The first time someone fired an Aetherarm towards Elodie, she froze up in fear.

  In the moment, it all passed in the blink of an eye as her mind went blank until Howie said it was safe to come out. Then Elodie kept quiet and stayed calm because that’s what the others needed, especially Chrissy and Howie who were so very sad and hurt. Then she stayed that way, even when Mama and Papa came to pick her up after the funeral, and waited until she was home safe and sound before running into their arms to cry and cry and cry until she could cry no more.

  And still the memories of that day would not leave her, no matter how hard she tried to forget. Poor, sweet Josie, who went stiff with pain, shock, and surprise as a blade of ice blossomed within her belly and exploded out into a thousand shards. Then she went limp, and Howie appeared at her side, catching her in his arms with an expression so full of alarm, then anguish, then quiet acceptance before all that was left was rage. Dark, furious rage that burned like the cold as he set upon the men who killed Josie for no reason than she was standing in the way of killing Howie.

  And for this, he killed them all in terrible and gruesome fashion, warning other would-be killers the price they would have to pay for killing one of his own.

  Tina was incredible too, herding them all with her words and her actions as she opened fired upon the killers, throwing Illusions and Enchantments from behind her Shield as Howie ran down his foes in complete and utter silence. Noora gathered up Josie’s fallen form and dragged her away, whispering sweet lies that she would be okay, while Chrissy held fast to Elodie’s hand and patted her shoulder to offer solace even though she was terrified herself. Elodie though? Elodie did nothing. She crouched with the others, kept her head down like Tina said to, and waited for it all to be over even though she had more strength than most. Their Aetherarms were not powerful like Howie’s, only loud and bright as they fired so very many Bolts much too quickly that spiralled out and away in drooping arcs that sputtered out within 10 meters at most. Between his duster, Mage Armour, and the inaccuracy of his enemies, Howie emerged from the battle largely unscathed, with a smattering of scrapes and bruises but nothing bad enough to keep him in bed.

  Elodie saw all this unfold before her eyes. Watched it happen in great detail. Knew that her friends could well be hurt if they were shot on exposed skin, of which they had so very much, and knew that the same could not be said for her if she Wildshaped into Little Claw’s skin. Even if she did not fight, she could have protected her friends, guarded them from Bolts and Spells alike to keep them from dying like poor Josie.

  And yet she did nothing, so even though no one else was hurt, if someone had been, then she did not know if she could ever forgive herself.

  It took many weeks and months before Elodie felt safe enough around strangers, but even now, she did not like them. She did not like the people of Noora’s camp, the rude Leonard, the mean-spirited Buck, the Austin with the hungry eyes, or Brody with the rotten teeth, all with their pristine white armbands with no markings that they seemed to believe made them better than everyone else. There were more adults in the group who looked upon her unkindly, while most of the younger ones treated Elodie like she was some strange sort of creature, even Tammy who Noora was so very fond of. Elodie had no strong feelings for the Pathfinders either, none aside from Adsila of the Wind who was slowly teaching her what she needed to know and making an effort to be kinder now that she knew Elodie was lonely. Still, this was not enough for Elodie to die for any of these people. If called upon, she did not want to fight and kill for them, not like she would fight and kill for Howie, Chrissy, Astrid, and even Harald with his silly, but ultimately kind ways.

  However, Elodie did not like how ashamed she felt in the wake of Josie’s death, did not like how she had done nothing when she could have helped, so this time, she did not hesitate.

  Little Claw responded with a bellowing bleat as they Wildshaped into a diamondclaw’s skin, stretching their newly formed bones and muscles to their utmost size and tearing Elodie’s doeskin dress to pieces. Not a moment too soon either, as Bolts pinged off of their fur in a rat-tat-tat-tat hammering of gunfire, like they’d been caught in a hailstorm outside of the forest with sleet stones the size of a grown man’s fist. Careful to keep their vulnerable eyes and underbelly protected, Elodie and Little Claw pounced forward to block the entire path of logs and cover everyone they could, but two men from Leonard’s group took fire on the other side of the sleds and went down screaming. Screaming was good, as it meant they were not dead, and their comrades quickly dragged them to take shelter behind Elodie.

  None of the Pathfinders joined them however, as they had all scattered into the trees at the first sound of gunfire. Ones that went off long seconds before this concentrated volley, so they were all safely away before it started. All save for Adsila of the Wind, who stayed behind to safeguard Elodie by grabbing her by the arm to drag her away at great risk to herself. Elodie had Wildshaped in an instant however, and did not need protecting, but she now knew that Adsila of the Wind had spoken true when she said she would guard Elodie like her own.

  Before seeing Josie die, Elodie would never have questioned it, but it was good to know that there were some outsiders who stayed true to their word, aside from the ones she’d already befriended of course.

