In the morning, Vonn woke up from a dream about owning a paddleboat casino. The engine was knocking... no, that was the door. He peeked out blearily and Tazo was there, tired too. "We just got orders. We're air spotters today. Also, Selen's in town with her latest balloon, demanding breakfast."

The prospect of food and company got Vonn moving. At Birb's restaurant the girl was cheeping eagerly away with Selen in a corner, by the pinball machine. Elven troops and a few Humans that Vonn hadn't noticed occupied most of the tables. Birb's father and a recently hired Human boy tended to them. One of the Elves was playing pinball.

Selen got up and hugged Vonn, who smiled. She said, "I sent my last letter off and then an hour later, I smacked my beak and thought of jets. So I made one along with another balloon. Birb here wants to try two jets at once on her cool new boat." She ruffled the younger Aves' head feathers.

"Yeah, it should help with balance. Did you bring any more slowfall rings?"

"I and others have made a few, so I brought them." She clapped her talons together. "Serious business time, right?"

Birb said, "Yep! Vonn, I was just telling her about wind being a problem."

Selen nodded. "Can't do a lot about that right now other than casting weak wind spells to counter the weather. We might be grounded if the breeze gets worse. Or it should at least be a birds-only job in case of a bad crash."

Birb drooped. "Sorry to exclude you."

Vonn said, "I understand. It's still the early days. Assuming we can fly safely, what exactly are we doing as 'air spotters', Tazo?"

"I think we're supposed to make up the job as we go along. Hover, shoot at any flying beasts, and shout warnings. We're meeting at noon."

Selen told them, "I brought just five little bombs. The System says they won't do much damage, but they're a distraction. Haven't wanted to focus on damage output."

"What about that 'photograph' device?"

"I brought it, yes. In fact I should use it before we go into the danger zone. Excuse me." She hopped up, gobbled a bit of bread, and hurried out.

"I want my gun back from the Reeve," said Vonn.

"He won't let you be on the front lines."

"I'll be above them."

#

Vonn and company busied themselves setting up flying machines. Birb's boat, the Baron's older balloon, and the one Selen had brought all sat outside the workshop, slowly filling and creaking.

Selen arrived bearing what to anyone else would be a mysterious box. Vonn grinned wide at the sight of the primitive thing. The basic lens, the crude wooden tripod and other touches made it look terrible, but apparently it worked.

Vonn held up a hand as she approached the flight grounds. "Take off your boots and empty your pockets before approaching the airport terminal!"

"What? Oh! It's been a while." She feather-smiled and looked the balloons over. She set up her new invention while lecturing, and struggling with newly invented terminology. She had produced the camera obscura, a box with a tiny hole that created an upside-down image on its back wall. Then using alchemy she'd found an equivalent to film, a thin paper that would darken where light struck it. She'd brought along the chemicals to make it stop doing that, so that she could then shine a light through the negative image she'd made and get a twice-reversed image on thicker paper. Magic crystals helped for manipulating light and darkness but the principle was the same. Vonn's team didn't quite get the concept yet. Selen had them stand still for several boring minutes in front of the workshop. The very slow exposure time at least let her scurry over to join them.

"So where's the picture?" asked Tazo.

"I'll have to finish it later; sorry." She was keeping the film in an enchanted dark box.

Vonn had barely restrained himself from looking over at the vessels, since they were still swelling with hot air. "It's time. Afterward, I want one with my parents."

"Yeah. But I'll also want to photograph the dungeon, from the ground and sky both. Which reminds me." She took a small spyglass out of her luggage and handed it to Birb. "I coaxed Engineer Zahar to make one, pointing out that we're not the first in the kingdom to have them. But I think that just makes him feel like he's falling behind. I'm trying to make him feel like he owns the idea."

"I'm trying to do that with the Engineer group in the south, but that's something to discuss later."

#

The Woven made a strange army. They stood in ranks, heedless of the cold, each carrying a sort of halberd, good for slashing and clubbing since the monsters ahead varied. The Elf commander had overridden the Reeve and allowed Vonn to ride a scout balloon. So he was up there with an Elf archer who was trying not to look terrified. Their vessel was anchored at the edge of the tainted land, where the grass gave way to strange dark stone. The dungeon's power apparently kept most of the snow away. A hundred feet below, a stone anchor kept them in place. And arrayed to their north flew the other balloon and the airboat, commanded by Selen and Birb. Being up here in a low-walled basket still frightened Vonn. He kept seated, clutching a rope and afraid each time the wind shifted.

But he was just watching and ready to drop messages tied to rocks. Maybe to take a shot with his returned gun. The Duke's man was in charge here and had started off by sending ten Woven ahead to test the waters. Meanwhile the flying teams flew little flags and used high-Senses people to test their ability to see and be seen with them.

An alarm horn blew from the airboat. Two notes, for signaling "a flying beast". Vonn then saw it in the northern distance. The usual species of bloated bat-like thing was soaring high above the main dungeon, yet keeping its distance.

"What's it doing?" said the Elf.

Vonn said, "Scouting like we are, I guess."

"Since when does it do more than mindlessly attack?"

He blinked. "Blow the horn. One note." He started scribbling a note to drop, putting the ground messengers on notice. "Unusual behavior," he wrote and said aloud. "No past sign of it scouting. Why?"

The first set of troops continued advancing toward the known, though shifting, entrances. A Centaur runner grabbed the note and sped off toward the command group where relays waited. A few had signal flags of their own.