Winter 4994, 19 Aoimoth 

The team -minus Lily and Velona- spent what was left of the evening strategizing should either a Mage or Warlock attempt to put up a fight in the morning. Tuth walked them through possible spells as best he could, but a Mage's repertoire could be vast and unique. Veon-Zih described his few fights with Warlocks -only three- and that seemed significantly more threatening, considering they also used Mage spells. 

They left for the feast knowing that their greatest advantage was surprise and numbers. There was only one magic-user, and as long as they could close the distance to them before they could get any of the more destructive spells off, the party should be able to subdue them. Dedicated magic users were glass cannons, which was why the Guild always sent their field Mages with fighters. 

The feast was set up even more grandly than the night before. Only two rings of seats faced each other taking up the entire communal area, with a bonfire in the center where meats were being roasted and root vegetables baked in the coals. Lily was once again seated to the Chief's right, with the Druid and Pia to his left and an empty spot beside the Sorcerer. 

Velona shifted over so Shon could sit beside Lily with Veon-Zih on his other side. He could hear her whispering with Tuth and Yua, while Lily leaned forward to talk past the Chief to Pia. 

Pia's smile vanished the moment Shon sat down, and he did his best not to look directly at her. The effort was made significantly easier when Lily rested her hand on his thigh and nearly caused him to jump to the stars. She gave him a little squeeze but continued to speak to Pia, her voice turning dangerously sweet. "I know that the Temple meddling in tribal affairs, and in your life specifically, can be frustrating, Pia. But Shon is my favorite treasure, and I would appreciate it if you didn't look at him like that."

Pia's lip curled, "He's-"

"Mine." Lily interrupted.

Shon squeezed her fingers, and she glanced over at him with an appreciative smile before turning back to Pia. Lily brushed her long hair over her shoulder with an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, I've only seen such glares between Hengist and Horsa Paladins, and you two don't have that pitiful excuse." Shon looked away from both of them and let his hand trail off hers. Lily continued, "And even if you did, the gods' battles are not ours, and I will no sooner be pulled into yours than theirs." 

There was no big speech or announcement at the beginning of this feast, and the tribespeople dug into their food without expecting one, the guests following suit. Lily leaned over to take a leg of coney from in front of Shon and whispered, "She doesn't worship Horsa, Shon." 

He took a sip of his drink but answered, "Even if she did, I'm not a Paladin."

Lily didn't apologize, just scoffing, "His loss." 

The meal continued uneventfully. Shon and Pia pointedly avoided each other's eyes, and his companions grew relaxed in the joyful atmosphere. Even Shon felt himself growing more at ease. He could feel Ryuuko closer, and Lily continued to touch him whenever she had a free hand -shifting her weight so their knees touched whenever she didn't. He was starting to think that everything might actually go smoothly, not only tonight but tomorrow, when the Druid and Pia stood. 

"A toast," the Druid announced, "To our honorable guests and our continued good relations with the kingdom of Daanlin." 

Shon and the others reached for their cups but hesitated when none of the tribespeople did. Pia lifted a large bowl of some white liquid and, holding it carefully on her hip, recited a prayer over it, her hand circling over the drink and causing it to swirl. The Druid smiled approvingly and took it from her apprentice, taking a drink before passing it to the Chief. 

Shon's heart slammed into his chest, and he hissed at Lily as quietly as he could, "Don't drink it." She turned to tilt her head at him, and he pleaded desperately with his eyes and one word, "Please?"

Had he imagined her nod? Lily took the bowl from the Chief and brought it to her lips but didn't drink, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He took his turn doing the same but couldn't get the warning to Veon-Zih before the Monk took a single sip and passed it on. She wouldn't poison the entire tribe... It had to be something else. Though what, he had no idea. 

The bowl circled the gathering, with everyone taking a drink and parents holding it for their children to have a sip. When it reached Pia again, she lifted it to her lips, then turned it upside down, letting the rest spill onto the earth. Shon hadn't seen her throat move...

The feast continued, but Shon couldn't taste the food anymore. Tribespeople started to yawn and retreat to their yurts, but Shon waited until Lily and their companions said their goodnights and returned together with them. "I'm both glad and sad to be leaving," Lily said as they entered their yurt and started crawling into bed. The others exchanged glances, but no one said anything, and Lily put out their light with a blink as they all went to sleep. 

