Cold winds and clear skies.

The mountains surrounding the city were far from a safe place. The dangers of the wild were a major threat to unprepared Humans. The frigid air, the hostile wildlife, the risk of malevolent Spirits and magical phenomena. As much as it was a risk to them, we did not face that same level of danger.

With powerful fingers, I continued to scale the mountain. The cold and wind nipped at my bare arms, but I felt little discomfort. I was simply relieved to see the sky again. It was a strange feeling, one that seemed alien to my conscious mind. I'd always been able to see the sky, but in this time and place, it felt special.

We were surrounded by mist and fog this high up, but even that couldn't blot out the muted sunlight hiding just behind it.

A chunk of stone ripped free from the steep slope, cracking and crumbling as it fell from my reaching hand, breaking itself against the rest of the mountain as gravity ran its course. The action jarred me from my momentary lapse in concentration, yet thrust me into another introspective moment.

I flexed my fingers, watching the rough, grey skin coil with the action. I felt... strangely sentimental, looking at my own hand. Was it because of how far I'd come? How much I'd been able to accomplish using the hands trained diligently over the course of my life?

I wasn't sure. It was a strange thought, but one I worked to dismiss. I reached down, clutching the metal handle of the hunting knife resting snugly in the sheath at my waist. Even the feeling of cold metal brought me comfort despite the chill of the steel's touch. Strange.

This was not a trek for the weak of heart. Scander was a harsh land, one that made survival a true challenge, even for us. Scaling the snowy mountains surrounding Divastyr was no different. Despite the danger, my heart was at ease. This was 'home territory', in a sense. Familiar. My family had passed through these mountains on our way to the city. We'd forsaken the use of the roads as a way of training. Father believed it was best for us to gain Experience before stepping into another community's walls. He worried it would make us soft. Now, years after our first trek up this same mountain, I was thankful for his decision.

Scander wasn't an easy place to live in, but that was what made it a strong place to live. A rewarding place. A challenging one.

"Come, brother!" I shouted down the cliff face. If not for how close the boy was to me, I feared my voice would be lost in the whipping wind. "Do not delay! We are close!"

The wind roared in protest, causing the glass bottles within the pouch hanging at my waist to jangle noisily, as if shivering from the cold. I had decided to bring a number of extra Healing Potions, vials of glowing red liquid that were weaker than the usual variety I purchased. I didn't wish to bring any that my brother's body and Soul would be unable to handle. Extra insurance for his safety.

"I'm right... r-right behind you!" came a voice from below. I nodded without looking, continuing the climb.

The roaring wind suddenly changed its tone, sounding more like a whisper. I felt the skin of my face stretching into a smile at the thought. It was one that reminded me of simpler times.

My father had always warned me to heed the wind. It carried with it the telltale scents of monsters, or the sounds of battle. He had said that if the wind whispered promises or beckoned me, I was to ignore them and take shelter. I had heard of the dangers that creatures like the sly Frossaloths could bring, and I would not expose my brother to their calls.

This was his first day of training beyond the city's walls. I would ensure it was a fruitful one.

My fingers transitioned from the steep, unforgiving face to a ledge, one that promised rest. With renewed vigor, my arms worked to pull me up into the mouth of a cave. Our cave. Shelter.

Kicking some pebbles from their spot on the mountain, I turned my body around, sitting on the ledge while I waited. My jangling bag sat next to me, finally going quiet and still. I looked out at the world around me, snowy cliffs and low hanging clouds. In the distance, I saw it. Dark walls and a bright city. Home.

Another grey hand poked up over the side of the mountain. With heavy breaths, my brother gripped the stone, pulling himself up off the steep mountain and into relative safety. In a manner that was far from dignified, he lay on his stomach, pressing one cheek against the rocky floor as he gasped for air. This was his first climb. I had been more prepared than he was when first making this trek.

"Oof! W-we made... we made it..." he huffed, lifting himself off the ground with trembling arms. The action made my heart sink. A reflex, perhaps, although not one I knew the nature of.

He scooched forward, sitting next to me at the ledge, unable to resist looking straight down. If he moved inches forward, he would slip, fall, and never be seen again. It was a harrowing thought, and one he surely shared.

"A frightening view, is it not?" I asked with a smile, looking back towards the silhouette of that beautiful city in the distance.

"Y-yes... but... It's nice, I think," my brother responded, an uneasy smile forming on his own face as his eyes were once again dragged towards the fatal drop right in front of us.

"Take it all in, brother. We have all come a long way, but there is still long for us to go."

My brother frowned, his head turning towards me. I saw hair whip into my vision. I had shaved my own long ago, but his had been allowed to run free, unruly and short. I squinted, turning to look at him in full. Another stray thought. Part of me believed his hair should not have looked like that. The puffy jacket he wore to stave off the worst of the elements looked familiar, too. Perhaps I'd seen it through a store window.

"'All' come a long way...? Do you mean from the tribe?" he asked, breaking the momentary spell.

