TW: Attempted murder, manipulation, talking about murder, TOP HATS-

    Frost watched Jerome leave the house, the man's footsteps echoing as he walked through the door and shut it behind him.

     He turned and stared at the object Jerome had left for a moment. Then, calm as could be, Frost went to find Henwy. As he walked, he observed the walls of Henwy's cottage.

     Frost was looking for one thing in particular. Something that could convince him Henwy was truly the one he needed.

     His eyes locked on a banner on the wall. It was pitch black with a blood-red M sewn into the center.

     Frost allowed himself a small smile and turned the corner to find Henwy in the kitchen.

     "Hey, Frost," he said, nodding a greeting.

      Frost nodded back, then paused. "So uh, how much do you like this house?"

     "...Pretty well. Why?"

     "Oh, well it's not going to be here much longer."

     "What? Why?"

     "Jerome."

     Henwy blinked. "Well sure, he's a traitor. That was pretty obvio-"

     "He put a bomb in your house."

     "He what?!"

     Frost didn't bother replying. He snapped his arm up and energy pulsed around his fingertips. The energy stretched and flew from his hand, building up around the pair with incredible speed.

     As soon as the shield was complete, Frost's ears were assaulted by a cacophony of sounds.

     Henwy flinched back and squeezed his eyes shut.

     Heat washed over both of them, but it was muted. The world seemed to shake and rumble like it was about to end.

     The world flung itself over- then froze.

     The heat vanished and, curiosity clearly taking a hold of him, Henwy slowly opened his eyes. Frost watched his reaction carefully.

     Fire raged around them in large clumps, eating away at the pitiful remains of Henwy's house.

     Smoke and ash reigned supreme as the sun was blotted out. Darkness swept over the earth.

     Henwy's eyes were stretched wide. As he drank in the scene before him, though, they narrowed.

     He glared at Frost with dangerous eyes, but the hostility wasn't directed towards the sorcerer. "How dare he. How. Dare. He."

     Frost chuckled, completely unperturbed. It was as if bombs exploding was a natural occurrence for him. He let the shield drop and braced himself for a pungent odor of smoke.

     He stopped when he noticed the sparks flying from Henwy's fingertips. The man started pacing around the remnants of his home, snarling at the ground with threats and warnings. He didn't appear to have noticed the magic.

     Frost let him work himself up. Truth be told, this kind of reaction was exactly what Frost was looking for.

     The sparks turned into embers that danced along invisible strokes of wind.

     Energy was building up around Henwy's hands, bright and energized.

     "-and if he thinks he can get away with this, I'll show him just what it means to try and kill me. I've left him alone. I know what I did, but the past is in the- ...what's this?" Henwy broke off from his speech and stared down at his palms.

     Red magic coated his hands but it was wild, not controlled like Frost's. Bits of energy would fly off or snap at unseen particles. It was strong, it was furious, and most of all, it wanted revenge.

     "That," Frost said calmly, "is what the sorcerers have been neglecting to tell you."

     Henwy shot him a confused glance, the anger in his eyes usurped by confusion. "Frost, you're a sorcerer."

      He laughed, his voice singed with madness. "You're right, Frost is a sorcerer." He stared Henwy dead in the eyes, a smile creeping along his face. "But I'm not Frost."

      There was a long pause. Henwy took a step back, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Then who are you?"

     He tugged at the tie around his neck, snapped his wrist, and watched as the fabric twisted into a sleek top hat. His body shifted along with the hat.

     "Hello, Henwy," Loaf said, placing the hat on his head. "I don't believe we've formally met. I can explain whatever you'd like, but first, we need to get out of here."

     "And why would I come with you?" Henwy crossed his arms, suspicion flashing through his brown eyes.

     "Three reasons. First, you're notoriously curious, and now you're curious about how I know that. Second, I did just save your life. And third, would you rather deal with your would-be assassins when they come to find your body?"

     "Not particularly...."

