Princess Adora was in the middle of praying when she heard the door creak open. She quickly flipped the veil back over her face, just barely make out the dark figure that waited for her at the door.
"Princess?" Came a deep voice, but not quite naturally so. It sounded almost put on, but the princess was too distraught to notice. "Your escort is here."
"Already? Oh dear, I thought I had more time." "Not getting cold feet, are we?"
"No I just... Where is Nolan?"
"He is off on an important, last minute job on Nicobar's orders."
"I see. What is your name?"
"Til...lison?" A strong arm slipped under her hand and lifted her to standing.
She tried not to slouch as she was led awkwardly out of her cell. She could hear the storm beginning outside and a strange commotion coming from the main chamber. The sound was, to her great surprise, uproarious laughter.
"Whatever is going on?"
"There are some actors putting on a performance."
"Actors? At a wedding?"
"Yes, milady. The, uh, the Prince requested them play before the ceremony."
"My special day rather seems more like his special day." She stopped herself before she said more that would almost certainly get her in great trouble. "Forgive my impertinence, Tillison. I should not speak so freely, but I feel so strangely familiar with you. Have you served me before?"
"Yes, milady, once. Do not worry, I will not tell the Prince what you said. Now let us hurry. I have it on good authority that the last act is not one to be missed."
The storm was raging over the lashing sea, with swirling clouds of threatening danger stretching out and over the kingdom. Thunder boomed. Hurricane watched with morbid, stomach churning fascination as the gray clouds were illuminated in all colors. Magic.
He couldn't stop thinking about Grimholt had said when they parted ways. The boss was in bad condition, hardly able to walk unaided, but his eyes were still sharp and shining.
"That storm isn't right, Hurricane," he had said gravely. "Something unnatural."
That did not particularly bolster Hurricane's confidence in what Lady Hersillia was attempting. He almost hadn't believed it when the high-born woman had snuck into their camp late last night, aided by Nolan. The camp was on high alert, having just gotten their once fearless leader back. Though, he was now fearful and more pessimistic than ever. Hurricane had seen him in his moods before, but this was different.
Hersillia had even helped improve their scheme to save Adora by agreeing to doctor paperwork for them. However, she had only done so on under the auspice that Hurricane would help her stop the storm. She was as crazy as she was beautiful.
The Lady was currently bent down low over the beach, drawing symbols into the damp sand with her fingers. An ethereal glow was emanating from each one she finished. He recognized some of the symbols. He was far from a mage, but he was learning much under her tutilige. With her help he wanted to use magic for the good of the camp. Something with more power than just a pocket spell.
"Will this really work?" He asked. Despite his reservations, a nagging little spark of hope flickered deep inside of him, the one he could never seem to smother when she was involved. Magic that could stop a storm from taking another person he loved would be the kind of magic he wanted to do.
"Not if I have anything to do about it!" Cried a horribly familiar voice.
"Sheriff!" Hersillia gasped, ruining one of the symbols.
Without thought, Hurricane grabbed the knife at his hip and jumped between her and the enforcer. Multi color lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the Sheriff. There was something different about him, the way his exterior gleamed anew; the almost cocky posture he had taken up.
"Stand down, hero," he practically growled at Hurricane, voice low and grinding. "I am not here for you. Lady Hersillia, I am surprised. Fraternizing with the scum? You're no better than that trollop Varena. I expected more from someone of your noble birth."
"People are going to die, Sheriff! Good people, noble or not!" She had to almost scream to be heard over the storm, and clutched Hurricane's arm.
"I am well aware, mage. Who do you think is responsible for it?"
"You? Did you do this, you monster?" Hurricane felt like he had been slapped. There was something unnatural about the storm after all. "I'll kill you!"
He slipped out from Hersillia's grasp and charged the Sheriff screaming. The Sheriff nimbly evaded him and slammed his sharp elbow into Hurricane's back. He was sent sprawling on the beach with the wind knocked out of him, mouth full of sand.