"Yes..." I responded hesitantly, turning to lean against the cave wall. "That too."

"I... I want to see where we came from. Where father and mother came from. Our old home," he spoke with a bright enthusiasm in his voice, a tone that brought about a strange feeling of nostalgia.

"I will take you there one day, when you are ready. But... we have all changed, since leaving the tribe," I told him, my eyes still on the horizon. "This journey has... challenged and changed us in ways we could never have expected, but... we are better for it. We have learned in ways that life with the tribe was not equipped to teach us."

My brother mimicked my movements, leaning back against the cave wall opposite mine.

"What do you mean? Changed how?"

A silent sigh of contentment escaped past my lips, my eyes turning to leave the city behind. Pulling the legs swung out over the ledge back into the cave, I rose to my feet, beckoning with an arm for my brother to do the same.

"I will tell you another day, if you have not figured it out by then. Come, brother, let us not waste any more time."

My brother nodded, rising to his feet. He stepped over stone, retrieving the pickaxe he'd left behind from the ground. He had dropped it after climbing onto the ledge, but now fastened it at his back.

At his waist hung his weapon, an... oddly straight sword in its sheath. Was it different from the one he... usually carried? No. He did not usually carry a blade. This was his first proper outing, and the only weapon he'd been swinging had been blades for practice.

I shook my head free of the strange feelings and thoughts worming their way into my mind. Even if I had grown in other ways, perhaps life in the city had softened my senses. I was letting the thin air of the mountains get to me.

With a nod, I made my way into the cave, my brother not far behind me. I was proud of him. This was our first outing, and I was uncertain if he had the potential to handle the climb. He wished to visit our tribe, as I would have expected, and this mountain served as an adequate first step towards that goal. We'd used this cave as a camp on our way to the city. We had walked far from home, and the sight of that city through the mist had been... breathtaking.

Further within, we would-

I stopped moving, going still as I pressed myself against the wall. My brother was briefly stunned into immobility before doing the same. He winced as the sheath of his blade audibly smacked against the cave wall.

"Did... is there something wrong, brother...?" he asked, his voice a worried murmur.

"I smell blood," I told him. "Something else has been living here. Follow me quietly."

My hands reached up, gripping the handle of my spear. Pulling it free from the straps on my back, I held the point forward, slowly advancing. I had intended to use this cave as the base for further training, but my brother may end up gaining true combat experience during his first lesson.

The scent in the air was unmistakably blood. I lit a torch as we turned the corner, moving away from the muted midday sun, whipping winds, and the vision of our home.

I saw it now, splotches of dark red and crusted brown staining the cave walls. Unless the beast that fought had been a giant, there was far too much for a single creature. My eyes darted from side to side, checking for the shadows of lurking creatures against the walls. I stepped forward, slowly kneeling down to get a better inhale of the blood. Direwolves?

My brother hung close to the wall, staying around the corner until I gave him a signal. I went from puddle to puddle, yet received more questions than answers. Direwolves. Goats. Dahu. If there was blood of a single creature, this would be simpler. Direwolves did not often travel so high into the mountains for long, and have avoided making dens here. Goats and Dahu were prey for the beasts of the mountains, yet why was there Direwolf blood? Infighting?

On the ground, the flickering flames of my torch caught the glint of an abnormally long, sharp tooth. Picking it up, I found that the shape was unmistakable. Sabertooth Tiger. Had there been a fight between creatures seeking this land as territory?

"B-brother... Can I come forward? I... I don't like this cave. It feels like... like we're being watched," my brother whimpered.

I rose to my feet, gingerly stepping backwards with the tooth in hand. Stuffing it into my pocket, I turned to look back at my brother.

"I noticed it too," I responded, my voice equally quiet as my eyes flared with grey light. "I will scout with [Insight]. Keep some distance from me, brother. Understand?"

He nodded. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

My boots took me further into the belly of the mountain. The world was blanketed in a thin, silvery mist of Aera. The mist coiled and twisted faintly, moving with a purpose and pressure that suggested it was being controlled. It was Active Aera, not Ambient. Keeping my spear in hand, I pressed onward, eyes inspecting every corner and turn as we progressed.

There were no Warshrouds hiding from the ceiling. Even when camouflaged as stalactites, they could not hide their Souls. There was no trace of Spirits hiding in the walls, either. The silver was a mist, not a trail. Wyverns would have hunted and attacked closer to the entrance of the cave, and not fought so far within.

A tribe of Yetis? That would be an undesirable situation, but it would explain the lack of corpses in the cave. Facing them would be difficult, but we could retreat if-

No...? No. No. No.

No. I was worrying too much. Battles have taken place in this cave, but there were no signs of creatures living here now. My body relaxed, footsteps becoming less guarded. This was our cave. The one we had first seen the city with. The cave I sat in while my mother told stories around a fire, the same cave where we ate a massive Dahu our father had caught along the slopes for us.

This place was not a danger.