     "Good. Now follow me." Loaf picked his way through the wreckage, fighting back a coughing fit from the polluted air. From what he heard, Henwy was going through the same struggle.

     He made his way across town, keeping to the outskirts in hopes of hiding the man who was supposed to be dead. Henwy's survival needed to stay secret... at least for now.

     Loaf stopped in front of his home and, after looking at it with new eyes, it looked more like a lair than anything else. I guess that's fitting. He opened the door, ignoring the squeal of the hinges, and motioned for Henwy to walk inside. "After you."

     Henwy shot him an untrusting look and stepped inside. Loaf heard him unsheathe his sword.

     The inside was barren and possessed few objects of sentiment, which only added to the lair aesthetic. He shut the door once he was inside and turned to face his guest.

     "Can I get you some water?" Loaf asked.

     "What am I doing here."

     Loaf blinked. "That's not the usual response I get."

     Henwy shot him a look. "I almost got blown up by a bomb after just convincing myself all of this was over. I'm just a bit suspicious. Oh, and let's not forget about someone I thought I could trust turning out to be someone else. Speaking of, have you been Frost this entire time?"

     "No. You wouldn't have trusted me in my own form, so I used a friend." Loaf's voice twisted into a sneer at the last word.

     "Something tells me you're not a fan of Frost," Henwy said dryly.

     Loaf chuckled. "Right on."

     The other man sighed and slowly shook his head. "Just... why? Why did you save me? Why can't they leave me alone? Why would the sorcerers keep magic a secret from everyone?"

      Loaf turned and walked away from Henwy, opting to stare at a wall instead. He folded his hands neatly behind his back, keeping his face carefully guarded.

     This was a chess match and Loaf was the game master.

     "Magic is something they want to hide because it gives you power. They want to control everyone and everything. By keeping it a secret, you're a puppet to their whims.

     "They won't leave you alone because you're a threat. You're the villain, Henwy. That's all you'll ever be in their eyes. You'll never know peace as long as your enemies are alive."

     Loaf turned back towards Henwy and tipped his head. "As for why I saved you, I did it because I saw your potential."

     "Potential?"

     "I've seen everything you've endured. You've managed to survive everything they've done to you. I have as well. I saved you, Henwy, because I see myself in you."

     Henwy's brow furrowed. "You've known me a lot longer than I've known you, haven't you?"

     Loaf chuckled, rubbing his thumb along the rim of his hat. "I've been helping you for a lot longer than you've known me. After all," he said, a dark emotion sparking in his eyes, "Do you really think that wand could control a dragon?"

     "That was you?!"

     "Yep."

     "...How?"

     "When the dragon's growth was accelerated, its mind was not. A child in an adult's body is easy to control."

     Henwy shook his head. "That was the worst mistake of my life. I-"

     Fury flooded him and he struggled to keep his composure. "No. That saved your life. You really think the dragon was the start of your problems? Oh, no no no. What do you think they were planning in the Mayor's Office?"

     "I... uh... imprisonment?"

     Loaf glared at him. "If you really believe that, you're a fool." His words were coated with venom. He drew out his hand, energy sparking around him, before it merged into a mass of yellow magic. Each granule looked like a grain of sand.

     The blob began to shift and churn. The grains rubbed against each other, at first only emitting a rough, scratchy sound, but then formed into words. Figures formed to match the voices.

     Henwy leaned forward, eyes dark. Loaf knew why. The scene he was depicting was a place long dead.

     It was the Mayor's Office the day of the dragon attack.

     "I told you guys a long time ago what needed to happen. Look what he's done. The kid needs to go," Sigils said, staring at each person present as if silently daring them to disagree.

     Loaf observed Henwy carefully for a reaction.

     The figures continued talking and with each word Henwy grew more still, his eyes fixed on the scene before him.

     He flat out froze when Biffle started speaking.

     "Look, I know some people are hesitant to take down one of our own. But is there another option? He resisted imprisonment, tried to kill several camp members, he's the founder of the Mafia, if anyone's forgotten about that, and he rigged an election and turned a democracy into a dictatorship. Anything else?"

