— CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR —

  Totally Tubular

  -Fritz-

  Lucy, Stellis, and I were sat in the cafeteria of the White Wings' base. I had taken my coat off and was basking in the warmth of the fire crystals embedded in the roof. The food selection wasn't great - the most we could get was bacon, eggs, and toast, but the place was dug into the mountain and had big windows looking out the back side of the peak. It had a great view of the swirling white and slate gray skies and snowy valleys running down the mountain range.

  Anyway, Stellis was telling us how they found their pegasus spawn - they were questing out in the Rough and decided to follow one of the rivers upstream to a big lake in the next zone over - the Red Tundra.

  Lucy checked her map. "The Red Tundra... that's a level 46 - 50 zone; the same level range as the part of the taiga we found ours in."

  "I wonder if it's a global spawn in the mid-level zones." I said.

  "We'll find out soon enough." Lucy said. Turning her map to show Stellis, she asked, "Is it this lake here? Where exactly was the spawn point?"

  He marked the location on her map. "Then, uh... we came right over here once we got the quest. I mean, it sounded like we were going to get our own pegasus!"

  I pulled up my own map to look around where we were. "Think there's a Guard garrison around here we could call?" I asked. "They're supposed to have one in every zone now, right?"

  "And what help do you imagine they would be?" Lucy asked.

  "Hey, it's a big mountain. Any extra hands we can get would be a help." I wrote a message to Flora to ask Evermoon Gardens for the contact information of the Mistral Mountains Division.

  I dismissed the menu and turned back to Stellis. "So your friend, he's still in a group with you, right?"

  "Yes."

  "But he's not responding to either the group chat or DMs?"

  "No, nothing."

  "Could he have gotten knocked unconscious? Like, fallen off a cliff and hit his head? Maybe stuck in a snow drift?"

  Lucy said, "I would hope he wouldn't be unconscious for eight hours - a gunshot wound to the head only lasts two or three. What if it's part of the quest? He failed and got taken by the same thing that made the pegasus rider go missing? I'm assuming you're in your late 30's, level-wise, if you're questing in the Rough."

  Stellis paled slightly. "That's what I'm afraid of."

  Just then, my group chat pinged with an update from Percy. I quickly scanned the message. "I found the cadet and killed the monster - it was a yeti infected with corruption. No sign of MIA. Continuing deeper into the cave." I read aloud. I quickly typed out a confirmation and sent it before turning back to the others.

  "Alright, scratch that last theory. Could your friend have gotten lost in the cave?" I asked Stellis.

  He shrugged helplessly. "Maybe, but why wouldn't he be responding to messages?"

  Lucy sighed. "This speculation is getting us nowhere; we need more concrete information."

  "You're right." I said.

  I stood up and approached the chef behind the cafeteria counter. "Hey there, man. Have you seen anything odd around the peaks lately?"

  He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

  "Any, uh, purple gunk that attaches to living things and drives them mad?"

  The chef's eyes widened. "Goddess, no! At least not on the surface! There's been a lot of disappearances and close calls out toward the Line of Fire, though. You ask me, it's got to do with the tunnels."

  "The tunnels?" Lucy asked.

  "Old lava tubes." the chef explained. "They connect just about all the major peaks up north. They're less common this far south, but they're there. The trouble is the tight confines aren't well suited to the pegasi - it's foreign territory that we can't do anything about."

  Lucy nodded. "That lines up with what Percy has said."

  "Sounds like a lead to me!" I said.

  Lucy turned to the chef. "Is there an access point to this system nearby?"

  "Not on this peak." the chef said, shaking his head. "But the next one over. A little ways down the mountain path and across the first bridge you come across - there's a collapsed lava dome with an entrance. But if you're going down there, be wary - it's not as safe as this section of the peaks."

  "They must mean it's not part of the reduced-level quest area." Lucy surmised. "Thank you. Do you know anything about the environment down there?"

  The chef shrugged apologetically. "'Fraid not - I'm just the chef. They might have a map over in admin, but it's not a place for pegasi."

  "I'll check." Lucy offered and walked off.