  The pelting Bolts did not hurt too too much, but it was not pleasant, and Little Claw was most displeased. She understood the need to protect the others however, even if her rage demanded that they charge forth to scare off these bothersome pests. Elodie would not allow it though, as she could not leave Noora and the others unguarded, so Little Claw huffed in protest before working her magic into a second skin so that the Bolts would not hurt so much anymore. Warrior’s Ward was the Spell’s name according to Mama, a Third Order Spell Elodie herself could not use, but one Little Claw had Awakened to like most diamondclaws would. The little cub had not known the Spell in life, having picked it up rather recently, for much like Elodie, Little Claw loved the Magics and spent most her sleeping time dreaming of the Spells she would have eventually come into and learning how to wield them as a proper Diamondclaw should.

  Warrior’s Ward was like taking shelter in the boughs of a great tree that blocked the wind, rain, and snows. Mage Armour was a second skin, one less effective than the Ward, but protective all the same. Both Spells Little Claw cast on themselves, before nudging Noora gently with their nose to cast a Mage Armour on her. Seeing Noora’s eyes widen in surprise as the Spell sank into her frame filled Little Claw with delight, so much so she could not help but stamp their feet in joy, but Elodie knew the ones who hunted them would not be so easily thwarted.

  So too did Adsila of the Wind, who shouted, “We need to move out of the road and into cover.” She had her pistol in hand, a blocky, rectangular piece of blackened metal with a hardwood grip, and she fired with a tak-tak-tak from around Little Claw’s front arm, one they dared not move for fear of exposing her to return fire. Realizing this, Adsila of the Wind showed Elodie and Little Claw what to do as she tugged on their fur to guide them over to the trees on the left side of the road, while shouting at the others to stay close.

  “Grab the sleds!” Leonard shouted several seconds later, clutching his gun in hand like he meant to use it, except it was pointed directly at Elodie and Little Claw. A mistake, one they did not like much, nor did they care to protect his things. His demands weren’t directed at them however, but at the younger members of his group, though not at any one person in particular. “I’ll be damned if I leave anything for those rotten bastards out there!”

  The sleds were behind Elodie, and not covered by their sizable frame, as she had already begun moving off the road when Leonard made his demand. Nor did anyone seem willing to dart out of cover to heed them, no matter how much he cursed and stamped and struck Elodie and Little Claw’s flank. Which neither of them appreciated, so they turned to give him a little snarl, one that made him go white with fear as they slowly but surely made their way off the path of logs with Elodie blocking all the Bolts aimed in their direction.

  And more, as their assailants saw that their guns were not powerful enough to pierce their hide and started throwing Magics at them too. Which Elodie and Little Claw both preferred, as the magics empowering those Spells unravelled upon approaching their fur. Together, they shook off powerful Lances that could pierce through steel but only hit like hail without the magics propelling them forward, and felt the heat of Scorching Rays wash over them with the warmth of the mid-day sun instead of setting them ablaze. It was much easier than blocking Bolts, and Little Claw even knew how to reach out as their enemies drew the magic to them and unravel their greatest weaves at a distance before they could even manifest. Elodie did not understand it, and Little Claw could not explain, but so long as it worked, then neither one had any reason to complain.

  All was well for now, and they would soon be safe in the cover of the swamp. Or so she thought until she saw the mean-spirited Buck’s head burst open like a ripe melon beside her. He had been down on all fours and crawling alongside, but even then, their belly was not low enough to allow a Bolt to sneak by and strike him in the head. The shot could only have come from the left side, the direction they were all headed towards to find cover and safety, and Elodie did not know what to do. She could not curl around the group for there were too many people, and even if she did, their legs might well be shot from under them.

  Adsila of the Wind noticed too, and cursed as she brought her weapon to bear. She fired off into the trees, her sidearm lighting up with each pull of the trigger as she shouted, “We’ve been flanked!”

  In the time it took her to speak, another man died, Brody who was shot in the neck even as he unloaded his rifle into the woods, and went down with a mouthful of rotten teeth that quickly filled with blood. Now Elodie was ready and watching for the tell-tale flash of their foe, but Little Claw was first to spot it. Her eyes were not good at seeing distance, but seeing the light of magic was easy enough, and her quick reflexes allowed her to stretch their paw to block the next incoming Bolt a mere instant after spotting the flash. With all their Spells, it did not hurt much, but more Bolts soon followed suit. Not in the rapid rat-tat-tat-tat of the weapons further down the road, but a calm and steady blap – pause – blap – pause – blap. There were a few rapid-fire shots sounding in between, ones coming from the same direction as the flanker, only without the accompanying whiz and snap of Bolts flying close to Elodie and Little Claw.

  Those threw her off, this phantom gunfire without a flash same as the shooters down the road, but not as much as the tricksy flanker. They never fired from the same angle, always moving and weaving through the fog and trees to throw Elodie and Little Claw off. It was almost like a game, one they enjoyed immensely as it took their mind off the hail of gunfire spattering off their side and back.

  Little Claw’s fur and skin and Spells were not totally immune to the gunfire, as the shots still stung something fierce, like maddened honey bees who found purchase in soft flesh. The Bolts they caught with their paws felt much weaker however, little more than a sharp slap which was unpleasant but easily borne. Less easy was actually catching the Bolt, as the shooter kept aiming wide of their paws and always from a different position. He moved left, then back right, then appeared up in a tree somewhere with an angled shot that almost threw them off, but between Elodie and Little Claw, they continued catching all the Bolts while Adsila of the Wind did her best to nail the shooter in turn.

