“We got time for a Catnap.”

  Calm and nonchalant, there was no other way to describe it. Not that Tina could come up with at least, as she tore her gaze away from the dark and seemingly empty horizon to stare at Howie in disbelief. The staccato of gunfire sounded out in the backdrop, a faint and irregular rhythm of snaps and cracks that couldn’t be more than a few klicks away. Out here in the badlands, that meant Abby would come calling from a half day’s ride away, all ready and raring for a fight, and in the process might well stumble across this little campground here on top of the arch stone formation. Where there wasn’t any cover to speak of mind you, none besides the wagon itself, and while there was only one narrow path of approach to guard, that also meant there was no place to retreat to.

  And in spite of all that, Howie felt the best use of their limited time was to take a Catnap.

  Which wasn’t a terrible decision at all, once Tina stopped to think about it, because if Chrissy cast it, then there was basically no cost, because she’d be expending 16 Aether for 25% of her daily Spellslinging allotment. No idea what the number actually was since Chrissy wasn’t one to track her limits like Howie, but her casual use of Spells in her daily life was enough to say she’d likely gain more than she spent when casting the Third Order Catnap. Wouldn’t think twice about slinging a Second Order Calm Emotions to keep the wallies from feuding, or throwing out First Order Heroisms left and right should the horses or cattle get spooked, and the kiccaws did so love to chase her around while she held up a Glowing Coin to entice them out of their burrows.

  These last couple of weeks, there were a lot less animals for Chrissy to play with, so she’d taken to drawing on the barn with Falsify Aura to leave a faux Aetheric signature behind, like a painting done with Aetheric flows instead of actual paint. Few people could see her work, not even Howie with a Detect Magic Spell going, which was a real shame. There were plenty of complex calculations that went into designing a pattern like that, one that still made sense Aetherically speaking, though Tina was hard pressed to describe what that meant. It was like the Etches on an Aetherarm, all curved, swooping lines with pleasing patterns branching out in all directions, yet the flow still undeniably moved from back to front, as anyone with eyes could see when they watched the Core and Metamagics both Prime and charge up for a shot.

  All of which was to say that Chrissy might casually sling 8 or 9 Second Order Spells in a single day without much care for the cost, an expenditure of 81 Grain on the high end. Granted, she never skipped out on her afternoon nap, an hour or two spent cuddled up on the couch or out in the ranch to catch some z’s, and even out here in the badlands she’s snooze for an hour or two in the driver’s seat. Assuming the name could account for an extra 12 to 25 percent restoration of her daily Spell allotment, this still meant Chrissy was slinging close to 60 Grain worth of Spells before feeling sleeping. That was equal to Howie’s current limit, and higher than Tina’s which sat at 56 Grain, but Chrissy being Chrissy meant 60 Grain was around the amount of Aether she could comfortably sling, not her actual limit.

  So best guess? Assuming she pushed herself to 75% of the way, then that meant Chrissy’s daily limit was around 80 flat. Was probably even higher considering she wasn’t one to plug away with her Spells if it took even a slight bit of effort on her part, but who could say for sure? Not Chrissy at least, because using too much magic was running until you couldn’t go on, and her callsign wasn’t Princess for no reason.

  All told though, a 10-minute Catnap would only cost them time, while putting Howie and Tina close to full capacity for the day. Tina would be 6 Grain short, having used 20 Grain in Spells over the course of the day, but would only get 14 back from Catnap. She’d be better off with more practice at extending the duration of her Spells, because then she wouldn’t have to refresh them so often. There were too many to practice though, so many even Howie skimped out on a few. Like Longstrider, which he didn’t have prepped even though the Rangers considered it a core Spell everyone should master, because he preferred to hold Expeditious Retreat for a short duration, high speed boost to get out of dodge. If there ever came a need for Longstrider too, he had a single instance stored in the Spell Storage Matrix in his on boot, while holding Featherfall in the other.

  A habit that went counter to Ranger S.O.P, since they were expected to maintain Longstrider at all hours of the day in order to cover more ground without pushing their mounts any harder than normal. Tina made a note to ask him why he never bothered, since that little extra oomph could carry them an extra 8 to 10 klicks a day for little to no cost, but she figured he’d run the numbers and decided his time and Spells could be better spent elsewhere. Like on Pass Without Trace, which he cast whenever he spotted Abby nearby with his Detection Spells and wanted to cover their tracks. Was a Second Order Spell that only lasted an hour at base with Concentration baked in, so his daily expenditure was a lot higher than Tina’s and he really needed the Catnap.