  "Hey, don't sell yourself short for being a chef." I told the NPC. "I once knew a chef that saved an entire battleship from terrorists!" He just smiled and nodded in confusion.

  I sat back down with Stellis. He continued to fidget nervously. "Do we have to get the Guard involved in this? I'm sure they have something more important to do."

  I waved my hand dismissively. "If they do, they can tell us that - we don't lose anything by trying."

  "How long will it take for them to get here?"

  I opened my messages, but Flora hadn't gotten back to me. "Let's see... Based on how long it took us to get up here, if they're down in the foothills, they could probably make it before nightfall. Don't worry; my money? We'll have your friend back by bedtime and we can all have a nice cup of hot chocolate to cap off the day."

  Lucy returned with disappointment. "Admin doesn't have anything on the tunnels; just the same vague warnings."

  "Ok." I nodded, rising from my seat and grabbing my winter coat. "Then let's take a look for ourselves, shall we?"

  As I slipped my arms into the sleeves, Stellis hesitated. "Er, should one of us stay behind? In case he comes back on his own?"

  Lucy shook her head. "If he does, he will presumably be in a well-enough state to message you."

  "But what if... another traveler finds him unconscious and drags him back?"

  "Are you nervous?" I asked. "It's cool if you want to stay behind."

  "No! Of course not!" Stellis's replied defensively. "It just... I don't want him to go out looking for us!"

  I called out to the NPC chef, "Yo, chef!" The chef looked up from his work. "We're going to look for a missing person - name's Taxhi! Can you spread the word around the base? If he shows up here, make sure he doesn't leave - we'll come back and meet him here."

  "You got it! Stay safe!" the chef replied.

  I turned back to my companions. "That'll cover that."

  Lucy asked, "Will they retain that information once we've left?"

  "They usually do." I assured her, zipping up my coat.

  We put on our snow gear and headed out down the mountain path.

  (Percival)

  As we ventured further into the lava tubes, I was surprised by the amount of life thriving in the depths. The air grew warm and humid, enough that I had to take off my heavy coat. Vines and mosses dripped down the walls, and the ground was coated in a layer of short ferns. Veins of luminous crystal ribboned through the volcanic rock, pulsing with a soft red-orange glow that provided dim but sufficient light. I supposed I should have expected it based on the layout of the Citadel Gardens - there was a similar section there that was based on this section of the world after all.

  A violently red light creeped in from a side tunnel up ahead, moving closer to us. I threw my arm out, halting Heydrich and Lannick. "Hold up..."

  Tendrils of vines snaked around the corner of the tunnel, moving with that unsettling gait of a spider. They were entwined around the crystalline core of an elemental, glowing with an internal fire. Kinda looked like a fancy lamp, honestly. The vines latched onto the walls, anchoring the creature to the ceiling and floor as it swung and walked through the tunnels. It didn't have any signs of corruption on it, but its level was so high that it displayed to me as simply a set of exclamation points. While it didn't seem openly hostile, it did start skittering down the tunnel in our direction.

  "Hide!" I hissed.

  We quickly dove to the side of the tunnel, and I extinguished my magical light ball.

  The elemental passed by without incident. After a few tense moments, Heydrich spoke. "I don't think we should be here. Do you know what you're looking for?"

  I had to think at that. Operating under the assumption that Taxhi was taken to a different cave entrance, we should have been looking for other routes to the surface. And while we were at it, keeping an eye out for the source of the corruption wouldn't hurt either. It likely wasn't the direct cause of the disappearance, but any lead was better than nothing.

  "Any caves that turn upward would be a good start." I replied.

  We continued forward, but didn't get far before something whipped through the darkness with a sharp fwip. It struck Heydrich's torch, knocking it clean out of his hand. A chorus of echoing footsteps suddenly filled the tunnels, and several figures appeared in the shadows.

  I reached for my sword, but then I caught sight of their nameplates floating above their heads. Players. A whole pack of them, more than I could count at a glance. Mobs were trivial to outplay - their AI wasn't exactly adaptable. But players? You never knew what to expect from them. I wasn't confident I could take them all at once.