Or tried to. Shon lay awake, listening as the others each drifted off. Their breathing becoming slow and even one after another until only he was left awake. He needed to sleep. He searched for Ryuuko and found the pseudodragon still flying, possibly being driven by its human's anxiety. Rest... he tried to send to it and could practically hear the chirp of denial. Damn stubborn pest...

Their door flap opened and Shon slowed his breathing. Light footsteps, but not stealthy ones. Whoever had come in wasn't trying very hard to be quiet.

"Lily?" Pia's voice whispered from beside him, and he felt her shaking Lily awake, "I need to speak with you. Will you come with me?" 

"Pia?" Lily didn't whisper, "What's going on?" No one stirred. The Monks at least should have woken up at Lily's voice... Shon focused and could still hear them breathing deep and steady. 

"I need to talk to you," Pia repeated. Shon prayed but not even the gods could stop Lily. She wiggled out of her blankets, reaching for her pants and bag. She didn't speak, but she also wasn't trying to be quiet, and still, the others didn't wake. 

Shon listened as the two Sorcerers left the yurt, then crawled out of his own bed. He grabbed his sword and carried it at his side as he followed the girls out. The encampment was quiet, with no one heading towards the privy and no pacing of guards around the edge as Shon stalked the Sorcerers towards the river. He knew the warriors stood watch at night, but saw only one -sleeping on duty- as they reached the edge of the encampment.

Hiding in the shadow of a yurt, Shon watched as Pia led Lily across the open plains to her own small dwelling on the river. Lit by the full moon, there was no way he could follow and not be seen. With a muttered prayer in lieu of a curse, he turned and retreated back to their yurt. He needed to wake the others. If possible...

***

"It IS you..." 

Lily blinked as she entered Pia's lightless yurt, the voice of an unseen man greeting her in draconic. 

"And your draconic is very good. You must be Arver," she answered instinctually in the same language. She hadn't heard it spoken so clearly in years, "Why are we standing in the dark?" to you at least? Lily finished in thought. 

A man of middle years stepped forward to stand in the single beam of moonlight streaming through Pia's roof. He wore the robes of a Mage and was most certainly not a barbarian, only coming up to Lily's eyes in height. He smiled without answering her question. 

"This is silly," Lily said with a sigh and threw four balls of fire into the air to float and fill the room with proper lighting. Her slited eyes had adjusted quickly to the dark, but the idea of holding some clandestine meeting in the shadows was far to cliche, even for her. 

The Mage closed his eyes at the light, then opened them slowly, still smiling. "You are as magnificent as I imagined," he breathed, moving a step closer and examining the scales on her cheek. 

Lily smirked, "Thanks, though I don't know what you imagined. Pia told me-" 

But the man interrupted her with a question, one she hoped never to hear again, "Tell me, do you know your name?" 

Lily's ears started ringing, but she managed to answer, in common, "My name is Lily." 

The Warlock's brows scrunched, and he mumbled, "That isn't a dragon name..."

"No," Lily said, "It's MY name." but Arver just shrugged, either not recognizing -or choosing to ignore- the threat in her voice. 

"Ah well, you will know your name when you know it. Dragons always know their own name..." 

"Dragon?" Pia asked, looking between Lily and Arver. 

Arver's face lit up with a manic gleam, "Yes! She is like your half-sister." He smiled warmly down at Pia, who looked even more confused. Her kelpie pulled itself out of the water and came to stand beside her, "Spiritual sister anyway," Arver continued, "You share a mother you see..."

Lily's hand shot out to block Pia from Arver and snarled, "We aren't dragons, and you're mad." She needed to get back to the others. Needed to get out of this room with this man. She didn't know if he was more like her Brom and Ran, or like Morndancer and Shaloon. And she wasn't willing to risk Pia -who she liked despite Shon's mistrust- to find out.

"Mostly correct, my dear Firewyrm," Arver stated. The ringing in her ears intensified at the old title, and she almost missed what else he said, "Pia is not a dragon, and I am indeed a little mad, though I still have a few decades of functionality in me." He stepped forward and rested his hands on her shoulders, "And now that you're here, they will be truly worthwhile! We may be able to save the world yet. Stop the storms once and for all. Now that you're free from your guards, we can go and..."

