***Tirnanog, Old Camp***

***Thalia***

I watched on in silence as Magnus rode his opponent all the way down into the lake. His method of accomplishing his task had been unorthodox, to say the least. I expected a spectacular fight in mid-air, but all we got was a rather brutal collision and two men fighting each other with a quick exchange while they fell.

To teleport directly into the path of a fast-moving object was… insane.

When they impacted the water and disappeared, Astra gasped and fearfully covered her mouth.

Despite my friend’s obvious distress, I couldn’t stay mum any longer. I was impressed by Magnus’s recklessness. Nonetheless, there was no way to argue with the result.

“You know, you somehow managed to hook up with the most insane guy in existence. I have no clue what made him think this was a good idea. Worse, you managed to get yourself knocked up by him. Isaac is cute. Cute, but I worry what will become of him given his father’s and your idiosyncrasies.”

Astra hit my shoulder. Not as hard as she could have, but hard enough to make her displeasure known.

“Don’t say that! Haven’t you seen him fall? What if he is hurt!?”

I rubbed my shoulder and shot her a dirty look. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Astra blinked in confusion before she remembered the chat function and her eyes unfocused.

“Seriously!?” I asked. “How could you forget the chat!? It’s like… the single, most discussed topic since your guy unlocked the UI!”

“Magnus and I aren't using it that much.” Astra let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, my gosh! Thank Gaia, he answered. But he is kind of busy with ‘waterboarding the human torch’? And what does he mean by 'shush woman'? I will give him shush once he is back!”

She looked to me for answers. “What does waterboarding mean?”

“Don’t worry about it. I think he misused that one. You know…”

I stopped myself and crossed my arms in front of my chest before I glared at her. “Why am I always the one who has to explain his verbal quips to you? You should start reading up on old pop culture if your partner likes it that much. You are the one who is sharing a bed with him. Most of the things he is referring to come from a period of less than a hundred years. It isn’t that hard to get an overview of the references he is using. I am beginning to think I should have taken him for myself. At least we share that particular interest.”

That earned me another slap on the shoulder – slightly harder this time.

“I am still worried.” She gestured at the lake. “It was no small fall. Something could have easily gone wrong.”

I rolled my eyes. “The fire guy slowed their fall by a lot and I personally took your metrics. Yes, doing a header from this height might be dangerous for you two, but Magnus landed feet first. On top of his opponent. I think Magnus has him exactly where he wants him to be. All he has to do now is to hold onto an ankle till the enemy stops twitching. I doubt someone with such a prominent fire mutation can hold his breath for long. Now, why aren't you two using the chat function?”

“Uh... mh...” Astra fidgeted with her fingers. “That's a secret.”

For a moment I was stumped. Astra was having a secret from me!?

That was... new.

Conla interrupted our conversation, “If you two gals have time for drama and chit-chat during combat, then how about going down to the Old Camp to clean out the riff-raff? I don’t believe the Thich have more juggernauts. At least none who could attack an airship easily, or they would have already used them.”

I gasped in outrage. “I am a healer! You can’t make me hurt people!”

“Then how about me telling your mother you disobeyed orders during combat?” Conla shot back without turning her eyes away from the battle. “I want the Old Camp clean so we have a fallback position in case the Thich pull another trick like the rockets and we are forced to retreat. This battle is far from won.”

I pursed my lips as I considered what the actual repercussions of disobeying would be. Sienna wouldn’t do anything too drastic, but she would do… something. What exactly? That I didn’t know.

No doubt there would be consequences, given I was indeed filling the spot of a juggernaut on this mission and in this function, I was undoubtedly a part of the military command structure. Which meant the stupid sensor was my boss right now.

There was no other option. I sighed and walked to the exit. “Stupid idiots classifying me as a juggernaut. I am not even partnered.”

Astra followed me, but I waved her off. “Don’t worry. I will let loose for once, so don’t stay too close to me.”

She shook her head. “I will keep my distance then, but I will nonetheless trail you in case you need help.”

When I stepped outside, I saw another airship of ours turn away from the battle. It was burning thanks to some unknown reason, meaning the Thich had already taken two of our ships out of commission while we had managed a single incendiary run on one of theirs – with doubtful results.

'Fly?'

I thanked Cadence when she offered to carry me, but told her to stay behind. “It’s okay, girl. I will be on my own on this one. But it would be nice of you to come and pick me up once the fighting is over.”

‘Cadence will come with Elegance! Then we go and find Loopsfast!’

It would be much less inconspicuous when I flew on my own instead of riding a huge drake into battle. It could also be my imagination, but the two bomber-sized females had gotten a little rounder lately. Maybe I should tell Astra not to take out my drake too often, since all they did on those tours was eat.

I knew it was a deal Astra had struck with the drakes, but a rider had to prove some common sense. The drakes were specially adapted to eating the floating plant life of Mount Aerie. Most of the other stuff they wolfed down on their trips into the wilderness had far too many calories.