  With only a pistol, which Elodie supposed was harder to aim than a rifle, as the shooter was still moving about. Howie always made it look so very easy whenever he shot, usually hitting whatever he was aiming at without really having to aim at all.

  “Stupid slope!” Leonard snarled, pounding his fist into their flank with a snarl as they blocked a shot aimed at his head, one which should be ducking down so they could cover him easier. “The sleds! Go back for the sleds! You unnerstand English?”

  Elodie and Little Claw huffed in displeasure, but could not spare the time to glare at the little man as she ignored his silly demands. Her task was to watch for the telltale glint while continuing to move towards the trees and sheltering the whole group. The others moved so very slowly, with many wavering in indecision as they tried to choose between heeding Leonard’s order to retrieve their cargo, taking shelter against Elodie, or moving towards the smattering of incoming Aetherfire from the flank. It did not feel like a difficult decision to make, but many of Noora’s companions were unable to choose correctly, so Elodie and Little Claw both had to move slowly so as not to leave anyone exposed.

  At least the flanker had gone silent, maybe to reload his gun, and Elodie wished she’d kept count of how many shots. Five? Yes, five, like Howie’s rifle, though it could also hold one more in the –

  The light flashed. Elodie and Little Claw reacted. No Bolt came whizzing by to impact upon their claws, but a second flash followed suit immediately after. The hiss-snap of the Bolt flying past was like a tiny thunderclap, one that drilled into Austin’s chest. His hungry eyes filled with fear and trepidation, then confusion as he collapsed to the ground, staring down at the bloody hole in his body as if wondering how it got there.

  Elodie and Little Claw snarled, for they had been tricked, first made to think the shooter’s gun was empty to lower their guard, then shown a flash of light to make them think he’d fired a shot, only to fire it after they had already moved. By now, most of the group was firing into the trees at the unseen shooter, but few were firing anywhere close to where those shots had come from. The assailant had gone quiet however, with no more return fire forthcoming, allowing Adsila of the Wind to lead them into the trees to safety. “Stay with the group, Elodie,” she said, before darting off into the swamp. “I will hunt down this foe and return shortly.”

  By the time she finished speaking, she was already out of sight, in full pursuit of the shooter even though long seconds had passed since he’d last fired a shot. Up ahead, the battle continued to rage on within the misty white fog, with the din of gunfire and flashes of light pointing every which way as the Métis returned fire with rifle, bow, and tomahawk. The hunters had turned into the hunted, their would-be killers turned prey. A mistake many ambush hunters would make, standing their ground to fight even after their ambush had failed. Better to retreat and go hungry for a day than take injury or even lose your life. Now the Métis hunting pack had those ambushers surrounded on all sides, but the battle was not over yet, nor would it end quickly as the Métis shouted demands in French and English demanding their enemies lay down their arms and surrender, demands the others paid no heed to at all.

  As for Elodie and Little Claw, they circled protectively around the group while keeping watch for the flanking shooter, one who had disappeared as quickly as he arrived and did not clash with Adsila of the Wind. This was good, because Elodie was worried about the woman, who had no Spells defending her, none that they could see or sense at least. Not many could guard against Aetherarm fire like them after all, and even with all their magics protecting them, many of the bigger Bolts left welts and bruises. The pain had Little Claw yearning to retreat back to her den and sleep away her ouches, for she was young in heart and spirit and would always be, so Elodie had to soothe the cub as best she could and encourage her to stay.

  It did not help that Leonard kept grumbling and cursing while crouched at the edge of the roadway, taking cover behind a big tree while staring at the cargo not ten meters away as if worried someone would swoop in and carry it off despite so many shooters ready to unleash their weapons upon anyone who dared.

  Leonard was not a good leader. He was slow to give orders, and expected others to do what he would not. Nor did he pay any mind to the wounded, leaving Noora to treat one man who’d been shot in the leg, while another screamed and groaned from the gut shot that would most likely kill him. Tammy was doing her best to treat him with help from the others, but there was little to be done for a wound like that. Maybe if Aunty Inez was here, she could save the man, though Elodie did not believe it possible. There was nothing she could do to help however, so she and Little Claw continued to pace around the group and protect them as best they could.

  Then she heard it. A distinct ‘whoop’ that set her mind at ease, and Little Claw’s too for she remembered it well. That’s all it was, a cheery shout of joy and celebration amidst all the chaos and gunfire, one that was all too familiar to their ears. Howie was somewhere close by, over by the ambushers and no doubt lending aid to their cause, and the rat-tat-tat of enemy fire died down quickly as he plied his deadly trade. Little Claw squeaked in delight to hear it, and this time it was Elodie’s turn to stamp their feet, for she missed him dearly and wanted to hug and snuggle him too, especially if he was willing to show Little Claw some affection. They could shrink back down to size and let him carry them around again, holding them like a baby and bouncing them in his arms with a big, silly grin on his face, just like he did that first night they met and Elodie decided he would be her mate.