     Loaf slashed his hand through the spell. It suddenly allowed gravity to affect it and collapsed to the ground in a heap of sand. He locked eyes with Henwy. "They were never going to spare you. They've always been against you. What do you think is going to happen after the dragon attack? They'll never stop trying to kill you. This is kill or be killed and, if we work together, we can both get what we want."

     Henwy's head snapped up. "So it's an alliance you want? If you know as much as you claim, you'll know everyone who's allied with me has betrayed me. How do I know you won't do the same?"

     "I see myself in you," he repeated.

     "Yeah, that's reassuring," Henwy scoffed.

     "Listen, Henwy. The sorcerers are my Sigils. You and I are in the same position. And I'll be clear right here, right now: I'm not looking for friends, I'm looking for someone who will help me survive."

     Henwy stared at him for some time, obviously turning over the proposal in his mind, before turning away to pace around the room. "I'll consider it," he said, "but you have to tell me something first."

     "Go for it."

     "How do you know all of this?"

     He laughed. It was clearly not what Henwy was expecting because he jumped back, eyes wide.

     "Let me tell you something. All of your campmates, particularly Gold and Karan, are obsessed with time. Frost, Rafessor, and Florian are too, but they won't admit it. Everyone wants to control it, to twist it and bind it to their own will." He shook his head and grinned. "Time is already being controlled. It isn't breaking, it's shifting. Shifting to my will. You see," he said, taking a step forward. "Time is not a what. It's a who."

     A slow, malicious smile spread across the other man's face. "This just got interesting. You're tearing them apart at the seams."

     "They're all too distracted by time to see what's coming." He paused. "I'll tell you what. We go after your enemies first, as a sign of my faith, and then we take care of mine. I'm willing to do what it takes. The question is: are you?"

     "Allying with a powerful, shapeshifting sorcerer who's willing to help me before I help them? Can't say I've done that before...." Henwy inspected Loaf for a moment, searching for answers unseen. Finally, he nodded. "I'm in."

     Loaf smiled. "Good. I've already got a plan."

     "I'm all ears."

     The pair seemed to shift, feeding off of each other's negative emotions. Loaf was cold and calculated while Henwy's eyes shone with a sinister glow.

     Back to how you were while trying to hatch that lizard, Loaf thought, Oh, how the cycle continues.

     He allowed himself a silent laugh and started filling in his new ally on the plan.

    "Your enemies are primarily Sigils, Jerome, and Lookumz. But we both know who the main target of those three is. I say we get those other two out of the way and then take down the scientist."

     Henwy nodded and gestured for him to continue.

     "I happen to know where their base is. I shapeshifted into a raven and followed Jerome and he led me right to it. I say you and your nifty little arsonist magic should burn it to the ground. Sigils will spiral, I'll push him over the edge, you finish him off."

     "How will you "push him over the edge"? Not doubting, just curious."

     Loaf flipped the top hat over and snapped it with his wrist. The fabric twisted into an all-too-familiar gold monocle. "Let's just say he's going to get a visit from an old friend."

     Henwy glanced from him to the monocle back to him. "You're sinister."

     Loaf shot him a flat look.

     "I didn't say I was against it. Sigils tried to kill me more than anyone else. I say shove him over the edge. But first," he muttered while allowing magic to spark from his fingertips. "I've got some sorcery to learn."

     As Loaf started to teach him the ins and outs of pyrokinesis despite knowing very little on the subject, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. Finally, he could rid himself of those sorcerers, where before he lacked the power to do so. As long as the neutral parties were preoccupied with a time machine he was ultimately going to sabotage and Frost, Florian, Rafessor, Sigils, Jerome, and Lookumz stayed unaware of their plots, nothing would stand in their way.

     Their enemies would know just how much of a mistake it was to mess with them. They had sparked the flames of war. Now they would watch the world burn.