After jumping off the observation platform, I allowed myself to fall for a few seconds to gain some distance from the airship. Once I was far enough away, I spread my wings and angled towards the Old Camp. As long as the wind wasn’t too strong, I could sail decently enough without much effort.

When I gained enough distance to be sure no Thich had taken note of my departure, I looked back.

It took me a moment to realize that the fight wasn't totally going in Thich's favour. The drake riders had defeated their Thich equivalents decisively, paying a brutal cost in lives and mounts. Only about forty of them were left.

But without the bat riders to oppose them, our people now had free reign over the sky. Conla had decided to pay the cost of gaining the upper hand and now the table was turning. Already, the riders were beginning a steady routine of bombing runs with incendiary devices fetched from our airships.

Without their riders to defend the comparatively slow ships, the Thich fleet was now easy pickings. Three of the Thich airships were already burning and a fourth was being harried by the remaining flock.

But not everything went according to Conla's plan.

One of the Thich ships had abandoned the unwritten law of silent warfare and was using a cannon which was drawing attention with a steady rhythm of thuds. It was a zero-sum game. On one side, the cannon held our drake riders at a distance, forcing them to seek out other targets. On the other, the noise was already drawing in the forest’s wildlife.

I could already see at least five different omnieyes closing in on the airship with short jumps taking them high enough to surpass the treetops for a moment. The large, mantis-like predators weren’t capable of permanent flight because their wings were atrophied, an evolutionary remnant, but if they were directly beneath a low-flying airship, they could easily bridge a height between fifty to a hundred metres.

Meanwhile, our remaining fleet was trailing the Thich ships, wary of our enemies pulling another surprise out of their sleeve. Conla was obviously content with abusing the drake's victory to its fullest, keeping our vessels just close enough to guarantee short supply times for the drakes while staying just out of range of whatever had taken down our second ship.

I turned my attention away from the battle and took a deep breath before I angled my wings to soar over to the Old Camp. I could already sense the anxiety coming from down there. The fear of being abandoned. To have to fend for oneself.

The Thich's departure hadn't been orderly. They had left behind everyone who couldn't board the ships in time. Their feelings were palpable and suffocating even from this distance. There wasn’t much experience necessary to derive their meaning.

It was something I could work with.

Knowing my physical limitations well enough, I glided over the camp, staying well out of range of any arrows or guns while I made sure there were only hostiles within my range. If Earth supplied the Thich with rockets, then rifles weren't out of the question. Though, the noise of shooting would draw predators which would then take care of the camp for me.

The thought bounced back and forth in my brain before I decided not to risk it. We had injured riders everywhere. Drawing a large flock of predators might cause unnecessary deaths. The idea was just born from my unwillingness to use my abilities to their full potential.

Steeling my resolve, I beat my wings to regain some height.

I wasn't afraid of anyone flying up to me. Any Thich capable of flight would have surely left long ago to flee with their airships.

So I was unopposed when I banked and began a lazy circle above the Old Camp. Then I relaxed the tight hold I always had on my power.

The feelings in my surroundings amplified and I concentrated on the fear.

The fear of being left behind.

To die in this strange land which wasn't my home, far away from those I cared about.

To be one of the nameless bodies for the predators to feast upon.

I concentrated on the feelings of those beneath me and enriched them, pulling them forth from the darkest pits of their psyche. Right out of the subconscious animal which lay in all people.

One of the soldiers broke. She abandoned her position and ran screaming for the woods.

An officer with a cooler head called after her and then shot her with an arrow.

That's right, even your own people are a threat to you. It's just human nature. They left you here to die!

A frightened soldier drew a dagger and knifed the officer who shot the woman in the back. A comrade tried to stop him, but only earned a slash on his forearm.

That's what you get for thinking of others instead of yourself. They are already at each other's throats! See to your safety! The others are just a threat!

They withstood my effort longer than expected for normal soldiers, but one thing led to another and weapons were turned on comrade and friend. With the first few losing their calm, the rest quickly followed in a cascade of violence. Whatever had held them together as a cohesive unit of seasoned warriors was gone once their feelings lay bare to rule their every action.

Because at the core of their hearts, all humans were just fearful animals. Reduced to their most basic instincts, there was only fight or flight when faced with a threat.

The thought had me hesitate for a moment. Truly all humans?

Well, maybe not. I never managed to frighten away Astra with my abilities. And Magnus was a special kind of crazy. It wasn't as if he didn't feel fear. He just dealt with it differently than others.

The surge of raw emotion coming from beneath surged to a crescendo and then ebbed with the warriors’ deaths.

When I looked back down, I realized I may have overdone it a little bit. Only a handful of Thich were left. The rest had torn themselves to pieces like animals trying to escape an imaginary cage.

I sailed down and landed on a roof which was still mostly intact. Then I surveyed the scene, doing my best not to puke at the sight of what I had wrought on these people. It had been so easy.