  Soon enough, there were no more rat-tat-tats, and only Howie’s guns sounded out. Pak-Ting, Pak Ting, Pak Ting, so very similar to the shots that heralded all this chaos, but Elodie knew there were many people who used the same guns. Throughout it all however, their enemies made no sounds save for screams of rage of the cries of the dying, and Elodie’s heart grew heavy to hear it. Even after asking so many questions, she still did not understand why people would fight amongst themselves like this. It was not about food, for though there was some on Leonard’s sled, there was more than enough to forage and hunt here in the Deadlands. Nor was it about territory, for there were no warnings given or lessons taught to keep them away. These ambushers simply laid in wait to kill Elodie and everyone with her, meaning she could have died without ever knowing why.

  Just like poor Josie, who died simply because she was in the way. This was the way of the world outside of the tribe, a world Elodie must learn to navigate if she was to be with Howie, or be the hata?ii she was training to be.

  There was little fight left in their foes, but their group had not escaped unscathed. Most of the dead or injured had been wearing the white armbands, but a few were part of Noora’s group, including three young men who’d been hit in non-vital areas, but were still bleeding quite a bit in spite of everyone’s best efforts to help them. Elodie did not know the binding of wounds, but she could help keep them clean of infection when they were safe again, as she had everything she would need in her pouches which was lying somewhere on the log path alongside the tattered remains of her dress. It was a very nice dress, one that had gotten a little moldy during their time here in the Deadlands, but she could have fixed it with some vinegar and help so long as Adsila of the Wind would teach her the cleaning Cantrip with the long, strange name.

  Or maybe Howie could teach her now that he was here again, though she did not know if he would stay. Elodie knew she had heard Frowny’s reply to her song this morning, knew that she was not dreaming when she heard it. She was so eager to see him again, her and Little Claw both, the had to dance away the excitement to keep from charging in as soon as they saw him. The others gave her strange looks, as they saw she was not sad, nervous, or scared like they were, and for some reason, this made a few of them very upset. Including Tammy, who was doing Leonard’s job as leader and keeping the others calm and alive, while comforting the man who had been gut shot by the rat-tat-tat-tat guns that had long since gone silent.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  It took a few minutes before Adsila of the Wind returned, and with her were the Pathfinders. Blake and Aubrey were both wounded, but conscious and sat atop a Floating Disc while being treated. The others carried with them a whole slew of bodies all piled up onto Floating Discs, men she did not recognize but had tried to kill her all the same. They were not important however, as Howie was there too, stood in the centre of the group and looking none too pleased to be there while baby Cowie trailed in alongside him. Though no one pointed their weapons at them, he had his hands up and away from his weapons which were holstered or slung.

  “You?” Leonard asked, in a tone of disbelief that said he knew who Howie was.

  “Last I checked, I was me,” Howie replied, before gesturing at the dead bodies piled up on the Floating Discs. “I ain’t with these guys though if that’s what yer getting’ at, which is why the Pathfinders left me armed and breathing.” Turning to Elodie who was busy greeting an excited Cowie, he grinned and said, “Hey there, Ella-dee.” Unable to help themselves, Elodie and Little Claw ignored Adsila of the Wind’s warning look and bounded over in one leap to nuzzle Howie close, and he chuckled as he lowered on hand to pat her cheek with a sigh. “You doin’ alright? Swear my heart almost jumped out of my chest, seein’ you block that hail of Bolts for everyone. And those Spells! Now that there was a firework’s show well worth watching.”

  Elodie had so very much to say, but Little Claw no longer wanted to go back to sleep, as much time had passed since she got to enjoy Howie’s company. She remembered well his soft, gentle touch as he checked her for wounds, and how he cradled her close and kept her warm and safe as he brought her to his home and snuggled her on his bed. She had long since forgiven him for wanting to leave them both behind, and loved Howie almost as much as Elodie for all the delicious food he fed them. It was even better now that they were big, because Howie was more than happy to stroke their cheek even though he said before that this was not proper.

  Or maybe he missed her more than he was willing to let on, meaning Elodie’s chances were even better than she previously believed…

  Not enough to distract him from the matter at hand however, as he glanced around and said, “I know y’all probably got some burnin’ questions, and I’m happy to answer them in full, but I’m thinkin’ it’s best we move on before the Q an’ A. All that noise and magic might well bring a whole horde down on us, and while I scanned just before the fight and didn’t see no Abby within – ”

  Howie’s eyes went wide with surprise, and only then did Elodie notice that he’d been using the hand patting her cheek to beam out his Detection Spell, as she thought the warm and tingling sensation was just from the touch of his Wildshaped Hand. “We got incoming!” he shouted, darting over to the pile of dead to grab two of their rat-tat-tat rifles, weapons he handed over to his glowing, powerful Mage Hands which popped out from under his duster. A tricksy man Howie was when he wanted to be, but he’d given it all away because he was genuinely alarmed. “Too many to count, movin’ in from all sides at a rapid clip.”