"B-brother?" he called out. "Are you alright? You seem diff-"

The sound of metal smacking against the floor was lost on me. The torch was soon to follow the spear that fell from my grip. Neither were needed anymore. We were safe.

I'd turned the corner without thinking, arriving in a circular cave room. The ceiling was high and pointed, a hole open near the peak, allowing the midday light to spill down into the center of the room like a moonbeam. As taken as I was by the sight, it paled in comparison to what lay in the center of the chamber.

To call it a 'Wolf' would have been reductive. Disrespectful, even. It was a massive beast, one that stood equal to or greater than even a Direwolf. The light shining on its radiant white fur made it stand out against the rest of the dull rock and jagged cave surrounding it. Three tails swayed gently in the air behind it, a mesmerising sight that my eyes couldn't bear to look away from. When the creature opened its eyes, I saw the flash of intelligence. Its twin eyes were like a pair of carved sapphires. The creature's otherworldly beauty was too much. Its eyes were as locked on mine as mine were on it.

I saw the glint of its claws resting against the rock. I would not need my blade here. If danger appeared, the creature could handle the coming battle. We could rest in this cave, sharing the creature's company. With every step I took closer to the beautiful beast, I felt a soft warmth settle over me. It was a loving embrace, one I accepted even as pointless words were shouted into the empty air behind me.

I had known the creature wasn't here to threaten us. That feeling intensified as I lay at its side, feeling no discomfort from the jagged rocks beneath my back. I stared straight upwards at the ceiling, eyes drawn to the bright hole high above, the light shining down directly on me, on us, and into my eyes. Lying here brought that same, strange feeling of nostalgia to my mind.

Lying here, next to this creature that promised safety and radiated both beauty and power, I had never felt more safe.

I closed my eyes, feeling a sense of calm and fulfillment wash everything else away. The trip. The city. The tribe. All of the worries I'd been feeling and the hopes I'd been harboring melted into a blurry, indistinct puddle.

A howl pierced the air, and that peace within me broke like shattered glass. My eyes snapped to the crea- to the monster. The blood streaming down the side of its head caused my heart to sink. Perfect, pristine white fur marred by crimson. That dissonance in my heart allowed my mind to think clearly and understand the situation.

For a Goliath like my brother, untrained and inexperienced as he was, throwing a heavy rock like he did was a simple task. Even if the feelings within me had become a mangled, blurry mess in the moments following the break of the monster's powers, I leapt into action.

My spear was by the cave entrance, so instead my fingers clenched tightly around the hilt of my hunting knife. As sluggish as my body felt from the effects of the beast's power, I leapt upwards, swinging the blade free as it glinted in the light, stabbing it deep into the monster's neck. The beast thrashed and howled, opening deep gashes in my skin with each swipe. Blood stained the rest of the room, colouring the deep collection of bones my addled mind had skimmed over moments ago.

Without even needing to look, the monster ducked its head to avoid the second small boulder my brother had thrown. It had Skills, too.

The monster's eyes flared with rage, howling once again as it turned towards my brother. The boy's grey face turned white with fear, and I took that moment to make my desperate move. We didn't have much time before the creature was composed enough to alter our minds.

I lifted one leg off the stone floor, allowing my magic to course through it. I cast my mind back to the first time I'd experienced an earthquake. The fear and worry that it had shot through me. The hope and stunned silence I'd felt after it had passed. My leg began to tremble, vibrating not with fear, but with power. I slammed it against the ground, sending the force through the earth. The bones all around us rattled, creating a deafening chorus of the dead. The walls crumbled and cracked as the wave ran its course, travelling back towards me.

The rebounded force travelled back up my leg and into my clenched fist. I swung my arm, striking the back of the blade's hilt my other hand was holding steady. The force rippled through the beast, cracking bone as I dragged the blade further, chopping around its neck in a wide arc as blood gushed onto me, drenching my arms and legs.

My brother ran towards me, hopping over piles of bones within the unstable, rattling cave. The beast turned its head back towards him, eyes beginning to glow. It opened its maw, and my brother's eyes turned dull. With a glassy sheen trapping his eyes, he ran, his legs pushing the piles aside as he moved head first towards the creature's mouth, making no move to protect himself.

My eyes widened, and once more I stamped the floor. Ripples travelled through the earth. The ceiling began to crack and crumble. Snow from the world outside cascaded in the room, blanketing stone and bone. I struck the knife again, gaining the force to finish the job, driving the blade deeper into the creature. My hand still gripped the handle, yet my hand was half buried in the creature's skin. It continued its death throes, thrashing angrily as it swiped at the open air. It didn't have much longer.

The blade was stuck, but I had the strength to wriggle and rip it free. I gasped for air, eyes darting around. My brother's eyes were still muddled by fake, pleasant calm and apathy. I ran forward, grabbing his arm.

"Wake up!" I roared, fearing my voice couldn't be heard over the sound of the crumbling walls. Bone and stone cracked and broke around me as the campsite we'd come to train at was being torn away from us.