"Guards?" Lily asked, switching back to draconic without noticing.

"That pesky Mage and Paladin. And their foolish companions." Arver answered, "They will be dead by now." 

Lily grabbed his hands before he could pull away, holding them tight, though he didn't flinch.

Pia wrenched him from her grasp, turning him hard and shaking him. Her familiar snarled a very unhorse-like sound, "What did you do, Arver? The tribe..." 

"It's alright, child," he rested his palms on her cheeks, "I did nothing. You put them to sleep. The tribe will be fine. They will assume their guests left in the night, and if the kingdom comes looking for their people, they will find nothing."

Lily's fires flared. Pia fell back from the heat and Arver turned a curious look on Lily, who snarled, "You think I will let you kill my companions?" The roof started to catch, and Pia's familiar pulled her into the water. 

Arver didn't move, though he was sweating, a red ring glittered on his right hand as he shook his head at her, "I? I am here with you." 

"What..." Lily started, but Arver smiled again,

"You forget Firewyrm. We always work in pairs."

***

Veon-Zih grumbled but did eventually wake up as Shon shook him. His thoughts played out across his face as his eyes blinked open. Why was he being woken up? Why was he so tired? WHY WAS HE SO TIRED?!

The Monk sat up, then immediately started shaking Velona awake before asking Shon anything about what was going on. Shon started on Yua when Velona shouted, "Where's Lily?!" 

"Pia," Shon said shortly as the Ranger sat up, rubbing her eyes. He went for Tuth, but the Mage -already a stubborn sleeper- refused to stir. Finally, Shon clapped his bare hand over the back of Tuth's neck.

"Bede's ice blue balls, what the hell?!" he yelled at Shon, who shushed him and listened. No stirring from the other yurts. There was no way anyone should've slept through the racket the group had made. 

"A sleep spell," Velona said, strapping on her weapons as she did.

"The entire tribe?" Yua asked, shaking her head -still trying to clear it. 

"The toast," Shon answered, he was sure of it, "Pia came to get Lily. I can't get to her yurt without being seen. We will need to go in force." 

He set down his sword to put on his shirt from the day before while the others finished dressing in a rush, and Tuth said, "I have an invisibility spell. It-" 

But Shon couldn't hear what else Tuth was going to say as a voice whispered from behind, "Me too..." 

Shon twisted, but something slammed into his back as he rolled away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. He ended the roll on his feet but dropped to a knee at the stabbing pain. A man with a dagger, its blade black beneath Shon's blood, grinned at them, "This would have been much easier if you'd all stayed asleep..." 

The Monks moved in a flash, flanking the Warlock. Veon-Zih dropped low to kick out his legs while Velona swung her staff at his head. The man jumped, leaving an afterimage of his legs as he moved with a speed no human could match. His free hand became wreathed in black flame, and he grabbed Velona's staff, setting it alight though they could all still hear the crack of the wood on his bones. 

Velona dropped her staff in the same motion that she grabbed her sword and unsheathed it with the same motion that she slashed into the Warlock's arm. The limb went limp, and he screamed. Though that too was cut short as Veon-Zih stood and lifted his leg over his head to slam down into the Warlock's shoulder. 

He hammered into the ground, blood from his arm splattering the rugs and walls, a dent forming in the earth beneath him. Shon went for his sword, tossing the sheath aside and aiming for the man's wounded shoulder. 

The masterwork blade sunk into the earth, but the Warlock was gone. He'd blinked, disappearing and reappearing behind Yua. He didn't attack the Ranger. Wounded, he stumbled back, hitting the wall and slicing through the lattice and leather with the black blade before shouldering through and running into the night. The wood burned with purple-black flame where he touched it.

Tuth began to chant, dispelling the fire. "Go!" Shon snarled. The Monks didn't need the instruction, but Tuth did, "Take the shackles,"

Yua ran forward and braved his cold to help Shon up. He pulled away from her, but she just growled at him, "He got your kidney, and we have to wake the tribe. Come on." She swung his arm over her shoulder and pulled him toward the door.

