Preparation for their newest expedition would take days, especially considering the finer details of circumstances. Riyxia would have to be prepared to endure with her limited abilities, all while making the most of the support she had on hand.

“I can’t believe I let that comment go. I swear, I should have charged her for your services as leader.” “We both know you wouldn’t have done that.” “We’ve charged for less, honestly. I’m sure I…” “Really now, do you really believe you would have taken the opportunity to disclose a value of leadership services, then expressed a defined level of return, making clear and explicit promises in what they could expect from such leadership, all without my consent?” “I.. well.. no.. I guess not.” Sryine rapidly went quiet at that point, having no counter for Riyxia’s logic. Things had progressed rapidly since the ceremony, even still being the evening of that same day, but already there were a number of things very obvious. Foremost was that Riyxia was in no way a more forgiving leader than Ayzherie, having personally impressed her own unrelenting obligations for all of the hunters in preparation for her own expedition. In the new chain of command, Ayzherie was even still a significant figure of authority, letting her continue to deliver strict unforgiving training for all of the hunters to endure. However, this now placed Riyxia over Ayzherie, meaning that in turn Ayzherie was scheduled for some strict training regime first thing tomorrow, all designed to rapidly recover her basic field ability, to ensure she was ready for deployment when the time came. Riyxia was still not aware of the details of her particular gift, but related lessons would be certain to follow soon after. A good number of other hunter commanders would also be present for the expedition, but most of the hunters would be remaining behind, ensuring that any threat from the beasts were neutralized. Splitting their forces, Riyxia’s plan was to then ensure that everyone’s general proficiency was improved in compensation for the division.

Riyxia wasn’t the only one to suddenly have to work with such a level of responsibility. After her ceremony, the first thing she had done was to announce that her personal group was acting leaders of the hunters, putting both Sryine and Vwyx in their own place above the other hunters. Having heard the accounts from Dhyinze about Vwyx’s tactical prowess in the pedway incident, even Ayzherie had to admit that her ability to shift the definitions of battle so easily and completely was undeniably impressive. Sryine however was left to worry if her own position was even appropriate. Sure, she was great at making business decisions, but no one exactly holds business negotiations with beasts or the flame. She could deal with beasts just as well as Vwyx or Riyxia, but it wasn’t like she felt confident in her ability to organize circumstances to the benefit of other participants. Riyxia however had insisted she would be fine, remembering both illusionary broadcasts, the one during the park riot and the one during the traffic jam. Without recourse, Sryine decided that she would need to pick up her own training regarding her leadership capacity, to ensure she could be depended upon in a position of authority.

That was not the only significant area of personal training Sryine would be enduring either. Having completed all personal recounts of events missed by the other once the three girls were split into two different groups, Sryine and Vwyx were keenly interested in developing their individually discovered latest potentials. Sryine made plans to practice with her lightning acceleration, an option that alone gave her a lot of extra time in a day for getting other things done. Initially, she kept her gift usage absent from such practice, so that it wouldn’t have any undue effect on her stamina or her restfulness. However, she quickly learned that having time slowed down for her did have time slow down its effects on her as well, she was pretty clear that even having ten years of accelerated time over one year would only age her by one year, because that’s all the time her surroundings would have to influence her age. Eventually, she extended such lessons to include her form of accelerated travel as well, a feature that effectively appeared much like teleportation as she moved like lightning. The honestly most awkward part of this was that it actually felt sorta slow to her as a result, her perspective of time being shifted at the same time as a requirement for the process. Moving as lightning, now that was the most interesting part, as that allowed her to go anywhere in the process.. through the air or through the ground. She didn’t get to feel like she was lightning itself, she was still herself, but she was placed into a sphere that itself travelled as lightning.