My brother's movement was stunted, but I dragged him along. I ran for the mouth of the room, yet my brother's head was still turned towards the twitching, dying monster.

Suddenly, the room was cast into darkness. The hole in the ceiling had not been filled, yet the room was swiftly collapsing in on itself. Dread and worry gripped my chest, and I found it hard to breathe. Harder than even the usual thin air of the tall Scandian mountains allowed for. I dragged my brother along, but he was still stunned and dismayed, crying at the sight of the beast.

I pulled him forwards, yet his feet caught on the bones of the dead. The walls collapsed, and I jumped, putting all my force behind the motion as I dragged him along.

Once again, I felt the fear of the earthquake that had coloured my magic, and none of the hope that followed.

Splat. Crunch.

I crashed hard against the stone wall, crying out as jagged rocks jabbed into my body. Bruises were already forming on my arm, yet I felt no pain from them. I felt nothing.

My breaths came hard and heavy.

Blood soaked into the soles of my boots.

The arm of my brother that was still clenched tightly within my grip had grown lighter.

[Cognitomancer - Level 7 → 10]

[Active Racial Skill obtained - Thought Acceleration]

[Tinkerer - Level 14 → 15]

[Active Class Spell obtained - Blast of Air]

[Passive Racial Skill obtained - Cold Resistance II]

[Luster Technique obtained - Sheen]

____________________________________________________________________

The echoes of the dream still haunted me, even hours after waking up.

The feelings of helplessness and dread. The adrenaline and fear that haunted the final moments. It was... different to the other dreams I'd experienced. Another disjointed memory of sorts, where the individual in the dream was both me and not. Disorienting, but something I could see clearly for what it was after the fact.

I'd wanted to distract myself, and so here I was, reading a newspaper.

I didn't know how, but when I woke up, I was back in our room. We'd beaten the Big Tooth Casters who'd come to fight us, even if the battle had left Streiphen and I wounded. Maybe Sigura had carried us back, or maybe she'd blown our cover and called the Don for help. I didn't know, and that lack of knowledge was... difficult.

Part of me wanted to get to my feet and leave this room, to seek out answers, but... a larger part of me knew I couldn't do that. I was within my mech, sitting in the middle of the floor. In the bed to my left was Streiphen, asleep and bandaged up. I'd need to give Aquamarine my thanks when I saw her next. Even if he'd been heavily injured, he... didn't look as bad as he had when I'd fallen unconscious. When I looked at his sleeping face, the thought of leaving him here while he was recovering caused a pit to open in my stomach, one that swallowed all motivation to do anything but sit here, knowing I couldn't help him.

I would have liked to say I was giving into my emotions this one time, for Streiphen, but it wasn't just that.

I couldn't bring myself to move.

My form pulsed, throbbing with pain, and the strain in my Soul had caused tightness all throughout my body. At least with a physical injury I could rest it off, but with the Soul... Even using Skills felt taxing. Still, I hadn't wanted to let myself wallow in my own thoughts. If Streiphen woke and found me sulking, unable to control my emotions, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself.

That was what had led to me flicking through a newspaper laid in front of me, a small piece of narrow metal flicking the pages forward whenever I was finished reading.

The paper hadn't been here when I'd woken up. Toya had been the one to give it to me. He'd come back earlier, and was in a bit of a mood after seeing us. When I explained what happened, he gave me the paper he'd been carrying and went for another 'walk'. I couldn't even begin to understand what was up with him, but I couldn't let that get me down.

We won. Not only that, but we'd supposedly gained a better reputation for it. We needed to look at the upside to all this. I needed to focus on the positives. If I couldn't be happy about my victories, growth, and everything that came with it, what else did I have? I couldn't let Toya's problem, whatever it was, get me down. He'd get over it. Right now, I needed to focus on rest and recovery. Not just mine, but Streiphen's.

Part of me was glad Sigura wasn't here. If she knew about my pulsing headache and the strain I was experiencing with something as simple as Skill use, she would have confiscated the paper. As much as I needed 'rest', not focusing on anything hadn't ever helped me. I needed an objective, something that I could put my mind on to keep my focus sharp and stimulated. If I had something to read and process, I could push through the pain and let my body recover. Right now, this newspaper was sadly the best reading material I had.

I knew that I'd overexerted myself in the fight. I could recognise the feeling of Soulburn. The last time I'd had it, my body had been shedding scales. My skin had been left tingling, sensitive and sore for days. When that happened, I laid in bed and did nothing but read until it passed. If I didn't have my comics to help pass the time, I was certain I'd have gone insane, [Silent Heart] or otherwise. The tightness in my chest, and the tensing pain I felt when I reached for any Skill or Spell was... horrible. I needed a distraction.