  A sharp intake from Pathfinder Noah was enough to convince Adsila of the Wind, while Leonard scowled and asked, “You seein’ anything Brody?” Almost everyone in his group frowned to hear it, because Brody was lying dead from a shot to the neck out on the road, something Leonard should’ve known by now. Blanching as he realized his mistake, he stammered out something to explain, but no one was listening as they had more pressing matters to attend to.

  “Move out!” Adsila of the Wind ordered as she headed out towards the road, giving Elodie and Little Claw a look that promised punishment should they not obey. “Fall back to the waystation!”

  The Pathfinders were quick to abandon the bodies as they hustled to get out with their injured, while Leonard and his ilk stood around and watched while he struggled to come to a decision. As for Elodie, even though she feared her teacher’s wrath, she was reluctant to leave Howie who was still digging through the bodies for ammunition, discarding empty metal magazines and tucking loaded ones into his many pouches and pockets until they were overflowing. “You listen to Jocelyn,” Howie said, not even looking up and yet knowing Elodie was still there, and she let out a sigh of both relief and concern as their feet brought them away. “I’ll be with y’all right quick.”

  Perhaps not quickly enough though, as Elodie felt a shadow forming overhead, a darkness that was not darkness to represent the presence of a powerful sliver of a Wendisa. Not the soldier in its entirety, but enough to drive its horde of puppets into a ravenous frenzy as they sprinted in lockstep to a pounding rhythm of splashing water and squelching mud. A great host then, meaning a great battle to overcome, so Elodie did as she was told and took stock of Little Claws remaining Spells and told her to conserve them dearly. Then and only then did she reach out to Awenasa of the Rain, speaking to the Spirit of the fallen brave through her heart. “My trial is over, yes?” Elodie asked.

  “Yes,” the Spirit replied, always present and listening even though she said so very little.

  “Then your duty is done,” Elodie declared. “Should I fall, you need not guard my Spirit. My Spirit will defend itself.” That was why Adsila of the Wind was so concerned with Elodie’s safety, because she did not want the Spirit of her Storm Sister to fall to the Great Enemy, for fall she would if she went against them head on to protect Elodie, or rather the Echo Elodie would leave behind should she ever pass away.

  The Spirit of the brave did not answer immediately, nor did it acknowledge Elodie’s statement. Instead, it waited long seconds before saying, “Call, and I will fight, brave Elodie. My Sister of the Storm is totem enough.”

  When the Spirit mentioned this before, Elodie had failed to grasp the significance of these words, as she had not known she was a Spirit. Now however, there could be no mistaking her intent. Awenasa of the Rain had been a brave in life, and so too was her Spirit in death, one eager to be Called to battle by one with the gift like Papa. Unfortunately for them both, she had never Called upon a Spirit before, as she lacked the gift, and she most certainly could not call upon a Spirit as powerful as Awenasa of the Rain. No matter though. Elodie would try, and if she could call the Spirit, then she would, and if she could not, then they would make do without. Either way, if Elodie’s Path was to end here today, then at least she would have Howie and Noora here at her side, whose Echoes might even accompany hers into battle against the Great Enemy after the fact.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Grab the sleds and go!”

  Noora paid no mind to Leonard’s idiotic order as she ran after the Pathfinders, and no one else did either. Not even Tammy, and for good reason too. The cargo wasn’t even theirs, so if the Order took issue with its loss, then it’d all fall on Leonard anyways. The sooner his company went bankrupt, the easier it’d be to convince Tammy to run away with her, even though that was a dream that didn’t seem likely given the odds stacked against them.

  The Zombies came in thick and fast, in numbers greater than Noora had ever seen. Fetid, half rotten bodies surged out from the trees, lurching on two feet or scrambling forward on all fours as they pressed onwards through the mud and muck at speeds she would never have thought possible. Her boots pounded against the corduroy roadway as she watched the horde close in from both sides, with a group emerging out onto the road and making even more headway in their pursuit. As her feet pounded against the wood, Noora tried to think back to how far they’d walked since leaving the compound, maybe fifteen, twenty minutes tops. That wasn’t all that much ground to cover, especially while running at a dead sprint, but the seconds ticked by and the horde inched closer as her body protested the speeds she demanded.

  And continued to demand, because no one would stop to pick her up if she fell.

  Then again, maybe she was wrong as a strong arm slipped around her waist and gently hoisted her up onto a Floating Disc. “Heya Noora,” Howie said, immediately letting go when he saw how she tensed up in alarm. He kept his hands close by in case she fell though, and as soon as the initial surprise and panic was played out, she leaned back into his embrace with a sigh of relief while giving Cowie his due pets. Say what you will about Howie, but having him around in an emergency was awfully reassuring, and his smile was no less charming than before. “Figured you could use a lift.”

  “Mind if we add one more?” she asked, reaching out to take Tammy’s hand and pull her on board, but her freckled flame scowled and pulled away with a pout that made Noora want to kiss her hard on the mouth. She wanted to kiss Howie too, if only to remember how he tasted, and maybe see about getting them both into bed with her at once. Then again, that didn’t end all that well last time, but seeing how things looked even worse now, where’s the harm in trying?