  Hence why he was so gung-ho about getting a Catnap in, though not before detaching the storage compartment affixed to the undercarriage and removing the pressure cooker to make room inside. Was solid steel and would make for good cover once flipped on its side, something Tina had overlooked earlier. Wasn’t much, but it was better than the nothing they had and showed how Howie was always making the most out of what he had available, a lesson Tina still needed to learn it seemed. Twice in short order no less, as he stopped her from climbing into the back of the wagon after Chrissy to help her get settled in. “You stand watch while we rest,” Howie said, gesturing over to the driver’s box up front. “No need to patrol, just sit tight behind cover and watch for movement. You see or hear anything in the immediate area, then you wake us right quick, but otherwise, wait 10 minutes before waking me and only me.”

  Tina’s first instinct was to ask why in a fit of pique, but she arrived at the answer the second she thought about it. Because Mama could get more out of the Catnap than Tina could. Wasn’t because Mama spent more Aether over the course of the day, though to be fair, she probably hand. She needed to keep Mage Armour up on herself and Chrissy both, and she wasn’t all that great with the Spell either, so she spent at least 40 Grain on Mage Armour alone and had other Spells to sling like Aid to bolster flagging stamina and Falsify Aura to leave fake trails. Her limits were a lot higher though, well over the standard 105 Grain average limit for a typical Specialist, which she most certainly was. 2 or 3 times over at least, since the only requirement to earn your Specialist pins was 3 Third Order Spells from the relevant School of Magic.

  Pins Mama never wore, or even talked about having earned, leaving Tina to guess at Mama’s qualifications. She was most certainly an Enchanter and Illusionist by virtue of being an Innate, but she was probably a proper Abjurer too. Tina never knew Mama had Mental Fortress in her Spell list until the Mindspire went up, and the fact that she had to dig out her Spellbook to prep it meant she learned it the Orthodox way. While Tina didn’t think much of it at the time, after learning the requirements for Ranger roles and Specialist pins these last few weeks, she’d come to realize how amazing her Mama really was. Being a Support in the Rangers meant Warrior’s Ward and Protection From Elements was pretty much mandatory to keep on your Spell list, because one offered defense against Bolts, fangs, talons, and whatever else, while the other provided defense against Elemental Spells like Fireball, Lightning Beam, and Ice Nova.

  Meaning Mama, with her secondary role as a Support over her tertiary role of Medic, most certainly had both of those powerful Third Order Abjuration Spells in her pocket, which combined with Mental Fortress made her a bonafide Abjurer to boot. Who knew what other Spells she’d learned along the way, because unlike Tina or Chrissy, Mama was a fair hand at Orthodox Spellslinging, which in addition to her Innate capabilities made her well-deserving of her status as a Ranger reserve.

  Which was why Howie wanted Mama getting the benefits of Catnap over Tina. 25% of 105 was 26 Aether, almost 2 Third Order Spells worth, and Mama was definitely getting more than 26 Aether back from a Catnap. Mind you, this 105 Grain statistic was the average for your typical Specialist Magi from the old world, where the flows were faster, smoother, and far more difficult to grasp according to Mama. Over there, if you were a Specialist of any Order, you likely had enough Grainage to cast a Spell of that Order 7 times a day, a general rule that held true even for Archmagi. This was in contrast to the 3x limit for your average Spellslinger, putting Specialists a cut above, but even among the Rangers who were the cream of the crop and bristling to the gills with Specialists, Mama could hardly be considered average. This combined with the fact that your limits grew faster as you moved up in Spell Orders, and Mama’s actual limits might well be much, much higher.

  Don’t forget, Rachel Walker-Bradshaw was a powerful second-generation Innate from a long lineage of soldiers, one who’d come into her Third Order Spells before Howie was even born and had 18 years to improve. While Aetheric concentration levels were too low to support Spell Structures over Third Order, it didn’t do nothing to stop Spellslingers from raising their Grainage limits well past Third Order standards. Uncle Teddy had been a Sixth Order Grandmagus before stepping through the Gate almost 19 years back, so it you went by old world standards, it meant his daily limit would’ve likely been at least 343 Grain back then. That was 7 times the cost of a Sixth Order Spell, which again was the average limit of your typical Specialist, but Uncle Teddy was a rare master of all trades when it came to all things Spellslinging, as he done earned his bronze Specialist and silver Adept pins in all 7 Schools of Magic.

