When Zolyra called for Wingcraft in its entirety to her office, Daniel's first assumption was that she had another emergency hunt for them. It wasn't a stretch considering Silora was almost constantly screening their surroundings for monsters, and any suspected elite was hunted on sight.

Few had been spotted since he'd come back from the second ruins run, though Raven's Call had put to rest what had formerly been a level 3 Arcanist the day after Alex had taken her first flight. Evalyn had randomly seen Esket in town and had mentioned how haunted the avianoid had looked. Willow's face had turned a similar way when she'd heard the news, but for once the Spirit Master didn't regret missing a hunt. They knew the elites held nothing she could save.

It was not a hunt waiting for them this time. Daniel could tell by the way Zolyra's room warding was visible, which he'd taken as a sign she had either heightened the feature responsible for it or poured more mana into the ability, depending on what exactly it was. Both he and his Encyclopedia didn't know the specifics.

"Khiat," the Commander began, addressing the dusker who had to crouch in addition to shrinking her height to comfortably fit into the room. "I have good news regarding your family."

"They're coming!? When?" It was still hard for Daniel to read Khiat's face, but there was no mistaking the joy in her voice. And the trepidation. "How? Only my Dad has travel armor."

Zolyra's eyes traveled across the room, lingering the longest on Hunter. She was still wary of him, and Spinner when it came to it. Without the aegis of Daniel's reputation the scrutiny may have manifested as more than these brief moments of consideration. "Officially, a refugee group has broken free of the Tyrant's influence. They're making their way here seeking sanctuary. As we're closer to the border than Aurus, my- the Fate here was the first to notice them, and you have a personal involvement, we're sending you to escort them."

Evalyn's expression hardened. "You are not involving Khiat's family in whatever this is."

"This isn't my decision." Zolyra sighed, and with a wave of her hand runes covering the desk floated into the air to forestall the team's concern. Daniel had seen many ways powers could display maps, including his own, but this distinguished itself in multiple ways. For one, the different runes were still visible as they meshed together with others to form what could be considered a hologram.

Parts of it also moved. In the monochromatic projection, two groups were approaching the border of Aughal and Threst. The first had a flag marked as 'refugees', while the second was 'advance force'. From the looks of it, the forward group was still a few days out from the massive land bridge that projected from Aurus to the border.

"Is this live?" Daniel asked.

"Yes and no. Silora received a report one hour ago on their positions and I've extrapolated from there." More runes joined the image as the course each flag would take was laid out. While Khiat's family would reach the bridge, it seemed the second would head directly to Pinion's Point and avoid any major land routes.

Only Evalyn and Daniel had been present for the briefing on Ashier's plan and had kept the secret, leaving the rest to slowly figure out what was happening. "Uh, should… should we be seeing this?" Shuni asked nervously.

"You're vouched for. If I couldn't trust you with this much, I couldn't send you to escort them." Shuni's eyes flicked to Daniel and he found relief and gratitude there. "Put simply, you're drawing attention away from reinforcements being sent to help resolve the current crisis here. Even if Soraso's fates can't spy on Daniel he has a vested interest in tracking him. Make a move and he'll do what he can to capture you."

"So, we're not just using Khiat's family as bait, but me?" Daniel asked skeptically. He'd been kidnapped far more than he'd like and was not about to let Soraso join that list. The area around Pinion's Point was safe enough as encroachment onto it would give Zolyra every reason to retaliate. A civil war did not paint the image of a functioning region the Regent was trying to maintain. "Stopping Soraso is important, but I'm not putting them at risk. You have to know how vulnerable duskers are during the day."