  So I disengaged. As they approached, I slunk off to the side and melted into the shadows, letting them surround the confused Heydrich and Lannick. The NPCs stood there uncertainly, hands raised in surrender. I could see now that the players were from a guild called 'Empousa'. A Fringe guild.

  "Wait, are these NPCs?" one of them asked, sounding almost disappointed.

  "No, I definitely saw a player!" another insisted. "There were three of them!"

  The Fringe began scanning the darkness and waving their torches around. I retreated further, backing into a corner and lying flat behind a lichen-covered boulder and under a patch of ferns.

  "Did you get a name?" one of them called out.

  "No, it was too quick." came the reply.

  A commanding voice cut through the chatter. "Check Trace's broad mode!"

  "Command Sharp: Trace." said one of the Fringe. There was more shuffling of feet as they walked around, pacing the tunnel. "There's too many tracks here; I can't pick them out."

  Their leader, a burly man wielding a pair of hand axes, stepped forward. He raised one of the weapons and waggled it menacingly over Heydrich and Lannick's heads as he looked out at the shadowed recesses of the tunnel. "Hey! Bozo! We got your... Are these the quest NPCs? Damn, another one slipped through." He turned his attention back to the darkness. "You want to finish this quest? Come out with your hands up! We don't want any trouble, just got a little offer for ya."

  I remained very hidden and perfectly still.

  "Should we kill 'em?" one of the Fringe asked, nodding toward Heydrich and Lannick.

  The commander paused, considering. "No... No, let's keep hold of them for now. Don't let them return to their base or respawn. We stop the quests until we lock down these tunnels." He jerked his chin at the NPCs. "Hand over your weapons."

  The Fringe relieved Heydrich and Lannick of their spears and torches, then roughly pushed them along down the tunnel, deeper into the caves. I slowly sat up, watching them disappear into the darkness.

  Very curious - what were the Fringe after out there? Careful to stay out of sight, I rose to my feet and began to tail the group from a distance.

  -Fritz-

  The lava tube's walls glistened in our flashlight beams. The rocks were very shiny - it was hard to tell if they were wet or just glassy like obsidian. I was in the lead with my spear out, and Lucy hung a little behind so she could draw a map of our route. Stellis walked between us, shoulders hunched and footsteps tentative.

  As we were walking, the group chat updated with a message from Percy.

  [Percival]: There's a Fringe problem in the tunnels. Kidnapped the NPCs, seem to know about 'another one'. I think they're the abductors. Investigating now. They have Trace; be careful about getting spotted. Two theories: they found something and are trying to figure out what it is - possibly to do with the corruption - or they want to take control of the pegasus unlocks, either for profit or as a strategic resource.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I glanced back at Stellis. "Percy ran into some Fringe. He's ok, but he thinks they got your friend."

  "Oh my..." Stellis's eyes widened. "Uh... what do we do about that? Should we go back and wait for the Guard?"

  "Absolutely not." Lucy said firmly. "Percy's out here with the Fringe."

  "Yeah, we can't leave him alone with them." I added. "Who knows what that kid'll do?"

  "Ok..." Stellis sounded far from convinced, but he kept walking. Suddenly, he perked up. "Hey, I think I see a light over there." He pointed down a side tunnel branching off to our left.

  Lucy barely glanced at it. "Probably a mob. Stay on target - the peaks Percy is at are to the south; that tunnel goes north."

  "Well, maybe it wraps around?" Stellis suggested hopefully.

  Lucy paused, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. Then she pointed at Stellis's feet. "What's that?"

  "What?" Stellis looked down, scanning the rocky ground.

  "That, there, by your feet."

  Stellis bent over and looked around. "I'm sorry; I don't see what you're pointing at."

  I didn't see it either. I thought maybe she was seeing a reflection glancing off some of the rocks.

  As Stellis was crouched down, Lucy stepped around behind him and drew her pistol. Before I could react, she blasted him in the back of the head at point-blank range.

  The cavern erupted with the echoing boom of the gunshot. Stellis let out a strangled, gurgling wheeze and crumpled to the ground, his legs spasming.

  I stood there in stunned silence for a moment, my ears ringing. "What the hell was that for?!" I finally managed to sputter out.