"Calden!" Hersillia cried, but the Sheriff disallowed her approach. Her face was wet. "Why? Why, Sheriff?"
"I am under orders of my blessed creator. You could not begin to understand his brilliance, his ingenuity, his plans for the future of all of Stormwatch!"
"Did he send you to stop me?"
"No. You almosthad us fooled, Hersillia. I could even applaud you, you tricky little minx, but you're not nearly as clever as you think you are. I merely followed your trail, and now I'll be putting an end to this foolishness. You can come quietly with me to the dungeon-"
"Never!"
"...or we can do it the fun way. For me, anyway." He flexed his claw-like fingers and a growing mass of writhing black shadows swirled around his hand. He made that terrible, grinding, undulating laughing sound.
Hersillia lips moved but the sound was unintelligible, as she silently spoke an incantation. She began to glow with a gentle, hazy purple light, like a magical heartbeat. The Sheriff's burning gaze was fixed steadily on her as his tendrils whipped out to grab. They were lashed away suddenly by purple threads of magic, sliced and ineffective.
"That little trick you used on me will not work this time, Hersillia," taunted the Sheriff. "I have had an upgrade. You're no match for me."
The Lady did not rise to the insult, instead doubling down on her chanting. Her head snapped back and a wave of purple light pulsed from her, bursting out like pressure escaping. Her eyes glowed lavender. The Sheriff was knocked down with the force and the tendrils shrunk back, wrapping around him like a protective cloak.
Hersillia slumped forward gasping, light still pulsing from her. "I... have more tricks..."
The Sheriff sprang back up to his feet with uncanny ease, laughing once again. "So do I, Hersillia! So do I!"
The tendrils climbed up his body like snakes, then slipped down his arm until he held most in his hand. They twisted and churned until at last it had formed a cutlass shape. With inhuman speed he charged at her with his terrible blade held aloft.
Hurricane, whose back screamed with agony from the blow, had achingly shoved himself standing. He stepped in the way of the Sheriff again, every part of him prepared to accept his inevitable failure. He held his hunting knife aloft.
"Hersillia! Stop the storm!" The words did not sound like his, they came from a man who sounded less afraid. The Lady did not waste a moment, diving inelegantly onto her knees and starting the symbols afresh.
The sky was ablaze with color. The storm would touch down on shore any minute now.
Then it would be too late.
The Sheriff crashed his cutlass down onto Hurricane's waiting knife. Pain reverberated through his arms, making his bones rattle, but he managed to hold. The Sheriff cackled, then sprang away again. Hurricane grit his teeth.
If he could just buy Hersillia a little time, no one else would have to die. Maybe she might even remember him fondly.
He was only able to buy her a few minutes. In no time at all the Sheriff easily overpowered him, and knocked him flat on his back. A clawed foot crushed his stomach and the inky cutlass waited above his throat, ready and willing to finish the job.
It never came.
Just before it could, the air around them was ripped open with a rush. A portal appeared next the Sheriff, tearing wider until at last Hurricane could see a red-faced Prince Nicobar. His arm was wrapped around Princess Adora.
"Unhand me!" She cried, struggling under his crushing grasp. "Let me go!"
"Sheriff!" Nicobar barked, furious. "What in God's name are you doing?!"
"Your majesty," the Sheriff said, sounding caught off guard. "I was stop-"
"Do not give me excuses! Get back here, this instant!" Nicobar reached through the portal and took hold of the Sheriff's arm. With red hot anger, he pulled the Sheriff, hard. The Sheriff's cutlass became like a snake and wrapped around Hersillia, dragging her back too.
"Calden! You have to stop the stom before it is too late!" As they were pulled through the portal, Hersillia threw her book at Hurricane. It landed in the sand beside him.
"I can't do it!" He yelled back. He tried to stand his stomach muscles protesting. "I'm not a mage, I'm just some useless thug!"
"Yes you can! Remember what I-" The portal closed, silencing her.
Leaving him alone with his greatest fear, and the impossible task of conquering it.