Unlike my last time afflicted with Soulburn, I relied entirely on Skills, now. [Sensory Zone] to perceive the world around me. [Telekinesis] to turn the pages. It... wasn't as bad as trying to use magic, but my Soul groaned and complained with every movement of my awareness. Any change in my focus and the size of my bubble was enough to set off the pain. I wanted my read of the newspaper to last a while, so I chose not to use my [Speed Reading] Skill. I was in no rush.

That was all that had led me to this moment, sitting in the middle of a room I now called my own, reading a stupid newspaper as my body throbbed with pain.

The newspaper, 'Scandian Voice', provided a lot of information that was irrelevant. While some of the details I'd soaked up had been fascinating in their own right, most of it was gossip. Pointless and irritating.

Some of the news hadn't just been gossip. One page had written about a number of disappearances further south. Entire populations of villages went missing overnight. Murkwood. Cornerstone. Falldon. Rackston. All of them were reduced to empty shells, their inhabitants vanishing without a trace. I wondered if part of Toya's mood had come from seeing this page. All of these villages were in Pagonia, Toya's homeland. Now that the thought had struck, I prayed to whatever Gods were listening that he hadn't come from any of these places.

While the information was both frightening and intriguing, the tone with which the article was written was nothing but irritating and disrespectful. 'Scandian Voice' was an appropriate name for the paper, at least.

The article was far from an objective report of the situation.

[Merchants] were shocked to find that the mining town of Cornerstone was abandoned, scrubbed clean of its citizens. The bustling source of marble and high quality stone was left a shell of its former self. No traces of Active Aera, blood or even conflict were found at the scene, leaving [Investigators] baffled.

This marks the fourth town in the past three weeks to have been completely wiped out without any evidence. Locals are placing the blame on the 'Wraiths' that have been kidnapping people in the middle of the night. Despite this assumption, we suspect it to be an unrelated event.

As sad and horrifying as the event is, something like this was bound to happen. In a land that doesn't encourage conflict and growth with all its energy, the people of Pagonia were destined to face such a trial eventually, one that they were horribly unequipped to handle. The citizens were unprepared for magical phenomena and monsters beyond their control, and were buried beneath their negligence and-

The relationship between the Scander and Pagonia regions was clearer than I'd ever seen it, on these pages. The writers of the newspaper were using a tragedy to further their own beliefs and way of life while scorning that of their southern neighbours. As angry as it made me, I didn't feel worried about the damage. If the problem stayed in Pagonia, we wouldn't have anything to fear. Jack's Pass separated both regions, and unless whatever the threat was scaled colossal mountains easily, then we had nothing to worry about.

Even if their dismissive tone had angered me.

The section right next to that horrific article was a picture of a cutesy looking Half Elven woman with long pink hair, one dressed in the same puffy red and white outfit I'd seen on that toy of Scander's leader in the Nastrega Shopping Center the other day.

The column was by 'Caster Carol', who I presumed was the woman. As cutesy as the design looked, the advice and questions answered were very different to what I expected. It was an advice column for fighting monsters, one that apparently tackled something different every week. It spoke of a monster even I was familiar with, and featured a cutesy illustration of it. An abnormally long Otter-like creature with wide yellow eyes and a body stretching all around and up a tree, like a coiled Snake.

The monster, a 'Hidebehind', was one many adventuring teams, even beginners, were capable of handling. The monster wasn't strong, nor fast, but good at hiding behind trees as it stretched itself thin, hence the name. The article discussed the strategies of fighting it in groups to avoid it strangling a lone straggler, while bringing along a bottle of alcohol to disorient its sensitive sense of smell.

The descriptions of these strategies were graphic for a public newspaper, as was the following segment about how to skin and safely eat it. It detailed how the stretching skin and fur of the Hidebehind made for excellent leather and furred clothes, a great creature for adventurers to hunt for their own uniforms. Especially if they were Shapeshifters or had bodies that would rip ordinary clothing through magical use.

It tended to attack Humanoids when they were alone, but it was relatively harmless if one had a weapon and allies to attack it. It barely even qualified for being called a 'monster' in the first place.

Monster...

It was a loaded word.

Officially, governments used it as one of the ten categories for the Racial Classification system. A category used to describe non-sapient creatures that attacked sapient life on sight, or posed a threat to them. Lions, Raptors, Manticores, Direwolves, Mimics... The list went on.

Even if the official definition changed, people still used it in ways they shouldn't. In ways they always have. To describe creatures they perceived as abnormal and dangerous to themselves. The age of people using it as a blanket term for Beastfolk and more 'monster-like' Sapients had ended, but... it was still there, a label that ignorant or angry people like those of this city tried to slap onto anything they felt afraid of. One they'd tried to put on us.

There hadn't been many people calling us that, but the sentiment stuck. Even if only a few said it, everyone thought it. It... hurt. It wasn't even the correct definition anymore, but the meaning carried. It was enough to potentially damage our reputation, one we were supposed to build for the group that housed us.

Maybe... maybe there was a way for us to come across as less... less monster-like...? All of us Chimeras could benefit from my appearance looking less concerning, but... How could we change as a group? That Roden, Menere, was trying to make a difference. We couldn't rely on him and his group alone. How could we-

"Mmmpf... hmmmm...?"