  Lucy lowered her pistol, wisps of smoke still curling from the barrel. "He's obviously working for the Fringe, Fritz! This whole 'missing person' story is a setup - he's luring us into an ambush!"

  "I- I mean..."

  "Think about it! The guy didn't seem particularly excited to go out and look for his supposed friend, he didn't want the Guard involved, and he keeps trying to lead us off course into these side tunnels. And Percy said the NPCs haven't heard anything about this other person!"

  She had a point. But still... "Then who is this 'another one' Percy said the Fringe were on about?!" I asked.

  "Let's ask them after we foil this ambush." Lucy replied matter-of-factly. She nodded towards Stellis's limp form. "Help me tie him up - you have the rope, right?"

  I sighed heavily and opened my inventory, getting out some rope.

  Stellis was very much unconscious and unresisting as we trussed him up. Lucy grabbed his arms and I took his legs, and together we lugged his dead weight back through the winding tunnels. When we emerged back at the White Wings' base, dragging Stellis between us, we got some questioning looks from the guard NPCs. But they didn't interfere as we took him into the admin building and propped him up against a wall.

  "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere until we're back." Lucy instructed the NPCs. The guards nodded their assent.

  As we turned to head back into the tunnels, I asked, "Do you think NPCs are willing to hold someone hostage like that? I mean, they usually play along with whatever players want to do, right? What if he asks them to let him go?"

  "You're right." Lucy mused, tapping a finger against her chin. "We should have gagged him."

  "That's not... exactly what I meant."

  But Lucy was already striding back towards the cave entrance. "He may have sent our names in to the Fringe already, so they could have us on Trace. Keep an eye out."

  I ran a hand through my hair again and hurried after her, shaking my head. These kids, man.

  (Percival)

  I crept along behind the Fringe party, keeping to the shadows as they led the captive NPCs through the lava tubes. The air grew cooler as we ascended from the hot zone into a more temperate region of the cave system. A surprising number of insects and small critters skittered through the mosses.

  Before long, the tunnel opened up into a large grotto. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping droplets that collected into a lake dominating the cavern's center. Many tunnels branched off in all directions, including a pair that lead upward and broke through to the open air. A harsh snowstorm was raging outside. The grey afternoon light that managed to pass through the storm leaked into the cavern, giving it a cold, natural glow.

  The Fringe had set themselves up on the shore of the lake. A few tents and structures made from planks and canvas tied together squatted between stalagmites. They had two wagons - a simple one filled with chests and a slightly more spacious one outfit for transportation. Quite the setup there - that was a big resource investment. Were they sponsored by another part of the Fringe, or was this their group RV-style living situation? They'd really made the place their home, too - they'd trimmed the moss to clear out pathways, then piled it up to pad out their beds.

  There were about a dozen bandits in the camp, though there could easily be more out of sight - sleeping in the tents or patrolling the passageways. The Fringe roughly shoved Heydrich and Lannick toward one of the larger tents.

  "Put these two with the other one." the commander ordered.

  One of the camp sentries glanced up. "Did you find that other guy?"

  "Not yet." the commander replied. "And looks like we've got another rat skulking around."

  "What do they look like?" the sentry asked.

  The commander hesitated, "Kinda small. Looked like he was wearing a long coat."

  "A mage, maybe?" Someone suggested.

  The sentry shrugged. "Eh, we'll get 'em."

  Another bandit, lounging by the campfire, checked his messages. His eyebrows shot up. "Heads up, boys! Looks like Lloyd found the other guy - picked him up on Trace back toward the quest hub! Come on, don't want him getting away again!" He leapt to his feet, snatching up his crossbow.

  About half the Fringe in the camp rushed to join him. They jogged up one of the tunnels leading out of the cavern and whistled for their pegasi. With a thunder of hooves and flapping wings, they took off into the swirling snow.

  That's a lot of pegasi, I thought. They must have been farming them.

  I now counted six Fringe still in the camp. One rummaging through the chests on the wagon, two chilling by the campfire, one fishing in the lake, one patrolling the perimeter and watching the surrounding tunnels, and the last stood guard outside the tent where they'd put Lannick and Heydrich.