Vwyx meanwhile had her own things to practice. If she was going to have such a level of responsibility over others, if Riyxia was going to make this trip without much ability to protect herself, Vwyx wanted to be able to count on her own ability to protect others. That was her foremost concern, but it wasn’t her only one, if she was expected to be resourceful in their expedition, she wanted to be ready to have any sort of resource prepared and on hand. She would thus not only need to have a supply of custom-made ammunition available for those who could make use of such a thing, but she also needed to be prepared to create new ammunition from nothing more than raw materials. Such field-crafted ammunition should be ready to range from classic rounds to instrumental designs of any function, with the expectation that time would not be on their side. Inarguably, the easiest thing she could produce was one of her own grenades, as other objects tended to have several design expectations in their crafting. She also put a lot of effort in trying to discover a way she could make this same thing work for Riyxia, but her body wasn’t very good at working with weapons directly, and even once her spectre was able to return to possessing weapons, it remained unable to operate anything reliant on being supplied the gift. There was also the issue of how it appeared to be painful to possess an object that was suddenly reshaped, which would be inevitable in most explosions.

Riyxia meanwhile felt seriously out of place, really wanting to practice her own abilities in preparation for an expedition entirely planned for her. Sure, there were quite a lot of benefits in investigating an astral vent, and plenty of answers such a trip could bring in matters related to the flame. The simple idea that the flame affects everyone made this even more important, alone being a pretty good reason for investigating a vent that seemed unstable the last time they were in the area. However, all of this importance simply instilled a disappointment that Riyxia would be almost completely useless in the initial portion of the trip, and then was the problem that she couldn’t properly prepare for such critical moments either. Talking matters over with Sryine and Vwyx, not only was her spectre out of commission at present, but she probably couldn’t endure an augmentation either. That then implied that the farthest outreach her gift was capable of was no farther than that of an ordinary person, the fundamental and basic application of her unaugmented gift. Basically no more than an ordinary person.. it was actually strange to feel she was left with such limitations, but it was accurate. Other than being aware of her surroundings even in her sleep, her abilities extended no farther than a normal person. Still, if she was left with nothing more than ‘normal’, she would practice to be the best with what was left to her, dedicating her practice in refining what few options she had still available.

Ayzherie however approached her with one powerful offer, an instrument that she herself had missed using during her own handicap. A Comset, which was basically a communication headset for those who didn’t like longer names. This complicated headgear did a bit more than provide a way to quickly and easily issue orders, it also provided easy access to field information in the thick of a critical situation. The Comset was reliant on the gift, much like any other instrument, which is why Ayzherie had been denied its usage in past scenarios, a fact which had also diminished its usage over the same period. Ayzherie had also gotten a simple upgrade for the Comsets, they were also now equipped to report on information related to the astral flame as well. This could be additionally useful, as the thick of the astral flame in that area could make it a bit harder to spot the individual flames within them, something which the girls had grown to depend on. The proximity of the astral flame would also make Riyxia’s own diminished flame all but invisible, so having a way to track how well her flame was actually doing would be essential for everyone else.

One option they did not have was any equipment for handling the proximity of the astral flame, a fundamental concern considering their objective was in matters of proximity to the flame. There was very little that could be done about that, considering the overwhelming nature of the flame. Basic equipment could handle the intensity at a distance, and maybe that was all they could achieve in the end, but even that would require careful management after prolonged exposure. For such ends, they would require some additional help. Eqriuxzl would be coming along to keep organized all of their information, to then pass any observations forward. Jwyexzn would be coming along as well, to collect and record information in support of the same process. Hyusziq meanwhile would be watching over their supplies, ensuring the optimized distribution of their resources. The hunters had a system in place for similar tasks, but Riyxia had made sure that such experts remained to administer such practices in a more familiar environment. The hunters knew the beasts, but dealing with the flame like this was going to be a new experience for everyone, that was why Riyxia wanted the people she had worked the closest with in roles she knew she could trust them with. Of course, there were always the chances they would be confronting the beasts as well, so close to the mountains, so they would have to be prepared for that too.

