Winter 4995, 21 Ginmoth 

Rose followed the remaining journeyman down the spiral stairs to the basement of the Shutha Talon. They expected her, a dragon, to evaluate the progress and delays the storm had caused to their research... Like an ordinary worker. Like a human. 

She snorted at the Warlock's continued attempts to talk to her in draconic. Rose suspected she knew what this was really about. They wanted to separate her from Lily and the mission that would bring her in contact with the kingdom. It was a test for the Firewyrm and for Rose's own loyalty.

Or that's what she thought... Until they reached the bottom landing. The door just off the stairs was left open and Rose entered, making the man run to keep up -as he first tried to continue down the hall. 

Leaves and broken branches still littered the ground and green sheets on the comfortable bed. The journeyman rambled something about the other rooms being much more important but Rose continued in to examine the window and removed bars. The stone around the window had been broken in places by the fallen tree but that wasn't what had dislodged the bars. Their holes had been worn down naturally over time...

"Whose room is this?" Rose asked the Warlock, speaking over his continued rambles.

He sputtered and didn't answer. Rose looked over to find him looking everywhere but at her. "Don't ignore me." She ordered, "Whose room was this?" But she already knew. 

"The Windwyrm, Waterwyrm..." 

Rose bristled, "My name is Rose." She declared, stalking across the room to grab the journeyman by the front of his robes, "You kept the Windwyrm in the basement? Away from the wind of their birth? From their very lifeblood?" Rose knew she shouldn't be surprised. They had placed her in a desert and Lily in the far frozen north. Did that mean the Icewyrm, the only one still in custody apparently, was hidden in the south? Was this the real reason the Master Archmages had sent her here? Now that it was too late to get the Windwyrm out? To find them instead...?

"I... she needed to be contained..." the Warlock spluttered. 

"Ah, so you've already discovered the real reason we need you, Waterwyrm." A new voice stated from the door. Rose dropped the journeyman and tilted her chin up at one of the Archmages of this tower. "We have been searching I assure you, but the Master Archmages seem to think you might make better progress in locating your missing sister. And convincing her to work with us." 

Rose huffed, gesturing to the room, "You expect me to convince her to return to this? What experiments have you been conducting here Archmage?" She hid her anger and disgust as best she could. A plan started to form in Rose's mind, but she would need Lily.

"Nothing so cruel as the Island talon I assure you, Waterwyrm. We merely took minimal weekly samples for our work here and sent any excess to Central to be dispersed. Same as your own Talon." he answered with what he probably assumed was a disarming grin. 

Rose just crossed her arms, tapping her scales with one manicured nail, "You haven't answered my question." She stated flatly. Rose knew she could get the fiery woman's help with the Windwyrm alone but it would be helpful to have a little extra fuel to feed Lily's fire... 

The Archmage continued to grin, "Right this way..." he gestured for her to precede him back into the hall and walked beside her as he pointed out the lesser lab rooms... And holding cells. Perfect... Rose hid her grin behind her usually haughty disposition. 

"We have pivoted over the last two years to research on Sorcerer's bonds to their familiars. As you know, Sorcerers gain their magical nature from their dragon blood, and yet dragons themselves did not attract familiars..." he continued to explain the nuances of their cruel experiments on the Sorcerers of Shutha. Most of them had been elderly and recruited willingly with promises too good to be true. But the Talon had also taken leaves from Shaloon's book, kidnapping young unawakened Sorcerers. To track the bonding process when they did awaken and to capture the familiars before they could reach their humans.

Half of Rose -the bronze half- was infuriated, finally understanding some of Lily's insistence that those Warlocks who tipped over into truly evil activity should be punished. The other half of her -the black half- couldn't care less and saw this as a means to an end. The means, to get Lily on Rose's side. The end, to punish this Talon for daring to harm her dragon sister. All while keeping her own hands clean and the trust of the Master Archmages in place. 

She just needed to find a way to convince Lily to keep their involvement in the Talon's fall as quiet as possible and let the kingdom do the dirty work for them. And if she couldn't? Well, Lily had already stated, quite clearly, that she would be the one to let the kingdom deal with those that would hurt their citizens. As long as the Warlocks continued to trust at least one of them, Rose could continue looking for the Icewyrm and working to further her own goals. 