  All before turning 35 mind you, which was how old he’d been when he passed through the Gate on the Advent. Course, having more Specializations didn’t mean your Aether limits were cumulatively higher, or even any higher at all, but it was still an incredible feat matched by few, if any Spellslingers of the old world. Over the years, Tina had often heard folks saying that if Uncle Teddy hadn’t come to the Frontier, he might well have become the Federation’s next Archmagus by now and a Three-Star General most likely. Instead, he was stuck as a Marshal and passed up for promotion time and time again because he was stuck using the same Third Order Spells as everyone else thanks to the low Aetheric concentration and refused time and time again to be stationed anywhere besides the Eastern Front.

  Which was neither here nor there, except to say that Uncle Teddy was an incredible Spellslinger who stood head and shoulders above most, yet had often remarked how Mama’s ‘outstanding’ progress was even faster than his own. Neither one ever gave any specifics, because that’s just how folks were when it came to talking magic. You always played your cards close to your chest no matter what, but seeing how Mama was currently 38 years young, this led Tina to suspect her sweet, silly mother who used her Spells to shoo away flies instead of killing them outright might well be the equivalent of a Grandmagus here on the Frontier.

  Without the Sixth Order Spells of course, or even Fourth and Fifth Order, but a daily Aetheric limit of 343 Grain meant she could throw out 21 Third Order Spells like Hypnotic Pattern, Phantasmal Force, Psychic Scream, and so much more, each one capable of turning the tides of battle and making her a force to be reckoned with even out here in the badlands. Even if she stuck to Support Spells like Battle Ballad, Slow, or Major Illusion, she was still their ace in the hole should things get ugly. Made perfect sense to let her have the Catnap, keeping in theme with making the most out of available resources, but the facts didn’t help none when it came to Tina’s ruffled feathers.

  Because when you got right down to it, she was the bottom rung of this here operation, the least useful member of the crew and the one dragging everyone else down.

  Hurt her pride something fierce, even though it all made perfect sense. Mama went without saying, even if it was all too easy to overlook her abilities given how she rarely ever made use of them, while Howie was Howie after all. As for Chrissy, Tina had long since come to terms with being the untalented twin when it came to magic, but having it all laid bare like this still stung quite a bit. Despite all her hard work and arduous training this last year, Tina was fast realizing that being top boot and recruit didn’t mean much of anything at all. She still had a long ways to go, but there wasn’t nothing to be done in the here and now besides buckle down and do her job.

  Which meant keeping watch while the others slept, so Tina left them be and headed over to the side of the rock formation and settled in with her Merlin 45 at the ready. Seeing how it was plenty dark and there wasn’t any light to speak of to glint off her scope, she uncapped it and scanned the eastern horizon towards the general direction of gunfire. It was still going strong, all snap and pop if in the distance, but not fast enough to be fully- or even semi-automatic gunfire. Hard to tell what sort of gun it might be at this range, but it certainly didn’t sound like any guns she’d ever heard. Made sense if they were foreigners from the south, but those sorts of geopolitical considerations were for high-ranking officers, not even Captains but Marshals and Brigadier Generals. Meaning Tina, being a raw recruits still learning the ropes, had yet to learn the ins and outs of national interests and had no idea what the implications might be regarding a foreign military force coming this far into the badlands while kicking up a fuss all the while.

  Well, aside from knowing it wouldn’t be anything good, politically speaking or immediately even. They had to be military though, or backed by one, because mercenaries had nothing to gain from making all this fuss and likely wouldn’t have survived to make it this deep. The foreign interlopers were even closer to the Divide than their little group up here, and according to the situation report from Watchtower One, them folks had been moving up alongside the Divide for more than a week now. Which took some doing mind you, and explained why their Aetherarms fire was so sporadic. They were probably conserving ammo, since even if they left for home tomorrow, they were still only halfway through their trip, meaning they’d need ammo enough to get them all the way back.