"My sword..." 

"Leave it. We have to get to the Druid," Yua said, "Lily will kill me if you die."

No... Shon thought,

'Shon is my favorite treasure...' 

He flinched as each step caused shooting pain in his back, but pulled away from the Ranger to continue on his own. She'll kill everyone...

***

Lily ran. She hadn't realized how quiet the settlement had been, but now the silence beat at her ears like physical blows. She slid around the corner to their yurt and slipped, catching herself on the ground but feeling mud beneath her fingers.

She didn't want to look and didn't have to. She could smell the iron from the blood. But that was just her memories coming back to haunt her. There was no way a single person, even a Warlock, could kill Velona, let alone all of them.

Shon...

She pulled the flap to her yurt open so hard she ripped it from the building. Empty... Lily gasped for air but couldn't seem to catch her breath. The full moon sent a single beam of light into the one-room home, and gleamed off pools of red and a single silver sword with a black pommel stuck in the ground. 

"Ah, good. He's already disposed of the bodies." Arver spoke behind her as Lily stumbled into the yurt. 

"No, it's not possible. They're too strong. They..."

"Were sleeping."

Her ears were ringing. She closed Her eyes and covered Her face, reaching into Her hair and balling Her muddy, bloody hands into fists, pulling the golden strands and focusing on the physical pain instead of the mental. She had to stay calm. They were fine, they were seasoned veterans, they...

"You aren't alone anymore..." Lily's eyes snapped open, and saw Shon's abandoned sword. She'd told him that... "We can help you..." how many times had Velona and Tuth told her after one of her nightmares? "We will save the world, Firewyrm."

Lily's world went red.

*** 

The Warlock blinked a few more times, jumping ahead ten to twenty feet just when one of the Monks was about to catch him. He ran past still yurts and sleeping guards into the tall grass and managed one more blink, turning as he reappeared, his teeth gritted in pain.

They weren't going to give him time to recover. Veon-Zih and Velona split to flank him again. But his arms dissolved as they rushed him, reforming as long black tentacles. 

Veon-Zih had seen this spell before and called to Velona, "Don't let them touch you!" not fast enough, however. Velona attempted to deflect a tentacle with her blade. But just like the first time he'd seen it, the magical limb merely dissolved into smoke around the sword then resolidified on the other side to smack her across the chest. 

But Velona wasn't a simple solder, she was a Master, and she steeled herself against the pain even as her now exposed skin blistered. She let out a slow breath, and her sword seemed to hum. This wasn't magic, it was life energy, and they were Masters of it. Velona twisted her sword and it cut into the tentacle, lopping off the tip to flop and dissolve into black tar on the ground. 

The Warlock screamed, a blood-curdling, inhuman sound. Veon-Zih dodged under the second whipping tentacle and slammed his palm into the man's chest. Sending him sliding away, leaving furrows in the earth and cutting off his cry as he lost all his breath and crumpled, unable to grasp his crushed chest with his monstrous arms. 

Veon-Zih made to close the distance again as the tentacles dissolved and the Warlock tried to lift his black dagger. Light flashed over the scene, and Veon-Zih had to shield his eyes as the darkness was banished in a wave of brightness like the sun. 

The Warlock lunged with enhanced speed, and Veon-Zih didn't dodge in time. Taking the dagger across his belly. He rolled back, clutching the cut and the Warlock made a second. He sliced the air between them in a circle, and Veon-Zih could see stars beyond the portal. The Warlock fell into it, and it dissolved into black ash. 

"Veon-Zih," Velona slid on her knees at his side, reaching for the wound.

"It's fine, shallow," he assured her as Tuth huffed and puffed to try to catch up with them. 

"Lily..." Tuth gasped. 

"Go," Veon-Zih ordered, and the Mage actually managed a whine but tried his best to jog back to the barbarian encampment. "Come on," Veon-Zih said to Velona, using her arm to help him stand, "I can heal it, but don't tell anyone, Grandmaster's orders." 

"You can..." she started.

He shook his head, "Only myself. Let's go."

***

Yua ran ahead when Shon pointed out the Druid's yurt on the outer circle of the encampment. She was shaking the woman awake as he entered, and his strength finally failed him. He fell to the carpeted ground, and the sound must have banished the last of the sleep from the old woman. 