The murmuring ripped me from the introspection I'd been trying in vain to shuck off. Streiphen shifted beneath the covers, rolling onto his side before wincing. Slowly, his eyes cracked open, looking at me.

"M-miss Yhuri...?" he whispered, his words slurred by the swollen purple lump on his cheek.

"[I'm here, Streiphen. We're fine, and we won. I'm glad you're alright,]" I told him, relief seeping into my tone.

Beneath his covers, I saw his hand feel around, patting the mattress as he turned his head, eyes opening a little more. Shock rippled through me as his face paled with worry. He sat up in his bed, groaning and wincing with the motions.

"[Lie down, Streiphen! You haven't recovered yet, and you need rest,]" I told him firmly.

"T-the weapon...?" he asked, looking towards the edge of the bed before casting his half-closed eyes around the room. "Where's my...?"

"[I have it in my compartment for safe keeping, Streiphen. There's no need to worry,]" I hurriedly informed the boy as he leaned forwards, about to look underneath the bed. If he tried and fell he'd only end up hurting himself.

Streiphen's body relaxed, and a misshapen smile spread over his face. The child nodded, falling back against the mattress, the pillow letting out a soft whumpf as his head landed back on it.

"A-are you okay... Miss Yhuri?" he asked, turning his head towards me to ask.

"[I'm fine, Streiphen. You should rest, conserve your energy so you can heal,]" I told him. I was experiencing a pulsing headache, strain in my Soul, and had a large portion of my metal worn away by rust. I wasn't 'fine', but that damage was all temporary. I would heal, like I always had. He wouldn't benefit from knowing.

At least I'd managed to protect my flesh and blood body. I didn't know much about its processes, so not having it injured was a relief.

Streiphen gave me another misshapen smile, nodding in affirmation.

"[Can I get you anything, Streiphen? Toya brought some water earlier if you want some.]"

Before he'd stormed off, he had ensured we were both fine. When I asked, he'd brought back a basin filled with water. He spilled it liberally over my form, using his own mass to soak up the bits that splashed out onto the floor and my mech. He'd left some of the extras in the basin, but I'd asked for a metal bucket instead, and he'd obliged. I could lift a bucket if I needed to, but a plastic basin was far beyond anything I could manage right now.

"O-okay..." Streiphen nodded.

Tensing my body for the wave of pain to come, I primed my [Telekinesis]. The bucket lifted into the air, wobbling slightly in my unsteady grip. After a few seconds of holding it in place, the shaking stopped, even if a few drops had spilled over the sides. I moved it to a metal tray carrying a wide glass, gingerly pouring it over the side.

Streiphen watched from his bed as I poured, his eyes locked onto the bucket. Once the glass was over half full, the tray rose, bringing the drink over to the injured child. He sat up in his bed, wincing from the action, and inspiration struck.

It wasn't the right time, but Sigura's comment from before had stuck with me. From within my open compartment came the metal hand. Streiphen gingerly took the glass from the tray as it drifted towards him. He sipped from the glass as he watched it approach, his eyes not holding even a speck of fear or apprehension. I was glad he couldn't tell how I felt about the situation with this 'poker face' I'd adopted.

He winced, leaning forward a little as I brought the hand forward, my movements painfully slow. With my thumb and index finger extended, I gingerly gripped the pillow he'd been lying on. Although my motions were glacially slow, I repositioned it, propping it up against the back of the bed without ripping or tearing it.

The action took far longer than it would have for Streiphen to do it himself, yet he didn't complain or say a thing. I was thankful for that.

"T-thank you, Miss Yhuri," Streiphen said, leaning back against the pillow once the hand pulled away. Instead of flying it back to the compartment, I left it curled up on the floor next to him.

The doors to our room opened up, revealing the battered yet ultimately healthy form of a grinning Half Nekari Chimera.

"You're both awake, huh?" Sigura said with a grin. One hand idly sat on her other arm, rubbing a long plaster covering a scab. I could tell from how she moved that it irritated her. Perhaps it itched.

"[Yes. Don't pick at the plasters, Sigura. Your injuries will only get worse,]" I told her, treating her to the same firmness I had with Streiphen.

Her grin contorted into a frown, as she looked down at her own arm.

"First thing you do when I come to check if you're okay is lecture me...? I'm not a kid, Yur, I... Yeah, fuck, fine," she murmured, pulling her hand away from the plaster as she crossed her arms.

"The pipsqueak's okay too, huh?" she said, her smile returning.

"Y-yhes Miss Shigura..." Streiphen responded with a smile of his own, a misshapen shadow of Sigura's own expression.

"Yeah..." Sigura murmured, her swaying tail drooping for a moment. "I knew you'd be okay anyway, y'know? You're one of us, and we don't break that easily. Give it some time, and you'll be back on your feet and kicking ass."