  Which would take some doing, because a full Ranger Company with three wagons full of ammo and rations might not have enough firepower to get home safe, not after kicking up a hornet’s nest right next to the Divide. Tina couldn’t see a thing though, not even the muzzle flash from Aetherarms in the distance, so she settled in and counted the seconds until she was absolutely certain 10 minutes had passed, then gave it another 2 before getting up to wake Howie. Knowing Chrissy, she might well have taken some time to settle in, as when Tina last heard them, Howie was trying to convince Chrissy to let him sleep on the side with her in the middle so he wouldn’t wake them both up when he got up soon after.

  Which Chrissy would’ve hated of course, as she was a very particular sort, and more to the point she very much-loved cuddling up with Howie for a Catnap. The restful sleep was an added bonus, and even if he woke her getting up, she’d consider that the cherry on top, so she wouldn’t be none too happy to be losing out on all that. If anyone could cajole Chrissy into compliance though, it was Howie, as she was more willing to listen to him than anyone else besides Daddy and Uncle Ming. Maybe it was as simple as Chrissy seeing men as authority figures and women as supportive providers, or maybe she knew Howie was more stubborn than Mama and Tina so she couldn’t always get her way. Regardless of the reasons, Tina knew Chrissy would’ve made a fuss about Howie sleeping on right side of the wagon, because that meant she couldn’t hug his left arm and interlace her fingers with his prosthetic while they slept.

  Which was a darling sight to be sure, and adorable as all heck, with Tina and Mama both snapping off plenty of Photos over the course of the trip. In the interest of expedience, Tina only snapped off a single Photo tonight, even though this might be their most darling pose yet. Having convinced Chrissy to sleep in the middle, Howie was laid out on his side to be big spoon to Chrissy’s little spoon, who’d been in such a big mood that she curled right up in Mama’s arms leaving plenty of room over top for Mama and Howie to touch heads. They was all snuggled up like three peas in a pod, leaving plenty of room in the otherwise cramped wagon interior, and it took all of Tina’s self restraint not to sidle up behind Howie for a quick family snuggle session.

  Well, self restraint and the faint echo of Aetherarm fire sounding sporadically in the distance.

  Her Photo stored in the memory bank, Tina gently tapped Howie’s boot and marveled at how quickly he came awake all alert and aware without stirring so much as an inch. The fact that she could even stand here and snap a Photo was a testament to the power of Catnap, because any other day, Howie would’ve woken soon as Tina cracked open the wagon doors. Didn’t matter how carefully she moved or how well-oiled the hinges were, her weight on the running board would’ve shifted the wagon ever so slightly and been enough to wake him from all but the deepest of sleeps, which was Catnap in a nutshell. Squeezed 2 hours of rest into 10 minutes, clearing out the brain tubes good and well, which left Howie less alert than he liked. Recovered right quick though, not startled awake or shooting upright in alarm or nothing, just twitching his head ever so slightly as his eyes snapped open to assess the situation quick as a blink.

  Sliding out from behind Chrissy and pushing his way up to his feet, he grabbed his guns and made his way out of the wagon without so much as a squeak from the wagon suspension, and Tina had no idea how he did it. Even closed the door without looking, putting just enough force for the heavy steel to swing into place and settle into the frame as quiet as can be. “Sit rep?” he asked, his hands going over his belt, bandolier, and pouches to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, and only then did Tina notice he had both hands out for this. The purple glow of the dynamo powering his Automaton prosthetic was nowhere to be seen, and his glove was filled and substantial instead of oversized and wrinkled, while the Aetheric flows were tight and self-contained so as not to give up the game with a glance.

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  Part and parcel of Wildshape as it were, because even if Tina looked directly at a person Wildshaped into an animal, she’d have to work pretty hard to see the telltale signs of magic at work and realize there was something afoot. Could hardly blame Howie for not knowing Elodie was a girl when he brought back the baby diamondclaw, but Tina was still miffed whenever she thought back to the scene of the naked green haired girlie all curled up in his lap. No idea why, because Tina loved Elodie to bits and knew Howie would never do anything untowards given her special circumstances, but it bothered her all the same.