  That was for after the fight, assuming there was an after, and that all three of them made it out alive. “Tammy,” Noora pleaded, in a tone she’d never used with her. “Please. Just get on the Floating Disc.” Because if things turned south, Howie would be the first to get out of dodge, so long as he could bring Elodie and Noora away. That’s all he’d care about, keeping his people safe, because as far as he was concerned, the Pathfinders could take care of themselves while everyone else was chopped liver.

  Noora wasn’t stupid after all, and neither were the Pathfinders or Leonard. Well, maybe Leonard, but even he could see that something wasn’t right about all this. Not the ambush from assailants unknown, or this Aberration horde barrelling down towards them, that was understandable. No, what stank to high heavens was Howie’s presence here in the Deadlands while those bandits were lurking about. Soon as Leonard got a chance to think about it, he’d put two and two together and figure that Howie was mixed up in it somehow.

  Which he might well be, though there was a slim chance this was all a coincidence seeing how Howie was most certainly crazy enough to go traipsing about the Deadlands at night.

  Maybe it was Noora’s tone, or maybe it was how she was pressed up against Howie, or maybe Tammy was just running out of breath. Whatever the reason, she finally accepted Noora’s hand and stepped up onto the Floating Disc, where Howie flashed his pearly whites in an almost challenging smile while tipping his hat at her. “Don’t you worry, little lady,” he said, his grin growing wider to see how he struck a nerve with Tammy as she shied away from Cowie’s cold, wet nose and noisy sniffs. “I’ll be sure to keep you and Noora safe.”

  Tammy didn’t rise to the bait, just scowled and got to packing empty magazines for her 1911. Howie didn’t needle her any more either, not after Noora gently elbowed him in the stomach just as he was about to. She also gave him a smouldering glare, which only encouraged him even further, and Noora almost smiled to see it. At least he wasn’t all sad and mopey, looking livelier and more animated than she’d seen him since Josie’s death, and things weren’t too too awkward after he noticed something going on between Noora and Tammy at a glance. He was great at reading people, but he never put it to good use except to annoy them, which he was also kinda amazing at. Knew just how to smile and what to say to set someone off, which was why Tammy was loading her magazines like the bullets owed her money.

  He never was one for small talk either, which was a real relief, because Noora had no idea how she’d respond to an innocuous question like, ‘how you been?’. Pretty miserable save for one week a month when she got to curl up with Tammy in the privacy of her cabin, even if it was real fulfilling to be making something of herself. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, listening in to the Pathfinders as they discussed strategy in French. “I can distract the right flank,” he said after a few more minutes of running and skating. Gently hoisting Noora into his arms, he tossed her onto Elodie who was ready and waiting to catch her on her big, furry back as she knew what he needed with a single glance. Howie then offered to do the same for Tammy, or at the very least, give her a boost, but the stubborn girl scowled and just jumped on by herself, grabbing a handful of thick fur and pulling herself up.

  Couldn’t have been comfortable for Elodie, so Noora patted the girl and whispered an apology she hoped would be heard.

  “Don’t wait up,” he said, readying his weapons and making sure he had everything where it was supposed to be. “If you get to the compound before me, lock it up tight and have a rope or something ready to help me in, though I might stay outside for the fight. We’ll figure it out.” And with that, he zipped off into the swamp with Cowie, the two of them whooping, hollering, and bellowing all the while to make as much noise as possible as his Floating Disc skimmed over the water and bounced onto mud without slowing one bit.

  Which was a whole lot harder to pull off than Noora thought. She’d spent so much time learning the Ritual and trying it out, but she just kept falling off the Floating Disc no matter what she tried. There had to be some trick to it, so maybe she could pick Howie’s brain about it after the fact, and reward him while rewarding herself too…

  It didn’t take long for the sound of semi-automatic gunfire to filter back to the group, and they all ran a little faster for it. Noora paid no mind to the others who were scowling at her sitting up top of Elodie, as the girl-turned-diamondclaw bounded forward at a leisurely lop even though she could probably run as fast as a horse. Especially Leonard, who looked just about ready to climb on himself, though Noora was pretty sure Elodie wouldn’t allow it. She saved his life at least four times during the fight, and he barely even noticed. Wouldn’t thank her for it either if he knew, because he was just that kind of man, an entitled, self-important shit who thought he was God’s gift on earth.

  So of course the Native American Wildshaper should carry him around. In fact, she ought to be grateful for the opportunity.

  That’s how men like Leonard thought, and Noora almost wished Elodie had been less proactive about protecting the man. The thought would never have crossed the green-haired girl’s mind though, because if it did, then Elodie wouldn’t be Elodie. In fact, she might even offer to carry them, or at the very least would stop to help anyone who fell behind, but Noora didn’t want her to do that. She knew Leonard and the people he worked with, and while many of the worst offenders had died during the fight, there were still a few who’d happily throw Elodie to the wulves if it meant they had a chance to get away.

  Leonard wouldn’t even have to think about it, nor would he care to justify it, so Noora didn’t want him in any position to take advantage of the kind, innocent Elodie. So she kept her gun in hand and an eye on the worst offenders, all of whom were flagging as they ran for the waystation, one that popped up out of the fog without warning and filled Noora with dread.