"I do." The Commander pinched the bridge of her about as a bit of the pink flame flared out in a snort of aggravation. Daniel still didn't know what it did, only that he didn't want to be hit by it. "Tyrants are rarely open to the input of others when their minds are set. Ashier is coordinating their forces alongside this distraction, and every time they leave themselves open for Silora to contact them it's a chance for Aurus to as well. Combined with the fact that our Fate lost her spine on the way here and negotiating alternate strategies isn't feasible. I've been told a disguised hunting team is accompanying the people they sent through. If you are attacked you'll have backup. And…"

Slowly, Zolyra removed a scroll laced with blue metal from her armor. Instead of showing off by inscribing it while talking like she normally did, this one was already prepared. "Teleportation, good for three people and sends you anywhere in the region. Works like your pathfinder, you can only go where you've been before. I need to qualify that I cannot keep using these frivolously. These are not easy to make, and each one burnt is a potential weapon lost should I have to face Zozar."

Daniel was reminded of her concerns about the gestalt's level by her grim tone and nodded as he tentatively accepted it. "Thanks."

Evalyn was still reluctant. "This is going to take us out for at least a week, more if we only travel at night with Khiat's parents. That's a long time to spend exposed to monsters and Soraso, and if you haven't noticed, there are more than three of us."

"I send anyone else and it ruins the feint," Zolyra countered. "As it is you'd be fine taking any of the level 4s in your compound, but that would leave Pinion's Point all the more vulnerable."

"And not just the town." Daniel held the scroll in his hands, feeling the magical current running through it. It was strong, but at least one of Zolyra's powers allowed him to both hold and use a scroll that was far above his level. Spell aside, the cost of the lapis woven into it was exorbitant.

Evalyn's attention was drawn to the dusker in the room, something tripping her empathic senses. "Don't worry Khiat, we'll make sure your parents get here safe and that there's a home waiting for them."

"Yeah," Daniel confirmed with a thumbs up. "Besides, even if it'll just be Wingcraft, that doesn't mean other people won't be helping us on the way."

…

The dagger came for Daniel's head point first, aimed for the spot behind his right ear. While he sensed it coming, it took him too long to grab it before the tip broke skin. Grunting in pain, he barely managed to hold on to the enchantment he had actively running while flipping the dagger in his hand and throwing it back. "Ow."

"Hey, you asked for it," Shuni called back as she flew around the mobile platform flying through Threst's air plains.

"It's not your fault, he is just whiny." Hunter offered Daniel a toothy smile before dipping under his line of sight, red-tinged wyvern wings stretched out along his back. For a brief moment Daniel fought with the impulse to revert Beast Mode again to spite him. It was just an intrusive thought, one that was making him regret pulling that card earlier. Cheating around the limits of Blood Union in that way was not something he should be proud of.

"You're good Shuni, thanks again." The Rogue smirked and nodded before diving below herself. Daniel rubbed at the injury, which had smarted, as it fully healed. Both Resorative Craft and Regeneration were active giving him a ridiculous healing speed. Not quite to the degree of what he and Tak could do while in full monster form, but respectable. Then his hands went behind him as the wyvern bone became ready for him to pull off another bullet part.

The entire thing was an exercise in training both his enchanting prowess and general awareness. As Khare had done before, Shuni was attacking him at odd angles while he used the new technique he'd found to allow for enchanting outside of his direct vision. He'd put this together both to use their time spent traveling to Threst's border well, and get more quality time with the person that was definitely not his girlfriend, but may not always be.

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It was still complicated, to put it more coherently.

As for what he was sitting on? Padri had been very generous. His take on the Bekali Hauler, the large wooden platform with a modular core on each corner, had been lent to them for this journey. In the couple of days since he'd received the first sending stone Padri had digested a few more, allowing them a handful of those modules alongside the pathfinders and weapons he'd put together. The Engineer had started trying to fashion universal ports into the cores to allow for ease in swapping them out, and while it didn't work for everything, it was a good start.

Right now the platform was open, allowing people to take a break on it if needed. When they met up with Khiat's parents Daniel would nail a few of his wolf fur walls along the sides and across the top to create an extra layer between them and the sun while he fixed up proper travel armor for both of them. It wouldn't be able to hold the rough dozen said to be in that group, but Daniel had enough spare flight gear after redoing sets with wyvern scales.