  I waited until the sentry started off in the other direction, then sneaked closer, taking cover behind the transport wagon. Slowly, I peeked around the wagon's side, toward the prisoner's tent. I could make out the silhouette of a guard inside the tent as well - so two watching the captives. There were three prisoners in total, looked like. In addition to Heydrich and Lannick, they had a player named Taxhi.

  Sitting back against the wagon's wheel, I tried to put a plan together. This was a terrible idea. Even if I managed to free the captives, we were outnumbered close to 2 to 1. If I couldn't or they were unarmed, it was as bad as 7 to 1. I just needed to grab the prisoners and run. Could Heydrich and Lannick call their pegasi and fly us off from the ledge? Maybe I could make some noise and draw a few into the tunnels? But I was already in the middle of the camp; I'd have to sneak back out to do that.

  This was a terrible idea.

  I should've called in the camp's location to Fritz and Lucy, then waited for their backup. At least I could snap some photos of the prisoners - get proof of what was happening. I pulled up my menu and opened the camera app. Flipping it to selfie mode, I positioned it to take a picture around the corner, but a face suddenly filled the display. Nearly leaping out of my skin, I reflexively pulled my UI back and held absolutely still and silent.

  But no one came around after me.

  With a deep breath, I hesitantly peeked the camera lens back around the corner. The goon who'd been rummaging through the other wagon was now searching the footlockers on the transport wagon. He didn't seem to know I was there. Yeah, this was a bad idea. I needed to disengage, regroup with the others.

  Carefully, moving with excruciating slowness so as not to make a sound, I crept back from the wagon, taking cover behind one of the tents. If I just waited for the lookout to pass by again...

  A series of loud crashes suddenly echoed through the cavern. All the Fringe whipped around toward the sound - which drew their attention right to me, huddled there by their tent. We all stared at each other, both sides frozen in the headlights.

  With a shout, they rushed at me, hands flying to their weapons.

  But at that moment, the lookout outside the camp let out a scream and came tumbling down the rocks, a spear jutting from his leg. A gunshot rang out, echoing off the cavern walls. Fritz and Lucy came charging in - Lucy with her pistol at the ready, Fritz respawning his spear.

  Great to see them, but I still had six goons bearing down on me. I cast Cold Snap, coating the ground between us in a layer of ice. The Fringe slipped and stumbled on the suddenly treacherous footing, buying me a few seconds to pull up my inventory. I still had that pouch of smoke powder from way back on my first quest with Fritz. I knew it'd come in handy eventually!

  Spawning the pouch into my hand, I hurled it to the ground. It burst in a cloud of thick gray smoke that filled the camp. The acrid powder stung my eyes and set the Fringe to hacking and coughing.

  Blinking tears from my eyes, I bolted for the cave mouth - but a spear from one of the Fringe caught me in the side as I ran. It didn't hurt too bad, but I could feel that crippled debuff. My legs suddenly felt like lead weights, and I could only stagger forward in a clumsy, lurching limp.

  Something whistled through the air and I found myself tangled in a weighted net. For that one I just cast Blink, teleporting out and running face-first into the side of the chest-filled wagon. Hoping to get a view above the smoke, I clambered into the back, but one of the Fringe caught up and grabbed the shaft of the spear sticking out my side. With a twist, they wrenched me off my feet and slammed me hard into the cavern floor.

  The Fringe climbed on top of me with an axe raised, but another gunshot cracked through the cavern, and the bandit fell away with a wireframe patch on his head. Fritz ran in a moment later and grabbed my arm.

  "Alright, buddy?" He dragged me to my feet.

  I coughed on the smoke. "I've had worse."

  The haze was starting to dissipate now. I could make out four Fringe still on their feet - looked like they'd had a friendly fire incident while blinded and one of them got whacked in the head. Another gunshot went off, and another Fringe crumpled.

  Make that three.

  That was even odds - three Fringe against Fritz, Lucy, and me. I drew my sword, and Fritz and I advanced slowly on them. They exchanged nervous glances, hands twitching toward weapons but not quite drawing. For a second there, it seemed like they might actually surrender.