  Because ringed around the waystation walls was a sizable horde of Zombies, a few dozen at the very least just to keep them from getting in past the gates.

  Leonard and the others were quick to slow, but Elodie and the Pathfinders didn’t miss a beat. “Keep up!” Jocelyn shouted, before giving an order in French that saw every able soldier and even the wounded woman on the Floating Disc raise their warbows, ones they nocked and drew with a Radiant arrow of solid light pinched between their finger tips. Most aimed directly at the Zombies in front of them, and those piercing arrows punched through multiple Zombies apiece, while the wounded Pathfinder shot straight up, only for a rain of Radiance to fall down upon the horde and thin out their ranks.

  Noora was already shooting, unloading her second 50 round magazine as quickly as she could, while Tammy shot her 1911 with more precision and care. As for Elodie, she squeaked the most adorable battle-cry as she crashed into the Zombie ranks and scythed them down with a sweeping blow, before turning on a dime and circling around the entire group to do the same to the other side. Noora and Tammy were slowing her down, as Elodie had to be mindful of her passengers, so Noora tugged at her lover’s belt and slid down as soon as she saw an opening to do so.

  Course, said opening was whisker thin as three nearby Zombies immediately pounced towards her, but during her three gruelling months of fighting in the Deadlands, Noora had picked up a trick or two. Pointing two fingers at the closest Zombie, she cocked her thumb twice like the hammer of a gun and activated the mechanism built into her gauntlet, one that had seen several stages of improvements since leaving New Hope. Last December, the best she could do was shock someone she was in physical contact with, unleashing a surge of Electric energy no more powerful than a Shocking Grasp Cantrip.

  That was back when she only had the skeleton of a gauntlet, one that was more of a glove than anything else. Didn’t have a whole lot of room for Etches, much less a whole Spell Core and Aetheric Dynamo, but she’d kept up with Howie’s plans for his prosthetic hand, so now she had her own bracer to go along with the gauntlet. One that had an Arc Lightning Spell Core embedded into the base, which she activated to unleash a massive jolt of Electricity that was twice as powerful than the Shocking Grasp from before. Not huge, but that wasn’t the end of it, as the torrent of energy slammed into the target Zombie before arcing over to the next two, only to find no new targets and jump back to the previous target and end with the first.

  The Arc Lightning Spell only had twice the voltage compared to the Cantrip, but it could hit up to six times, meaning these three zombies just took the equivalent of four Shocking Grasps each. Even one was more than enough to put a grown man down, as Leonard himself had learned firsthand, and while Zombies were made of sterner stuff, they still at least partially relied on nerves and muscles to move about. The Electric energies were enough to stun them in place long enough for Noora to put two Bolts into the heads of the first two, and for Tammy to spear the third on her way down.

  Unlike Noora who’d only been at this for a less than a year, Tammy had been training to fight the Soulless her whole entire life. Specifically here in the Deadlands, because even before he threw in with the Order, this was where Leonard made most of his money, and he spared no expense in getting Tammy the finest Mentor money could buy. Who in this case had been a tough as rocks Protestant nun, one Tammy never had anything nice to say about, but taught her a secret Cantrip that technically only the clergy were allowed to learn.

  Even Faith had to give way to hunger and circumstance however, so Tammy was the prime beneficiary as she pointed her short spear at the closest Zombie and Intoned her Latin phrase. “Lux – Divina – Incende – Monstrum!”

  No matter how many times Noora saw it, she could never get over the awe of seeing her freckled, tomboyish lover glow bright with Radiance and smite her foes down with a word. Illuminated by light emanating from within, the Zombie froze in place and opened its rotten mouth wide in a silent scream as its flesh and bones crumbled away before the Divine. It was not the only one either, as that Radiance shone upon the Zombie’s closest neighbours whose flesh sloughed away with a touch and bodies slowed to a crawl as the magics empowering their empty husks fell away. Unsatisfied by just this much, Tammy charged in spear first and tore apart the damaged Zombies with her jaw set in a grimace, one that no doubt was there because she was imagining Howie in place of her foes.

  Which honestly? Was pretty hot. Noora kind of liked the idea of Tammy and Howie fighting for her affection. Then again, Howie wasn’t the type. He loved fighting Abby and outlaws, but when it came to love, he was kinda a doormat. A people pleaser, but only to the select few people he loved and cared for. For Josie, he would’ve moved heaven and earth to make her smile, and he might’ve done it for Noora too if she had found it in her to love him back and give him any inclination that that’s what she wanted.

  She didn’t though, which was a shame. She was still attracted to him, as evidenced by the tingling in between her legs when she saw him again. Both at first glance, and now after following the Pathfinders and Elodie into the compound and making their way up onto the wall. There he was with that larger-than-life attitude as he grinned like a fiend and zipped around the swamp with a whole gaggle of Zombies right on his heels. She had the perfect view to watch Howie strut his stuff, and strut he did with his looted rifle in hand.