After nine days of preparing, they were finally ready to depart. In case of any complications, they would be travelling within 3 massive windcrafts, even bigger and more armored than the ones they had taken previously. However, all three windcrafts were currently placed together in as close of a formation as their designs allowed, ready to begin with Sryine’s personal method instead. Each of the three girls were in their own windcraft, like their own personal responsibility, the one with Riyxia sitting inside designated as their central base of operations. Sryine’s assigned windcraft would be taking the lead, mostly to support her efforts in transit, with Vwyx’s acting as a flanking guard. After everyone and everything was finally in position, Sryine took her place within her windcraft and began her acceleration. The pulsing shell was slightly alarming at first, but calm resumed quickly after the initial shock. After waiting that perceptual age for everyone to relax, Sryine started their collective advance. To anyone else, it was a flash and they were gone, instantly arriving at their destination. Sryine however maintained a very different perspective, the flight taking what felt like it should have been a bit longer than the original voyage. Her own body moving similarly slow, she still took account of their passage and scenery on their approach. Half-way there, she even stabilized everything so that she could achieve some mental respite in that prolonged instant before setting off once again. A long voyage in this manner, Sryine was quickly determining it to be a rather lonely experience, no one else even capable of sharing it with her. She wondered in that moment if that was how Rixyia felt while wandering about at night, herself in spectral form.

Her thoughts were interrupted by their eventual arrival beyond the mountains, and the alarming sight beyond. Rather than the empty sands they had visited before, the field was swarming with beasts frozen in an orderly moment, carefully and evenly spread across the sands. Far off in the distance was a monster of an instrument, a metallic monster that made their own transports appear very small. Sryine had no doubt who was involved, having actually been visited by similar sights the last time they were here. Why Liyuzhe’s group was still in the area after all this time was another question entirely, it would have been easier to assume they would have moved on already after the whole review of that letter from Khyzae was accomplished. Unfortunately, as it was still only within the span of an instant, there was no way she could alert the others in advance of what they were confronted by, so Sryine was forced to make the call on her own. In all reality, they could retreat, but it would not be as if their passage was thus not detected, the flash of suspicious lightning that followed in their wake having raised alarms before they could then return. Giving up on this location and switching to the other was always an option, but the much larger size of their group at this point had actually made that whole idea much harder, it would have considerable consequences on their available resources. The only other option was to crash the party, which might only be fair considering how things had gone back in the atrium. They had brought the hunters with them, dealing with beasts would not be a problem.

It was also in that moment that she recalled her attempts to use her cell when converged in a static field, all signals being blocked. The beasts were organized by instruments that sent signals of their own, pressing commands to the other beasts. Right now, the beasts were commanded to just sit there and do nothing. If there was no way for them to receive other commands, they would continue to do nothing. Within the convergence of her moment, she had the ultimate initiative of their circumstances. Preparing a massive static discharge, she plunged towards a defensible beach corner, placing Sryine and Vwyx before Riyxia in a defensive formation. Her impact came with a considerable static discharge, as prepared, sparking across the sand in the span of the moment and lighting up the ocean in the other direction with a dazzling display. Sustaining the static field as she ended her acceleration, everyone else was caught up to the moment as a storm rapidly gathered overhead.

“Sryine here, we have an emergency on hand. The beach was found with a major beastial presence, the entire collection currently deprived of their own will. Enemy instruments have been disabled for the moment, but I can’t sustain this much longer, especially while keeping our own instruments active in our own camp. Please deploy immediately and secure a defensive perimeter. Riyxia, you have command, Vwyx and I will be heading out as vanguard. Expect that we’re not the only people here, we’ve got some old acquaintances to welcome.” Sryine passed through the edge of the camp with that note and dove directly into the static field before it could dissipate. Unleashing waves of lightning from the strong electrical elements present, Sryine unleashed her augmented gift upon the beasts in the immediate area, slaying a vast number before anyone else could react. However, having not given herself any chance to rest, Sryine was already getting very exhausted. Starting to waver slightly, she tried to take out a few more beasts before suddenly falling backwards.