*** 

Lily gripped the edge of the large mirror and had to resist shaking it. "I don't care about a damn ball the royalty is holding, Perla! I want to know about the team and if they are all okay!" In truth, Lily only cared about one of them, and though she was sure the Warlocks already knew which one, she didn't want to reinforce that knowledge. If they used Shon to collar her...

She let go of the mirror as Perla stuttered, "That's what I'm trying to tell you. They're all fine, they're coming to the ball. But I have to go, I'm part of the security team and..." 

"All of them?" Lily interrupted.

Perla was trying to answer, her eyes flitting to her door nervously, "Well, the Temple representatives didn't have a choice. It's part of their punishment-"

"Punishment!" Lily exclaimed, "For what?!" 

"Um... Well... The Hengist representative willingly separated from his sealing item and used his magic and the Horsa representative was apparently in possession of illegal explosives..." 

"And they're being punished for that?" Lily asked, aghast. 

"Well, it was talked down to just a fine and attendance to the ball." Perla tried to assure her. 

Lily hissed, turning away from the mirror to grumble, "Next time they should let the damn city swim in lava and burn... See how the damn kingdom likes that." but turning away from the mirror gave Lily a view of the door. Where two familiar stone faces watched her. 

"Damn kingdom indeed..." Yonin echoed her. 

"I'm glad we can agree on this point..." In'nin added. 

Lily hissed again and swiped the mirror blank. "What do you want?" she snapped at the two. She tried to keep her eyes from darting behind them to the only exit and instead planted her hands on her hips.

"To pay you, my dear Firewyrm," Yonin answered

"For a job well done." In'nin finished. But instead of pulling out their usual bundle of papers for her to read he presented her with a rod, only about a foot long. 

Lily wished she could arch her eyebrow as impressively as Shon could, but since she couldn't she just rolled her eyes instead and answered, "I don't want to be that woman but I generally prefer my sticks longer." 

Yonin snickered, making Lily's skin crawl, while In'nin just grinned. They were treating her like they did the crazy chicken Archmage.

"Oh it gets longer," Yonin assured her.

"Try spinning it," In'nin instructed as Lily took the stick.

"I haven't heard that one before," Lily quipped, "You must be into some kinky shit if..." But she faltered as she spun the rod and felt the tingle of magic in her palms. It expanded out both ends to the length of a quarterstaff. 

"Now if you jerk it..." Yonin said,

"Once should be enough," In'nin added, still grinning. 

Lily found her voice, "Easy to please... I can't imagine you've had much experience in recent..." She thought herself prepared for another trick, perhaps for the staff to collapse back down, but was silenced once more when she jerked the staff and two blades shot out from either end. "Okay... color me impressed." Lily conceded. 

"We have a Talon that specializes in magical items," Yonin informed her.

"Consider this a bonus for your work fighting the kingdom team," In'nin said. 

Lily shrugged, turning back to the mirror, now only showing her own reflection, and hesitated.

"We will prepare your standard payment for the job," Yonin added. Lily saw them bow in the mirror and turned back.

"Wait," she called. The two stone Archmages exchanged looks and Lily continued, "This time I want something else as payment..." 

***

Rose waited in the room she shared with Lily. She knew the woman didn't expect her back but she didn't know Lily would nearly jump out of her skin and set Rose's dress on fire at the sight of her. 

The water Sorcerer extinguished her dress nearly as quickly as Lily ignited it with a hiss of both steam and fury. "It's just me damn it! Who else do you expect to be in our room?" 

Lily took a calming breath and managed a forced smile, "Well, you might not have noticed, but we are surrounded by insane magic-users..." She explained as she sauntered to her side of the room and took a massive jewelry box out of her second bag of holding. "And that chicken Archmage has been ambushing me in the halls lately. He wants to change us into something else apparently. Something about natural shapeshifters being immune to his spell. I don't get it." 

"That one," Rose snorted, "is beyond 'getting'." 

Lily busied herself in her vanity mirror trying on earrings, but spoke to Rose's reflection, "So you're back already?" 

Rose took a seat on her bed so she could continue to watch Lily in the mirror. All of her past life experiences, limited though they were, were advising her to manipulate the woman. Seed her just the important information and guide her from the shadows. But would that really work with someone as blunt and forward as Lily? Would it just end up blowing up in her face as it had Shaloon?