  Kept it to herself though, because right now Howie was all business and in no mood for jokes. “No change,” she said, gesturing towards the gunfire which she still couldn’t place, while trying not to be too impressed by his foresight to use his Ability before taking his restorative Catnap. Since the Ability lasted 5 hours without need for Concentration and could be maintained even while asleep, doing things this way meant he’d have the hand out for another 4 hours and 50 minutes more and still having another 2 uses after the fact thanks to the Catnap. “Can’t tell exactly what direction they coming from, and not sure if they’re getting closer either.”

  “But it’s been ongoing? No long pauses or anything?” Tina shook her head as Howie pursed his lips in a grimace. “Means they’re caught up in a sustained fight. They hold out for a few hours and we’ll have a bonafide horde moving through them hills by the time morning rolls around.” Almost made it sound like he wanted them to die quickly so as not to rile Abby up so much, and Tina was scared to think too much into it. “We’ll probably have to camp out here all of tomorrow, and maybe the day after too.” Which wasn’t ideal, considering they were only a day away from their destination, but he’d warned them that the last day was the most dangerous seeing how the mesa was sat smack dab in the middle of a massive ramp that led down into the Divide.

  After several klicks of course, but it was still crazy that Uncle Ming and Aunty Lina made a home up there, while she was 6 months pregnant no less. Made Tina wonder what the place looked like, but Howie always said it wasn’t much to look at, more of a shack than anything else since resources were limited. The same could be said of all of the badlands, which made Tina real nervous all things considered, because while the top of the rock formation was fairly safe and easily defended, she felt wholly exposed out here with no cover of any sort and no means to make any. Not without digging into the rock at least, which you couldn’t do with Mould Earth. You’d need to use Shatter to make any headway quick, but the noise would bring Abby down on their heads, or the vibrations would instead.

  “Here.” Handing her the Silence Artifact, Howie said, “Set that up behind the wagon somewhere the horses can’t knock it over, then put them in the bubble same as what we do for playing music. Get them calm and relaxed as you can, and if you can lull them to sleep lying down, even better. If there’s a fight, I don’t want them getting spooked and running out from behind cover.”

  “Good idea,” she said, grabbing the Artifact with a grin. “I’ll have them out like a light right quick.”

  “Keep your head on a swivel,” Howie said with a nod, ambling over to the storage compartment and activating two of the six Floating Disc sleds stored underneath, which was enough to get the whole thing to hovering right up off the ground. Could’ve done it with one, but he explained without Tina needing to ask. “Heading down to grab some dirt and stones so we can build ourselves some cover. Shouldn’t take long, but if I run into anything, I’ll do what I can to lead them away before they cotton on to your presence.”

  Always the noble hero, ready and raring to jump into the fire if it meant keeping the family safe. Wasn’t no arguing with him though, so Tina stood guard as he went through his Rituals to cast Detect Abby, Detect Magic, and finally, his newest Third Order Spell, Clairvoyance. Tina got a real kick watching it go down, because a Third Order Ritual was worlds apart from a piddling First Order one. With them Detection Spells, there wasn’t much of a flow to watch unfold, Aetherically speaking, and Second Order wasn’t any better. With Clairvoyance though? Now that was a show, one that started off subtle as Howie brought out his wand with the copper inlaid Etches, a right fancy piece of wood and metal work that Tina always adored. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to the Etches, no real purpose to them at all, but they fit Howie in a way that she couldn’t explain, like them swirls and swoops were his own personal signature. Not signed in copper on wood, but in Aether upon the physical world, his key to unlocking access to the Immaterium that was both all around them and a whole plane of existence away.

  Using the storage compartment as cover, Howie set up a little altar using a silk cloth, four candles, the lid to his candy tin, and a polished egg of clear crystal quartz which he laid gently within the tin. A vial of scented water was poured overtop as his moved his wand over the altar to draw Etches into the air. Anyone else would only see him wave his arms about, but Tina watched with rapt attention as he drew the faint flows of Aether in all around him, ones that were invisible even to her eyes, only to gather together and come alive with a faint purple glow as he directed them where to go. His muttered chant was of no recognizable language, but Howie intoned it with a conviction that made it sound commanding and compelling while sprinkling a generous dash of crystallized Aether over the crystal and water both, followed by the faintest pinch of what Tina knew was diamond dust, but only because she asked the first time he showed her the ritual.