  Then one of them brightened up and bolted for the captives' tent. Fritz and I both reacted - I swept my hand out, casting Cold Snap. A sheen of ice raced across the floor. The Fringe's boots skidded on the sudden slick and he face-planted hard. At the same moment, Fritz hurled an ice crystal. It shattered against the fallen Fringe, ice rapidly condensing into a solid frozen shell that locked the man prone on the ground. I darted in and quickly swept my sword through the Fringe's arm and leg, disabling them.

  Now only two to our three with no chance of using the captives as hostages and Lucy lining up her next shot, the last two threw down their weapons and put their hands up.

  I hurried into the tent with the captives while Fritz stayed behind, gathering up the surrendered Fringe's weapons. Heydrich, Lannick, and Taxhi were all sitting there with their hands and legs tied and blindfolds on. They squirmed in nervous confusion.

  "Hey. Y'all ok?" I asked, taking off the blindfolds, then drawing my dagger to cut the bonds.

  Just then, a commotion erupted outside the tent. I whirled to see Fritz staggering back, one of the Fringe having suddenly spit in his face and kicked him. The man was sprinting away down one of the branching tunnels. Lucy snapped off a shot but it went wide. She and Fritz both tensed to give chase.

  "Let him go!" I shouted. "Focus on the prisoners!"

  Fritz shrugged and pulled a sword from his inventory. He turned to the remaining Fringe. "No hard feelings, man." he said nonchalantly - then cleaved the bandit's hands clean off. He picked through the rest of the Fringe to make sure they were all harmless, and I returned to the prisoners.

  Heydrich rubbed his freed wrists. "Well enough, I suppose. What an... odd encounter."

  "Thanks! Again!" Lannick let out a nervous little laugh as I sawed through the ropes binding her ankles. "Guess the Goddess thinks I make a good damsel, huh?"

  The player, Taxhi, pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. "I... I don't know what was going to happen to me."

  "Do you know what they wanted?" I asked him.

  "Yeah! They want to control access to flying mounts! But listen - I'm not here alone! I left a friend back in the training ground - named Stellis - have you seen him?"

  Fritz turned and looked at Lucy, who held her hands up in a defensive shrug.

  {Lucy}?I admit, perhaps I was a tad hasty in shooting that man.

  (Percival)?Perhaps.

  She said, "I'm afraid your friend took a bit of a spill. He'll be fine; don't worry."

  Taxhi opened his menu and checked his group chat. His eyes went wide. "Oh geez, I really worried him sick..." He began typing furiously.

  Fritz said, "He was unconscious when we left him."

  "From natural causes!" Lucy chimed in.

  Taxhi looked up, confused and alarmed. "But those guys said they were going to track him down!"

  "Let's get back to the White Wings' base." I said. "We'll figure out who we're still missing and what we need to do there." I turned to the knight. "Heydrich, can you call the pegasi?"

  Heydrich strode to the mouth of the cave. He let out a sharp whistle that echoed through the howling snowstorm. After a few moments, two winged shapes materialized through the whirling white - Squallbreaker supporting the wounded Charlie. They landed on the icy ledge.

  "We can only carry four between them." Heydrich said. "I'll take yours, Lannick - I know how to handle the wounds. And you should take mine - you're still hurt."

  Fritz clapped me on the shoulder. "Luce and I know the way back; we can run it."

  I thought for a moment, then said, "Wait - we only need one more pegasus for all six of us. If I can finish the quest, I can take you."

  "How are you going to do that?" Lucy asked.

  "Well, I already killed that monster and saved the dude - twice! Can't we... I don't know, expedite it a little?" I looked at the pair of NPCs.

  Lannick just stared at me blankly. Heydrich shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're getting at."

  I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Yunica, please! Cut me some slack here! Unless there's some extra phase to this quest, let's wrap it up!"

  Heydrich's eyes darted back and forth shiftily. Finally, he said slowly, "Well... I suppose this is an extraordinary circumstance. We could perform a field knighting."

  Lannick blinked. "A what?"