Rose picked at her singed dress and finally answered, "Not exactly. I came back to get you..." 

"After Winter Solstice," Lily stated without looking away from her newest jewelry, garnets set in brass. 

Rose blinked at her, "That's it? You're not going to ask what we're doing?" 

"Well, I'll want details before we leave. But I figure if you need me then I need to be there." She sighed at Rose through her mirror, "I'm surrounded by insane Warlocks remember? You're the only one here I can trust. And if you want to take me out of this damn dungeon, then all the better." 

Trust... Lily trusted her. Lily was the only other being like herself Rose had ever known. A dragon trapped in human skin but seen only as a tool by everyone else the world over. She had given Rose her name...

Rose sighed, rubbing her face in a rare show of discomfort. "I want your help bringing down the Talon in Shutha." she stated bluntly, "No one can know we were involved though. 

She let her hands fall to see Lily turn in her seat, her head tilted to the side, "Wow. What did they do to piss you off?" she asked with a grin. 

Rose considered telling Lily about the Sorcerers first. To get her blood boiling. But instead decided to go with honesty, "They were the ones who held the Windwyrm, but she escaped during the storm. They want us to get her back." 

Lily's lips curled and her hiss was quiet, "They want us to get her back after she escaped? Just the fact that she wanted to escape, needed to, shows that we shouldn't bring her back." 

Rose nodded her agreement and Lily sighed, turning back to her mirror, "So you want to bring them down for that. I can agree, but how do you expect to do it without the Nins knowing it was us?" 

"I have an idea, but there is a chance they will suspect you regardless..." Rose confessed.

"And why's that?" Lily huffed, changing out an earring for a ruby and gold one and turning her head to examine the effect of each.

Rose stood and approached Lily from behind, staring down at her through the mirror, "Because the Talon in question is doing experiments on Sorcerers and their familiars." 

Lily slapped her hands down on her vanity desk, rattling her jewelry box and sending out a wave of flame over the wood, "Seriously? Again?! What's the point in all the samples we give if they're just going to continue..." She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. When she opened them again she stared at Rose through the reflection, "This will work in our favor." she finally said calmly, "We can get the kingdom to take care of them." 

Relieved, Rose smirked, "You're learning." she said. 

Lily returned to her jewelry but waved a hand at Rose over her head, "I just fought against the kingdom team and with them. They're stronger than the Nins feared. We just need to give them the information they need." She removed both her earrings and reached for a new set, continuing, "But first I need to get ready for Winter Solstice. You wanna come?" Lily turned in her seat again to look up at Rose, her new emerald earrings looking particularly festive against the ruby scales across her right cheek.

"You have got to be joking..." Rose gaped at her, "You expect to go out in public?" She'd been wrong, this woman's foolishness would cost them everything.

Lily just shrugged, "Not exactly. I have ways out. You can have-" 

"Lily you can't." Rose pled with her, "What are you thinking?! Are you even thinking?" 

Lily rolled her eyes, moving her entire head with the motion, "How else do you expect me to give the team this information?" she asked, "You said I couldn't send any more letters and there's a chance something like that will be intercepted. By Warlocks. And this way I'll get to know the people Shon is working with." 

"Him again!" Rose roared into the room, spinning away from Lily and throwing her hands in the air in frustration, "That bastard is hunting you, Lily!" 

She turned to find Lily on her feet, her eyes flashing red for a heartbeat. When she spoke it was in a deadly whisper, "That bastard is my bastard, and he is the one risking his life for us. While we sit here in comfort making demands of Warlocks he's the one fighting against them. All while the kingdom holds a sword over his neck if they decide he's too much on our side. I saw him, Rose, he's tearing himself apart trying to balance two oaths..." 

Rose scoffed at that but flinched as Lily swiped her hand through the air, her fingers trailing fire in her anger, "I left him alone with a kingdom that only ever uses his nobility against him and I will not let you talk about him like he's the enemy." 

Rose took a calming breath then tilted her chin up. Straightening her dress she said calmly, "Fine. I apologize. He is your treasure-"

"My greatest treasure," Lily spat, "I'm doing this for him. You really think I give a damn if the world is destroyed if he isn't in it?" 