Already the Engineer's work was proving superior to his ancestors. They could do similar things with a hauler, but someone would constantly need to control it at the station in the center. It wouldn't be armed, and it couldn't make it back to Pinion's Point alone in the worst case that the team had to fend off something big while letting Khiat's family escape. All it needed was a more aesthetic design, a cool name, and a quirky onboard AI to seal the deal.

I wonder if Padri can break down computers, Daniel randomly thought as he began enchanting more bullets while keeping an awareness of his surroundings. Bullet Math had gotten a lot kinder now that he could actually enchant at all times, though splitting his attention this way increased the failure rate. With bullets, by far the product he made the most, the risk was negligible. Lograve's not giving up his stuff even if it is inactive. We'll have to see if we can get any from Eido once the portal's open again.

Soraso was standing in the way of that, as well as having control over the Arcadian. With drones, enchantments, and dominated monsters, it should be doable to cleanse the entire ship as those didn't count toward how powerful the projections were. The elites posed an issue, and Daniel really hoped Soraso wasn't flooding the place with them, but there'd been no reports of anyone over level 3 being taken. His team could handle the corrupted rifts, a squad led by Murdon the elites, and in no time he'd have a starship and/or a way to get to the other gods. Honestly if there was a way he could just skip this kingdom's problems…

Daniel shook himself out of that line of thought. I'm thinking like them. Sacrifice a couple dozen regions for bringing the gods back? It sounded like an easy trade when you ignored the mortal cost. He'd accused Cloak of being detached from that several times, and yet here he was a month later slipping into that logic. If he'd survived a few Collapses with people like Hammer, would he eventually stop catching hims-

Another dagger at the small of his back. Shuni had made most of her attacks from behind, befitting of a Rogue. He had no power that would give him a field of perception per se, but the natural improvements to his senses made a difference. Daniel's instincts, boosted by his experience with Beast Mode and tempered by combat, were likewise giving him improved attention to his surroundings regardless of how distracted he was.

Daniel caught the dagger before he was injured this time, and it was the encouragement he needed. It was a good sign that he was seeing improvement regardless of Hunter's Keen Senses as it meant he wasn't just increasing the acuity of his senses.

So, is my 'wisdom effectiveness' increasing or is this something the Octyrrum doesn't track? For that matter, was his work with enchanting doing anything for intelligence? At a certain point, I have to stop thinking about it like that, Daniel decided. It's not about the numbers, it's what I can do. They're helpful, but if I rely on a score to judge myself I'm sacrificing introspection.

Not for the first time, it occurred to Daniel how sabotaged he'd been from the outset. An Encyclopedia to stop him from delving past the obvious with his powers, instant advancement to cut him off from his seventh sense and the normal process, and were it not for Hunter, the sleeping soul of Rorshawd to protect him if he got into danger. A lot of it was his own fault, but not all of it.

Hourglass must have wanted me weak. Give me a primary class that doesn't normally fight, and a hidden one that would keep me alive. The Illustrious were there to save me worst case. Who knows what kind of deal he has with them, but they killed Grave together so that connection goes deep. Then I run into his followers who say, 'hey, don't you want to go home? Come with us. Don't mind the fact that we're all evil.' Two daggers came at the same time, somehow from the front and behind. Shuni must have done one of her teleports in between throwing them. The Rogue wasn't using many of her stealth powers, he'd have to be fully focused to have a chance at catching them then, and Daniel was pleased to find that he caught both without losing either his train of thought or enchantment.

The biggest question was how that was meant to go down, and what the rest of Hourglass' plan is. Rikoor mentioned I was supposed to go to Threst first, and Lograve told me Murdon would've gone Tyrant after he died to the lightning dragon. While Daniel could definitely see the effects Lograve's survival had had on him, it was difficult to play out what would have happened if Chris hadn't saved him. Hourglass wants me in the hub no matter what, and it's a safe bet his church has an APB on me. It's a good thing Aughal only had one Cleric of his or I might have been kidnapped a third time there.