  Heydrich set a steadying hand on her shoulder. "You're dazed. Just follow my instructions. Get me a feather from Squallbreaker's wing."

  Lannick plucked a long, sleek feather from the grey pegasus. At the same time, Heydrich drew his sword. "By the honor of the skies and the guardianship of the White Wing Order, Initiate - kneel."

  I sank to one knee in the cold snow, the storm blowing around us.

  Heydrich continued, "Normally this would be a feather from your bonded pegasus, but this will be a substitute. Hold the feather over your heart."

  Lannick handed me Squallbreaker's feather. I clutched it against my chest, the bristles tickling my chin as I lowered my head respectfully. The cold steel of Heydrich's blade rested on my shoulders.

  "Do you pledge to guard the realm with heart and valor, to defend the innocent, and to ride with courage, bearing our banner high among the clouds?" Heydrich announced, then on the side added, "Say 'Upon my honor, life, and steed.'"

  "Upon my honor, life, and steed."

  "Will you carry your oath as high as the winged breath of the heavens, and as steadfast as the stone beneath your feet? Say 'I shall.'"

  "I shall."

  Heydrich lifted his sword. "Then rise, knight of the White Wing Order, trusted among the pegasi and the skies. May your heart be light, the wind at your back, and your flight unwavering."

  I stood. Cadet Lannick snapped into a salute, her arm across her chest. "Huzzah!" she cheered.

  "Mount, Percival of the White Wing!" Heydrich proclaimed, gesturing grandly at the pegasi. "The sky awaits!"

  A glowing notification popped up in front of me: 'Quest Complete: White on White on Red - The White Wing Order.' Along with it, I got a good chunk of experience, an additional license for the Cavalry class allowing ownership of flying mounts, and an ability unlock to call my own pegasus.

  "Thanks, Yunica."

  Behind me, Fritz whooped and hollered his congratulations while Lucy applauded.

  I opened my spellbook menu and found the new summoning ability. I tapped the icon to start the voice command recording, then said clearly:

  "Ashley, to me!"

  There was a rush of wind and the beating of powerful wings. A sleek pure white pegasus swooped down out of the swirling snow, landing lightly beside me all saddled and ready to go.

  Ashley nuzzled me playfully, her velvety nose rubbing against my cheek. I patted her silky mane. "Hey girl."

  "Ashley, huh?" Lucy asked.

  I shrugged. "It's a perfectly good name."

  Fritz said, "You could've gone with 'White Thunder' or... 'MGM Grand'."

  "Or 'Luck's Revenge'." Lucy chimed in.

  "'Airbiscuit'!" Fritz said.

  I rolled my eyes. "Too late, guys. Come on, let's go!"

  Swinging myself up into Ashley's saddle, I looked over at the others. Fritz motioned for Lucy to go ahead, then clambered onto the wounded pegasus behind Heydrich. Taxhi joined Lannick on Squallbreaker. Lucy hopped up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

  "Homeward! Follow me!" Heydrich shouted. He took off, the injured pegasus stoically struggling to keep its course.

  Ashley began trotting after them, heading for the cliff edge. I glanced back at Lucy. "Hey, uh, how exactly do you control this thi-"

  Before I could finish my sentence, Ashley happily walked right off the edge of the cliff. We plummeted straight down the side of a cliff, icy wind howling in my ears. Panicking, I hauled back on Ashley's neck, willing her to fly.

  Miraculously, she responded. Massive wings snapped open, catching an updraft. We curved gracefully upwards, rapidly gaining speed and altitude until we rejoined the others.

  Squallbreaker was helping shepherd the limping pegasus through the gale. Heydrich called out in concern, "Are you alright?"

  "Yeah!" I yelled back. "Just... getting a feel for it!"

  I experimented with leaning and shifting my weight, guiding Ashley into gentle banks and spirals. She cut effortlessly through the blizzard, marvelously responsive to my cues.

  The wind whipped through my hair, bitingly cold even through my coat. Behind me, Lucy shrieked with glee, whooping and waving like it was a rollercoaster.

  "Do a loop!" she shouted.

  "Wait until we're not in the middle of something!" I hollered back.