Rose gaped at the irate woman. She'd known Lily was on edge, that the Warlocks made her anxious, but she'd never expected her to snap like this. She saw again Shaloon's crumbling corps and swallowed, "I'm sorry, Lily," Rose said again, "We each have our own motivations but our goals are the same." 

Lily sat back down and buried her face in her hands. She spoke into her palms, muffling her voice, "I'm sorry, Rose. We need to find another way. We can't let the Warlocks continue to do these types of biological experiments. They aren't working and I don't want to live like this forever." 

Rose blinked in shock down at Lily. Her emotions were all over the place and turned up to full volume. Had she been this high-strung when they'd met nearly a year ago? Just after she'd left Shon... Rose took a steeling breath and knelt before Lily. She stroked the firewoman's golden hair, her wet skin hissing against Lily's heat. "There is another way," Rose whispered, "There is a faction in the organization that agrees with you. But I don't know if you'll like their alternative..." 

Lily looked up, tilting her head in curiosity. Rose sighed, "They want to bring back the dragon gods and let them recreate their children." 

"But they're dead." Lily breathed. 

Rose shook her head but answered, "I don't get it either Lily, but it's worth looking into." anything was worth looking into at this point. 

Lily took a shuddering breath and sat up straight. She turned back to her vanity and said in a quavering voice, "After Winter Solstice." 

Rose sighed again but didn't argue, standing to watch Lily go through her jewelry. Lily needed this. It didn't matter what Lily did as long as they achieved their goals in the end. And they wouldn't be able to do that if Lily was constantly walking a three way tightrope between despair, fury, and paranoia. 

Unlike Lily, Rose had studied elemental theory thoroughly. They were more attuned to their elements than the standard Sorcerer. As Fire, Lily needed to take action. Direct her energy. But before that, she needed to calm it, if only for a little while so she could focus it. Rose's water could only do so much to dampen her. Lily's radiating power needed something more solid, something constricting and cooling. She needed ice. She needed him.

"Can I do your hair?" Rose asked.

*** 

Lily sat awake on her bed in the Central Talon. On the other side of the room, Rose slept soundly with her face to the wall. Lily had wedged a towel under the door braced with heavy boxes to slow anyone from entering. But it also blocked the light from the hall, making the windowless room pitch black.

It's nearly as dark as Shon's hair, she reminded herself in an attempt to find comfort in the confines. But without his blue eyes and cold skin to offset the darkness, it did very little to help ease her anxiety. 

She shifted to face the corner, her back to Rose and the room, and cupped her hands before her. Hunching over the fire she summoned, she shaped the flame with her will. It wasn't as permanent as Shon's drawings but Lily used her own art to play through her memories of the last few days. It would also help to tire her out and help her sleep.

Tiny figures of the team danced in the fire as they fought her to reach the Warlocks. Warlocks that had tried to warn them, she reminded herself. 

The image shifted and formed a mountain, spewing literal smoke. She changed that one quickly as Rose coughed in her sleep. And shaped instead the gates of the city, and just beyond it, Shon...

He fell to his knees and finally used his magic. Blocking the gate from the flowing lava. Maybe now he would see the benefit of training it instead of sealing it. She smiled sadly at that thought. Probably not. He was too stubborn. Too hurt. 

She shaped his face as she cupped his cheeks. "Oh, my love... I'm so sorry." She whispered into the silent room. She hadn't meant to spill her shame to Rose, but that didn't make it any less true. She'd left him with the kingdom. Asked him to work with them against her. Against his oath to her. Which he claimed was just as binding as the one to blasted Hengist. She had seen the shields he'd pulled up, smothering his emotions, and the pain below when those shields cracked at her touch. 

He was blocking himself off from everyone. His team, even Master Veon-Zih and Velona. And from himself. Looking at him then, it was hard to tell if he had ever smiled. He just existed. Following orders and not really living. Veon-Zih had warned her that might happen, that that was how he was in the five years they'd been apart since his rejection by Hengist.

She growled, shifting the image again to Shon holding his hand out to her after she'd pulled away. Pain. So much pain. She pulled the fire close to her heart, letting it seep into her chest and casting the room in darkness once more. She needed to do something. Needed to see him. Even if it might cost her everything.