Streiphen smile became a little brighter after that. He nodded in agreement, yet winced in pain right after, reaching up with his free hand to rub at his bruised cheek.

"Anyway, I came to let you know the Don has some stuff to say. We're not having a meeting in this condition, obviously, but Screen will be passing on the message soon, so don't fall back asleep. I'm going back to the cafeteria, but do either of you need anything?"

"[I'm fine for now. Thank you, Sigura,]" I told her as Streiphen shook his head. I wondered if his stomach was fine enough for him to eat anyway. I was silently glad he hadn't asked for food. Still, my own body tensed with worry. If the Don had 'something to say', that would answer my earlier question. I hoped my mech wasn't betraying the worry I felt.

"Suit yourselves," Sigura responded with a shrug, ducking back out into the hallway. The doors began to close behind her, yet the distant words "You'll know where to find me!" slipped through the cracks before shutting entirely.

The silence Sigura left in her wake didn't last long.

The golden ring painted on the space above the double doors of our dorm began to glow, accompanied by a gentle 'ping' one that drew both Streiphen's eyes and my awareness upwards. The action made both of us wince in pain.

The ring emanated a golden screen hovering above the doorway, one that held the face of... well, Screen. The Machina [Receptionist] looked as serious as she had the last time we'd seen her like this, giving us the first mission we'd taken as a team. The woman's silver skin shone against the light, her golden eyes moving from my sitting mechanical form to that of Streiphen's, laying in bed.

"I'm glad to see you're both awake, Homebound and Stardust. I wish to inform you that the Don has learned of your fight against the Big Tooth casters. He's requested that I tell your team that you've done an excellent job, and a service to the Velvet Star. He will provide materials to reimburse Homebound for the damage done to her supplies during the battle."

Did that mean our cover hadn't been blown? That too was a relief. I doubted those at the workshop would mind if I took some of their spare metal, but the thought of asking them had sent Butterflies fluttering through me. It would have been horribly embarrassing.

"We'll be launching covert attacks on Big Tooth over the next few days to weaken public support and whatever confidence they have left in the group in preparation of an all out battle. The Don wishes to conduct a full frontal assault on the group, a territory war that will grant us control over Divastyr's Sova region once again."

Her eyes glanced back towards Streiphen, and I saw something in those golden globes soften.

"The Don has said both of you are to rest for a while, and he recommends you go on further public outings when your health permits, to show the public you're unafraid of Big Tooth, and to further spread the word of Team Equinox's existence."

The Machina on the screen bowed.

"Thank you for your continued support, Team Equinox. The Don will keep your contributions and successes in mind."

The edges of the screen condensed into a single point before breaking apart into golden sparkles that hovered in the air above us, before even those disappeared into nothing.

Streiphen, for one, looked delighted at the news. I was too. We'd won our fight, and we were getting the recognition we deserved for that victory. Our good work was being noticed.

"We did it!" Streiphen smiled, right before downing the rest of the water in one gulp. His arm twitched with the motion as he left the glass back down on the floor, and worry surged within me.

"Miss Yuri, will you help me up? We got noticed, and I really want to go train," he asked, looking directly at the front of my mech.

"[You can't, Streiphen. You're still injured. You used new magic during the fight, and with your physical condition being what it is, you could easily end up getting Soulburn.]"

The frown on his face told me he hadn't received the concern well. His cheek moved to stretch his jaw before speaking once again.

"But I've been doing good work! I want to train and get better, and I've earned it! If... if I'm in danger of getting hurt because I'm training, wouldn't that mean it's riskier? That I'd get more Experience? I really want this, Miss Yuri, please-!"

"[No,]" I told him, shutting him down firmly. His starry eyes dimmed, holding a feeling of betrayal in them that caused my form to tense up. I... I understood where he was coming from and how he felt, but it was because I understood that I couldn't let him go. I knew how slippery of a slope that was.

"[You need rest, Streiphen. If you train too hard and get more hurt, you'll end up even worse. If you're bedridden, you won't be able to perform public appearances. In the worst case scenario, you'll be too injured to fight when the time comes for the big battle. You don't want that to happen, do you?]"

The anger and disappointment in his eyes faded. His lips quivered, and those eyes turned away from me.

"But... but I really want to get stronger... I want to be useful like... like Miss Yuri and Miss Sigura..."

"[You have gotten stronger, Streiphen,]" I assured him. "[You're getting stronger every day, but rest is important for getting stronger, too. If you don't know when not to train or fight, you'll run yourself into the ground. The Don said to rest, too. He wouldn't like it either if you went against his orders, would he?]"

Streiphen looked down at his blankets, hands clenching.

"No..."

Not wanting the silence to drag or Streiphen's mood to spiral, I scoured my thoughts and the room for something to say. A topic I could use to take Streiphen's mind off of his recovery. In that sense, he was just like me.