  Even though it was a semi-automatic beast that could shoot as fast as you could pull the trigger, Howie wasn’t all about speed or urgency. No, he was one to take his time, and he had the strength, stamina and self-control to do it. Skills he put to use both on the battlefield and in the bedroom, and impressive as he might be, he’d spent far more time on the former than the latter and it showed. There he stood like a man unbothered as his Floating Disc carried him away, picking his shots all calm and collected while Cowie sat at his feet and unleashed concentrated gouts of flame at the Zombies behind them. An impressive sight, but even more impressive was Howie slowly but surely picking his targets and putting Bolts into Zombie heads while weaving through the crowd with effortless ease. There he stood amidst the horde, steadying the rifle with his left forearm because his hand was holding a revolver, a shiny new one Noora didn’t recognize. It didn’t slow him down or affect his aim in any way though, and he shot again and again and again in a slow, unhurried manner, all the while zipping around on his Floating Disc and twisting the trail of pursuing Zombies into knots.

  And when his rifle ran dry, he raised it up to his shoulder for his Mage Hand to swap out the magazine while he unloaded his revolver into the crowd with the same lack of haste.

  Six shots is all it had though, so he handed it off to his Mage Hands once it was empty. Rather than shoot empty handed, he Conjured up a wicked looking axe while continuing to shoot, one that was almost twin to the one hanging on his hip. A proper war-axe, not the hatchet which was also there, but hanging lower on his thigh instead. A lot had changed since she last saw him, not in the least because he’d always said that fighting in melee was dumb. He likely still thought as much, since he didn’t really make use of the axe and just kept shooting into the horde while winding his way away from the compound. Seemed like the opposite of what he should be doing, but Noora didn’t see anyway he could make his way through the press of Zombie bodies hammering at the walls, not even with the length of rope she had one hand ready to throw out to help him up over the walls.

  He didn’t look nervous, but she wouldn’t expect him to. Instead, he looked like he was having the time of his life, though Noora was nervous enough for the both of them. Didn’t let that distract her from the task though, fighting off the Zombies trying to climb the walls while simultaneously doing what little she could to thin the group chasing him down. It was like throwing a handful of water into a rainstorm, with next to no effect to be had. Every Zombie she dropped, three more appeared to take their place, and her Dynamo would run out of Aether long before killing even a tenth of the Zombies with Arc Lightning, assuming the contraption didn’t overheat and burn itself out before then.

  The gauntlet was still amateur work after all, as she even had to hire an Artificer to look over the gauntlet and bracer and make sure she didn’t Etch a circuit wrong and Electrify herself. One who told her that while the work was solid, the fact that it wasn’t Metamagicked worked against her, as it meant she wasn’t drawing enough power from the Dynamo which could overload and overheat or even explode if used too many in quick succession. Couldn’t say exactly what that meant, but so far, Noora used it sparingly and only two to three times in a fight at best. Today though? She’d already used it five times, and was ready to use it again when she saw it in the crowd.

  A Ghoul. One concealed amidst the horde as it ran about on all fours, hiding its frame from Howie but wholly visible to Noora looking down from overhead. There was no mistaking its intent as it chased and stalked Howie, moving closer and closer until it saw the perfect opportunity to strike. It leaped out with claws and fangs bared to intercept him as he passed, and Noora’s heart leapt in her chest alongside it as she readied her Arc Lightning and prayed it wouldn’t jump to Howie. He was in the midst of shooting, then turned to meet his foe, but even then, it was too little too late. She almost looked away, because she couldn’t bear to see him torn apart like that, but she forced herself to watch if only so she could tell Aunty Ray what happened.

  And a good thing too, because the calm and collected Firstborn also had a few new tricks up his sleeve. A casual thrust of the axe, that was his response, one which seemed sorely lacking compared to the hulking, misshapen, flesh-eating monstrosity hurtling through the air towards him. Yet that’s all Howie needed to do as his axe head shot out like it’d been launched from a bow, with force enough to slam home into the Ghoul and send it flying back into the crowd. The axe head went along with it, bringing a steel-link chain trailing along behind, one that shimmered in the sunlight and came alive with a flick of the Firstborn’s wrist as he brought the weapon out and around in sweeping strike to scythe through Zombies like a knife through butter and made Noora’s jaw drop to see it.

  Guess Noora wasn’t the only one who’d learned a thing or two since they last parted ways, and Howie was hands down the winner between them. Which left Noora feeling all sorts of sour, because even though she only wished him all the best, that didn’t mean she wanted him to do better than her. She’d been the one to walk away after all, and if she was worse off for it, then wouldn’t that mean she’d made the wrong decision?

  Maybe she had, but it was a decision she had to make. Love was complicated, and relationships even more so, and the thought of happily ever after scared Noora something fierce. If only Howie could be happy with something easy breezy and casual, a bit of fun between the sheets with whoever was available. Then again, if that’s the sort of man he was, Noora probably wouldn’t care all that much about him, freeing her from this inner conflict which she didn’t entirely understand.

  One thing was for sure though; if they all made it out of this alive, Noora was damn well going to do everything in her power to get Howie and Tammy both into bed with her and blow both of their minds at once.