"What happened?!" she demanded. 

Shon closed his eyes against the double vision of the opening in the Druid's roof. How did they keep the rain out? Or did they just catch it? Two pairs of hands forced him onto his side, and a breath hissed between the Druid's teeth.

"Grabe me the mugwort, there." she directed Yua and began to pray. Divine warmth washed into Shon through his wound, and he clenched his teeth in an effort to stay awake as the spell forced his body to expend its energy to heal. 

"What happened," The Druid asked again as Shon's kidney and skin started to knit back together, "Why didn't he heal it himself?" 

"Warlock," Shon coughed out before Yua could answer either question.

"A sleep spell was cast on the tribe. We need to wake-" Yua started but stopped as golden light flooded the yurt from the ceiling. The Druid gasped, and Shon pulled himself to his feet, stumbling towards the door.

Lily... 

Yua tried to grab his arm but pulled back instantly, shaking her fingers as frost formed on her palm. "Wake everyone!" Shon yelled to the two women, then ran. 

Fire licked the sky, and Shon stumbled between the buildings towards it, spilling out onto their street and stopping dead. The yurt was wholly engulfed, the leather burned away, and the lattice forming a cage of fire. Lily stood in the middle, her hands covering her face. Someone in robes fell away from her, beating the fire off of his clothes and wrenching something from his finger that splattered on the ground. 

"LILY!" Tuth called from a side road beyond Lily.

Shon couldn't tell what happened first. Lily's head came up, her hair whipping around in the heat from her fire, and the Warlock pointed at Tuth. A pseudodragon, as red as Lily's scales, swooped down from the sky, its spiked tail lodging itself in Tuth's neck.

The Mage crumpled, and Lily roared. 

People screamed, and the fire exploded, sending burning lattice to catch the surrounding dwellings alight as if they'd been soaked in oil.

The Warlock tried to run, but the tribe had come. Carrying pots and buckets heavy with water, they blocked his path in an effort to reach the flames. Lily roared again, and everyone clapped their hands over their ears, spilling their precious salvation to steam in Lily's heat at the monstrous sound. All except the Warlock. Arver fell to his knees, clawing at his throat until flame erupted from his mouth and out his eyes.

"Lily!" Shon called, his voice cracking as she turned glowing red, sightless, eyes to him. 

Velona appeared out of the smoke and gloom, sprinting for her student but falling back as Lily's hand shot out, trailing a whip of fire. The Monk rolled backward, the fire grazing her shirt and setting it alight. Veon-Zih beat out the flames, pulling her back. 

Pia -atop her young familiar- cantered into view beside Tuth's body. The girl slid from her gasping mount and swept her arms in a circle above her head. The spilled water from the tribe's buckets and more from beyond sight gathered in the air over her. She directed it to the fire, sending an isolated rain over Lily that did nothing to quench her flames and caused Lily to hiss along with the water. 

Shon ran. Past Velona and Veon-Zih, and directly into the fire. He dropped to the ground, spreading his fingers across the burning earth and sending his magic and energy into it. Ice exploded from his hands and stretched towards Lily. Freezing her flames into twisted crystalline sculptures one moment and melting into billowing steam the next as their magic countered one another. Shon was forced to roll as her whip of flame came down to slam where he'd been, but was back on his feet in an instant and -with the speed of a Monk- double-stepped to her side. 

Lily spun, her hand forming a spear and her nails grazing his neck as he refused to dodge. Tilting his head to the side, he took the grazing blow across his neck and grabbed her about the wrist and waist, yelling, "Lily!" But she snarled. She didn't recognize him. 

He didn't know why he did it. He should've just knocked her out, but instead, he kissed her. His power flooded into his lips to battle Lily's heat, and he pulled her tighter, holding her against his chest even as his shirt burned and his pants smoked. 

Lily's eyes closed then blinked open again. Once, red. Then twice, blue. Her body went limp in his arms, and Pia's rain finally started to quench the flames. Shon guided her gently to the ground, wiping her now wet hair from her face.

"... nothing... worth saving..." Lily whispered. Shon leaned down close to see her tears evaporating into steam off her cheeks, "...without them..." before she passed out.