Using a plate and my [Telekinesis], I pulled a bag from within my compartment. The plate wobbled, but I held it in place to ensure it was firm and secure before bringing it around my form and into Streiphen's line of sight. Within the bag was-

"Oh!" Streiphen's eyes lit up. "The Unicorn!"

He reached out for the plate as it gingerly flew over to his bed, allowing him to pull the toy out from the container, hugging it tightly to his form. He looked a lot better now. In that sense, he wasn't like me at all. He was easier to distract. Easier to please.

"Thank you for keeping it, Miss Yuri!" Streiphen smiled, cuddling with the toy as he lay back down against the mattress.

"[Of course, Streiphen,]" I said, my voice calmer. From seeing his reaction to the Unicorn, my mind found another topic to jump to. "[Did you enjoy your time on the Voxes with Sigura? What did you think of them?]"

Streiphen's smile became sheepish, and he looked away. The child repositioned the Unicorn to hide his expression behind it, even if my zone could see around it with ease.

"Umm... It was really cool, but... I didn't get to see much of it, I think. Miss Sigura spent a while trying to figure out how the 'keyboard' thing worked, so we were just pressing things to see what happened until... umm..."

Until she stormed out of the APS to defend me and loudly challenge the crowd.

"[That's a shame...]" I responded, feeling a sense of disappointment. I knew it was a childish and immature feeling to have, but part of me had been looking forward to hearing what he'd seen. "[You can always go another time if you like, Streiphen.]"

The Unicorn was pulled down away from his face as he brightened once again.

"That's okay! The Don is happy with us, isn't he? He said we did a good job! We can ask about that special Vox for you, like Miss Sigura said! We can see what it's like together!"

Ah. I'd... forgotten about that. Part of me wanted to protest and say we should wait, and that an artefact like that would be something big that may be too much to ask. That protest was smothered by the parts of me that couldn't bear to crush the boy's hopes, especially with that bright smile and look in his eyes.

"[You're right,]" I told him. "[I'll... ask him soon. We could get it set up here, Streiphen, for everyone to use. This room could use a little more brightening up. Fareel's mannequin is nice, but we could do so much more.]"

Streiphen giggled at that, a sound followed by a strained cough. His eyes turned from me to look around the room, even if most of his vision was obscured by my body.

"We can get some more nice stuff, but I like it already! It can only get better from here!"

Despite the liberal use of Skills throughout the conversation with Streiphen, my body relaxed at his easygoing words. The pulsing and throbbing felt a little less painful. A little easier to deal with.

"[I was... thinking about getting a bookcase. We don't have any books, of course, but... I did a lot of reading before...]"

Streiphen nodded understandingly.

"[I'd like to go to a bookstore, but I'd need to find one that can accommodate someone like me.]"

"Even if all the bookstores are small and stuffy, I can go in and buy the things you want, Miss Yuri!" Streiphen beamed.

"[Maybe,]" I responded, hearing a smile in my voice. "[But not yet. You have some recovering to do, first. I... should ask Gamechanger for something to read. He offered to lend me some reading material, anyway.]"

"I'd love to have some books to read with you, Miss Yuri!" Streiphen nodded excitedly. "I didn't read many fun books before I met you, but I want to see the things you like! If you like them, I'm sure they're great!"

Once again, I was glad that the exposed flesh of my form didn't 'blush'. Not in any way that was too noticeable, at least.

"[Did... you have any ideas for decorations, Streiphen?]" I asked, using the change in topic to mask the embarrassment in my voice.

The boy's starry eyes turned away, looking from me to the archway above our room's door.

"Yeah! But, um... it's a secret! I don't want anyone else to see it before I do it, okay?" he spoke, looking back towards me.

I didn't know what this 'secret' decoration was, or whether or not I could avoid looking at it before he set it up, but...

"[I'll do my best, Streiphen. You tell me when you're setting it up, and I'll give you the room for a while. I'll keep watch outside and make sure you have some privacy.]"

The child relaxed, clutching the Unicorn toy in his arms with a simple smile.

"You should find more things you like too, Miss Yuri. Maybe... more things that you had before we met? We should all contribute, because this is our team's room! We need to all bring and do stuff for it to make everything more like home!"

The word choice caught me, and I saw his eyes drift to a space just behind my mech.

"[Right... more like... home.]"

The words caught in my mind as my awareness shifted to the drawer behind me. Perched on top of it was a brown clay vase, one packed with dirt and a cluster of flowers with a colour akin to leaves in the shade.

The Gnome we'd met in the shopping center had been right. We'd been in a battle, a rough battle that had left us tired, injured, and weakened. Yet they had persevered, sitting within me throughout the entire fight, walking out of it unharmed. The Viridian Hats we'd bought were just as tenacious as the Gnome had said they were.

We won. The fight was over, and we'd come out on top. Life wasn't easy for us, but if we keep growing, things will get better. We were injured, but injuries would heal with time and effort. We'd pushed our organisation's goals forward, and created more goals as a team, silly and inconsequential as they were.

Step by step, we were all moving forward.