Too easy.

It was the Caravaners all over again.

I closed my eyes and shuddered, balling my fists. No. These weren’t the Caravaners. They were Thich warriors. People who attacked this settlement and slaughtered or enslaved the population. There were no families or innocents here. No childr-

Astra landed next to me, her heavy armour and weaponry causing the planks beneath her to bend ominously.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied shortly. “It has been some time since the incident. One might think I should be over it.”

My friend sighed. “You can never be over something like that. Not if you are a softy.”

I chuckled and gestured at the battlefield. Not even the scarce survivors were in any state to oppose us. A woman lay in a fetal position, rocking back and forth. A man was trying to dig himself a hole to hide within. It would take them some time to regain their rationality – if ever.

“Would a softy do this?”

Astra rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I know.” I looked around the area but felt nothing alive except for the few warriors who survived the psychic attack. “I think those few who remain are no longer a threat. Can you sense anything worth investigating?”

I quickly used the chat to inform Conla of the camp’s liberation. As far as I could tell, there were none of the original inhabitants left. Either the Thich had killed them all or deported the survivors as slaves.

“I can sense some people hiding out inside the bunker.” Astra pointed at the only intact remnant of the settlement. “But I would rather find Magnus before we check the place out.”

“It shouldn’t take too long to get your beloved.” I smirked because Cadence and Elegance landed next to us at that moment.

We mounted the drakes and flew over to the lake which took only a few minutes. We found Loops pacing back and forth a respectful distance away from the water with Magnus’s spetum in his maw. Even if the male was smaller than the female drakes, he was still too large to be overlooked.

When we landed at the shore, I knew right away that something was wrong. “Back off!”

I ordered the females away from the water. “Don’t get close!”

“What happened here?” Astra asked, staring perplexed at the dozens and dozens of starfish corpses floating in the lake. Other aquatic animals of all kinds were mixed among them, but the starfish dominated the local ecosystem.

It was an ecological disaster of epic proportions.

We must have gaped at the scene in silence for over a minute before a familiar helmet appeared from beneath the waves.

Magnus slowly made his way over to us, pulling the floating corpse of his opponent after him while he walked over the lake bed.

“Hrlurp!” he bubbled happily and waved a hand at us.

“What?” I asked, my gaze torn between him and the ecological crisis.

Magnus dropped the body once he reached the shore. Then he took off his helmet and bent over retching as he threw up all the water in his lungs. “Man, this ability sucks balls, Astra. What rode you to get this mutation?”

Astra snorted down from atop Elegance’s back. “You are the one who keeps using it at every opportunity you get!”

“Touché.” Magnus shook himself like a wet dog and used his filaments to dry himself. For a moment, he looked like a human-shaped fluffball which shook various armour pieces to fling off the water.

“Forget your mutations!” I gestured at the dead animals. “What happened to the lake?”

Magnus turned around and looked appreciatively at his work. “I came through on a promise I made when I came to this world. Damned starfish.” He kicked the corpse of the dead Thich. “Just happened so that there was a secondary benefit. Bastard refused to suffocate!”

I slowly got irritated with this conversation. “Then why is he dead? I don’t see any external injuries.”

Magnus pulled forth a small metal vial. It was empty.

“A few droplets of deathnut oil work wonders!”

I pulled on Cadence’s back spikes to have her take another step away from the health hazard. “Deathnut oil! Are you nuts!?”

“It was just a drop or two!” Magnus defended himself. “I’ve read up on the stuff after it was used on me. Such a small amount shouldn’t be doing anything to me while killing anyone who doesn’t have some form of poison resistance. I didn’t even ingest all of it, so I should be more than fine. And given the lake’s size, the poison should deteriorate within a day or two.”

“You idiot!” I cursed. “Swimming in deathnut oil, even diluted as it is, should do an extraordinary jop of absorbing it through any soft tissue!”

“Now that you mentioned it, I am indeed feeling a little bit dizzy.” He raised a finger, turned away from us and puked white foam onto the shore.

“If that doesn’t remind me of something!” I rolled my eyes. “That’s why you leave playing with dangerous substances to professionals! Go wash upstream while you still can! Bath in the river feeding the lake! And then you are going to tell me how you got your fingers on deathnut oil! The clan is regulating its acquisition and distribution for a reason!”

“Blood,” Astra commented while we followed Magnus who walked more or less in a straight line towards the river mouth which was feeding the lake. He heaved all the way and stopped every few steps to spit out white foam.

“Blood?” I asked.

“His whole body was saturated with the stuff for days,” Astra explained. “Knowing him, he drew some poisoned blood from himself and stored it for later use.”

I closed my eyes and facepalmed. Nobody ever thought to monitor someone who was poisoned with deathnut oil. Well, because they were usually dead and the corpse would be quickly burned. “Does that mean he has more of those accursed vials on him?”

Astra smirked. “More likely than not.”