to the back of the Warlock and Emma didn't know how the villain didn't freeze solid from the death that stare promised.

The quiet hiss of steel being drawn made Emma's shiver slip free. In the other cages, Sorcerers began crawling to the bars to watch. The teens held a collective breath as the Warlock finally turned around.

"Get over-" He started to snap, then stopped in shock. Emma could just make out the side of his bulging glass eye and it swirled faster than she'd seen thus far, settling on silver and staying. "You..." the Warlock hissed.

Then he started to laugh, rambling in that incomprehensible language, "Anata wa okure sugida! Watashitachi wa anata no masutā o sukuimasu. Anata no tasuke wa hitsuyō arimasen! Anata wa koko de shinudeshou erabareshimono"

A growl rumbled from the doorway, followed by a shrill whistle. Two animals she hadn't noticed before followed the cold man in. One was a great black panther, and it roared in defiance at the Warlock, the other was... a dragon? A small flying lizard about the size of a barn cat flapped to hover over the cold man's shoulder and hiss at the Warlock. The cold man moved with grace despite his massive muscles, taking a fighting stance with his sword held handle up and point down in both hands.

He finally spoke, his deep voice rumbling a single word, "Surender."

"You think I'm outnumbered!" the Warlock shouted in common, "You will be your own demise..."

White light blazed from his glass eye, casting their saviors' shadows against the wall. The rescuers had to shield their faces, the cat turning away, the pseudodragon spinning in the air, and the cold man shifting his sword just enough to shade his eyes, still at the ready.

The Warlock laughed, and the light faded, but the shadows stayed.

The cold man struck, dashing forward faster than Emma could follow, and slicing right through where the Warlock had been standing. He vanished, reappearing near the fire cage, still cackling. The Sorcerers on that side screamed, scrambling away from their bars.

The cold man's shadow hadn't moved with him. It stepped away from the wall, along with the shadows of the cat and little dragon.

The real cat yowled in surprise as its shadow attacked, taking a claw to its haunches that splattered the floor with fresh blood. In only a few heartbeats the cat transformed into a woman, who gripped her bleeding thigh and shouted, "Shon!" before she was forced to backpedal away from the shadow panther once more. The dragon squawked in distress and began flying around the room at top speed, its shadow self close behind.

Shon, the iceman, was still focused on the Warlock as his shadow swung its sword down the same way Shon had a moment before. Emma wanted to close her eyes, she didn't want to see their last hope laid low, but she couldn't look away. At the last second, Shon sidestepped the attack, swinging his sword up to perry only to have it pass through the shadow-sword like smoke.

The shadow wavered for a moment, then solidified once more, just in time for its black sword to cut into Shon's side from inside his guard.

Blood stained his side, but Shon didn't flinch. He drove his sword into his shadow's belly and up. It hit. Apparently, it needed to be solid to land its own strikes. It dissolved into a formless shadow once more. Then reformed just out of reach.

Shon lifted his sword, then turned back for the Warlock as the Archmage spat a spell. Shon let go of his sword just before the purple lightning struck the blade, redirecting the electricity down its point and into the ground.

The ground began to shake. Emma stumbled, falling onto her bed, before lunging for the bars again. The Warlock cursed, it wasn't his spell causing the shaking. Shon's sword fell to the ground only for the warrior to kick it back up and into his hand as he turned to fend off the shadow once more.

Emma had been raised around skilled warriors, had even been tested herself against raiding kobolds, but she'd never seen anyone move as this man did. He was a Sorcerer, and yet he didn't use magic, he didn't need to.

Shon balanced easily despite the rolling ground and didn't bother to perry or deflect the shadow's next attacks. He dodged faster than the woman, -now a cat again- and countered in the fractions of a second that the shadow's outline seemed most solid. It looked like a dance, like he could dodge forever and widdle the thing down. If it wasn't for the Warlock...

The Archmage was casting again, but this time his spell was cut off by a boot to the head. Ryan threw his second boot through the bars of his cage, catching the Warlock in the arm while the other fires struggled to remove their shoes and help.

The Warlock stumbled back toward her cage as he was pummeled by thrown boots. Emma pulled back, but then flinched as the long needle still in her arm pinched. She stared at it for only a moment, long enough for Shon to land two more hits on his shadow, then pulled it free and struck. The fire Sorcerers were fighting with the only things they had, and Emma joined them, stabbing the syringe into the Warlocks neck as he fell back on her cage.

Hurry. She prayed, looking to Shon once more. The dragon continued to fly, weaving between bars and keeping its shadow at bay, and the Druid was busy with her own bloody battle, but it was the Warrior who held all the Sorcerers transfixed.

The shadow took its sword in both hands and Shon could have dodged, but he merely shifted, moving just enough to take the blade in the meat of his shoulder rather than the neck. Solid from the attack, it gave Shon an opening to take its head as it had tried. His dark mirror shifted the same way, taking Shon's sword in its shoulder. But where it had needed to prepare for the next attack, Shon let go of his sword and snapped out both hands to break the shadow's neck.

The shadow dissolved once more, slinking away and beginning to reform. Shon turned his back on it. Rushing the Warlock.

Unarmed, he whistled, and the little dragon flew between Shon and the surprised Warlock, its shadow close behind. The shadow dragon swung its tail forward and solidified to land its attack. A water girl screamed, but Shon moved faster than Emma could follow. He snatched the shadow dragon from the air by the tail and swung, smashing it across the Warlock's face hard enough to send his glass eye flying free.

The ground stopped shaking. The pseudodragon caught the eye in its foreclaws and whistled as it flew to Shon, dropping it into his waiting hand. The shadow-dragon was starting to reform, and Shon's own shadow was moving in for the attack. Shon crushed the silver eye in his fist.

All three shadows exploded, and the Druid rushed through the smoke of hers to pounce on the Warlock, pinning him to the ground and growling in his ear.

Shon crouched by the Warlock's head, blood seeping from his face where the shadow had struck with the force of a flail. The Druid took human form again, reaching for a set of white metal manacles with purple stones and cuffing his hands behind his back.

Shon spoke quietly but his deep voice filled every corner of the silent room, "In the name of the king of Daanlin, and by the justice of Hengist, you are under arrest." He lifted his fist, opening it to sprinkle broken glass over the Warlock's head.

The Sorcerers cheered.