There was one person, aside from the god himself, who professed he had the knowledge Daniel was seeking. Add talking to that bastard as another reason I'm itching to go back to the Arcadian. If Chris doesn't answer us, I will shoot him this time.

…

Two days passed as Wingcraft made their way to the border. Between the seven of them they had enough people for night watch, and there was no need for guidance since the construct was already on the correct course.

Everyone else alternated between flying around and resting on the second day. Daniel undoubtedly had the best use of downtime, but that didn't mean everyone else sat around bored. Tak and Hunter peeled off to kill any monsters on their path that didn't require the whole team, and both he and the Totem Warrior traded off on Attune to Nature duty to make sure they weren't headed for larger threats. Shuni helped with his stealth training, chatted, and enjoyed the hand warmers he'd made.

It was easy to forget with his endurance, Fortitude, and various self-healing measures, but it was winter in a fairly windy region. Shuni had feathers and armor to block out cold, to say nothing of her own attributes, but avianoids were lighter on average. To that end the team had circlets of cooling with the fire affix, turning them into space heaters.

Daniel also had one copy made with the lightning affix back at the compound, but didn't keep it with him in a bag of holding as he'd to yet find a good use for what was essentially a Tesla coil. The formulae wasn't intended for combat and did dramatically less damage than another item on its level, meaning there was little use for it in combat.

Now, as a stage effect it had potential. Should Evalyn decide to form a band with the guitar she was currently strumming he'd bring it up. That left Khiat, who was able to sleep through Evalyn's song thanks to the necklace enchanted with muffle sound she wore. Rather than take up half of the upper platform, they'd pieced together a large hammock for her that had been extraordinarily comfortable when Daniel had tried it.

"It's like an RV," Daniel observed with a little humor as he thought about it more. "We should see if Padri can add a canopy to this thing."

"I thought you were going to do that." Shuni appeared beside him without any sign of her approaching. He would've jumped if he wasn't completely used to that by now.

"True! And that doesn't add to the mass limit." Another quirk of the cores. A physical connection didn't always 'attach' something to them, with the downside being that they didn't benefit from other effects active on the construct if bridged nonmagically. It was still a promising interaction for the mech if Tlara could get that to perform appropriately. At least the divot in their courtyard had been a good way to break ground on the dwelling for Khiat's family.

Evalyn took a hand off her strings and ran a finger along the wood. "Hard to believe a class this versatile was restricted. He's practically an Artificer."

"Only because of this guy here." Shuni rubbed Daniel's shoulder, drawing a light smile from the Bard. "Having a hard time wrapping my head around it too. We're only, what, two months from when it all got unlocked? Chefs, Farmers, Engineers. It's going to be a completely different world a year from now."

"One way or the other." Automatically, Daniel reached behind himself to manipulate the bone as the enchantment entered the second phase. He'd completely forgotten about Shuni and ended up elbowing her, the Rogue lightly squawking from his sneak attack. "Sorry!"

For the first time in a while, Daniel failed to enchant a bullet piece. Dust trailed behind him as part of the bone disintegrated. "Ah, damn it. My bad, should've dodged."

"No, it was my… what?" Daniel and Shuni's attention turned to Sigron, who'd exhaled a laugh and was now looking away after realizing it was louder than he'd intended. The Knight was normally a vigilant, silent presence.

Sigron shielded his mouth with his metallic hand, cheeks reddening from what appeared to be embarrassment. "You-" He took a few breaths, trying to work through a mental block strong enough to be considered a persistent magical effect. "Cute."

Daniel would have died if Hunter had been within earshot. Fortunately he was out with Tak chasing down promising kills, otherwise all the hell he'd given the ringcat for Khiat's opinions of him would've just been reflected right back.

He then turned with horror as he realized Evalyn had witnessed everything. The feeling only intensified as her smile coincided with Hunter reaching out to him mentally, but the ringcat wasn't calling to tease him. We, uh, may need help.

Daniel's exaggerated look of dismay hardened. "Evalyn, wake up Khiat. I'll tell the platform to follow her. Get ready for a fight."

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