“Rest a moment, I’ve got our defense for now. You did really good though, Sryine.” Vwyx was there moments later, taking out a number of other beasts in a ripple of the sands that sliced through the beasts in the immediate area. The static field was already quickly starting to fade, so Vwyx rushed Sryine back to the camp for a short rest before moving out on her own. With the static field down, the beasts were already starting to respond to presumed instructions being broadcasted, turning to deal with the sudden intruders. Of course, their instruments weren’t the only ones working at that point then. Vwyx charged the sands with her own gift, creating a distribution of carefully crafted instruments spaced evenly, each starting from nothing but sand itself. Each formed into its own bomb, the entire collection detonating not more than moments later in a sea of intense fire, the inferno scouring the sands and incinerating beasts where they stood. The intense heat of the blast turned sand into a slippery white sheet, a smoothness that became impassable for beasts unable to sustain enough traction to advance. This became even worse when another layer of glass rose in a maze-like network, the durability of the glass being rapidly enforced into an unbreakable sheen that started to reflect light rather than permit its passage, like a mirror fortress.

Several beasts however seemed capable of adapting to the glass surface, and started to advance into the maze. Vwyx held her ground at the main front, but there were too many numbers for her to secure everything on her own. However, they had plenty of instruments of their own for mapping Vwyx’s sudden network, Eqriuxzl was already on a defensive perimeter map for them to work with. Jwyexzn had found high ground and was trying to keep an overhead eye on the proceedings with his Comset, perched directly over where Sryine was resting in that moment as if acting as her watch. Hyusziq was helping with getting things unpacked and deployed for use. The hunters had already created a defensive perimeter within the interior of the maze, just before where the glass began, all led by Ayzherie who was not far from Riyxia.

“We need to ensure that none of them pierce the mirror maze, so we need to set traps down through the corridors. Traps will slide, and if we can get them with a rubbery edge we can have such instruments bounce along the maze too. Vwyx has provided an incline to a maze, we’re actually on the top, everything is downhill from here. Don’t depend on explosives, even if the walls are extra durable, we don’t want to offer our enemy such an advantage.” “Riyxia, if you need my advice on instrumentation, I would recommend luminous or radiant projectiles. I made those halls a mirror on purpose, they reflect light, letting it bounce off walls and send it further down the hall. I’m working on a sandstorm on the other side, so that there is no chance the design could be used against us, though you might want to consider some optical shielding on that side too now that I think about it, just in case. Yes, I was even prepared for this. Hyusizg, please unpack the solid white crate from my windcraft, the one in the back with the triple diagonal bars in black ink on the label. Riyxia is going to need the contents.” Riyxia waited for the box Vwyx had identified to arrive, a grim smile on her face as she waited. She knew her friends were people she could depend on, even in this moment of her weakness, people who would continue to look after her even while she could not.

Uncovering the box, Riyxia found the contents an organized collection of various styles of ammunition all with the same style of effect, the emission of harmful light. Nuiqhyx was provided a series of radiant traps to send into the maze, while Dhyinze was provided some luminous shells for his own weapon. A bunch of other styles of such ammunition were handed out to other hunters who were designated as proficient in their usage, all organized by Ayzherie. At one point though, in all amazement, Riyxia got a notice that Dhyinze had acquired a potential shot from his Comset and was seeking authorization to fire. There wasn’t a beast anywhere close to this side yet, how in the… Well, she wasn’t one to dismiss the blessing of opportunity, she let him take his shot. A blur of light shone through the maze, a beast’s death howl resounding in reply as Dhyinze reloaded, looking for a second shot.

“Enemy movement sighted, there is a large enemy vehicle on approach.” Jwyexzn caught everyone’s attention with that sudden declaration, not missing the confidence he held in the declaration. He knew with absolute certainty that his sister was here, she was coming this way. This announcement also had Sryine stir too, knowing she wouldn’t be able to rest any further beyond that. She had gotten enough sleep to return to the front, she wasn’t going to let Vwyx have all the fun. Sryine knew it was time for some payback for being made a fool before, an opportunity she wouldn’t want to miss out on in the least. Getting up, she let her acceleration return again to her and dashed through the maze as nothing more than light herself, appearing at the other side in less than a moment later as the shell of her acceleration vanished, greeted instead by the presence of a blinding sandstorm.

Riyxia would have to leave the matter to her two friends, as she continued to secure their own perimeter. She still needed to figure out how to turn this around in light of their original goal, and make her way towards the astral vent that waited for her still off in the distance.