  Made Clairvoyance a fairly expensive Spell to cast, consider most Spells were pretty much free. Still cheaper than bringing a camera everywhere, Tina supposed, and it was probably much easier to hide the Spell recipient than a full-on bulky pierce of hardware, not to mention all the wires and doodads it’d need for power and storage.

  In this instance, Howie chose to cast the Spell on a rock, one he probably picked up days ago with just this use case in mind. Still chanting up a storm, he continued to wave his arms and wand about while building up the flows before Tina’s eyes, only to fixate his gaze upon the stone in question as he slowly and carefully used it to gather up the flows, moving the stone about in what would look like a random and haphazard manner, but Tina could see how he traced the Aetheric flows with the stone even though he couldn’t see them. For a brief moment, the stone shimmered as it became more than a stone and transformed into the locus for Howie’s Spell, binding to him to enable him to see through it from a good ways away because they were connected by a thread which passed through the Immaterium.

  All of which coalesced and compressed down into nothingness as the Spell took effect, and while the stone glowed with the unmistakable light of magic, Tina knew she’d have to be within 10 to 15 meters to see it. Wasn’t the magic hiding itself, much like Wildshape would, but rather a failing of Tina’s eyes which could only pick up the flows from a certain distance away. Wasn’t that she could pick up magic as far as her eyes could see, but rather the way her brain translated whatever sense she was using to pick up on those Aetheric flows into colours and movement she’d understand.

  Least that’s how Uncle Teddy explained it, and he was the one to ask about almost anything related to magic. Which was why he got along so well with Howie, because he was the only kid around who found that sort of stuff fascinating and could listen to a lecture on it for hours without end. Tina didn’t think much of it, because it wasn’t like knowing how she sensed magic made any real difference, but she was trying to be more like Howie and consider all the angles. Soon as he was done with his Rituals though, he set out with wave goodbye and his Nanfoodle in hand, ready to shoot whisper quiet should the need arise.

  Left to her own devices, Tina got the horses settled right quick, finding a nice little crack in the stone to wedge the Silence Artifact in and marvelling at how well constructed the whole thing was as she powered it up. Not just in terms of handiwork, but how well planned it all was, with a nice textured grip over the metal and no exposed wires or Etches to accidentally burn yourself on when turning the Artifact off after a long period of time. He even built a neat little casing to hide the Core and most the Metamagic Etches, and Tina had no idea how to crack it open to get inside, so she figured it’d be safe for the animals too. The last thing anyone wanted was more Magical Beasts, because they could grow into a real threat if left to reproduce unchecked. Not necessarily because they became a danger to society, but rather because Magical Beasts gained an unfair advantage. In doing so, they were able to overcome their predators and outperform their competitors, which led to things like an unbalanced ecosystem or whatnot. Hadn’t happened with Cowie, and diamondclaws reproduced too slowly for any problems to crop up any time soon, but Tina shuddered to think what might happen if marties or gryphikins got a hold of a Spell Core and mutated into magical beasts.

  Or worse, them bicorn bunnies. They was mean, dumb, and suicidally aggressive, but if they got Spells that helped them kill or survive, then the Frontier and Abby both might be overrun within a matter of years.

  Magical horses would be great though. They had all sorts back in the old world, from winged Pegasi to soar through the skies to aquatic Kelpies cutting through the waves, to war unicorns and ferocious keshi to bear Protectorate Knights and Bharathi Rajputs into battle. Tina heard tell that the Chevaliers were hard at work trying to come up with a horse breed right here on the Frontier, one that was both ferocious and compliant so they could then turn one into a Magical Beast that was possible to tame. No idea why they didn’t just ask Howie to sell more of Cowie’s babies to them, because them sweet cattle were everything you wanted in a war mount. They were cute, loyal, powerful, and brave as could be, with a whole suite of helpful Transmutation Spells to boot, but somehow folks didn’t like the thought of riding bulls into battle.

  Called it undignified they did, but much as Tina loved horses, she would hate to see one of these big fanged beasties turned Magical, mostly because she knew they only tolerated people because they were well fed and cared for. A neglected horse might well tear a man’s hand off and stomp him to death one morning for no reason than a foul mood, which was why her heart still skipped a beat every time she saw Howie stretch out his hand for Old Tux to nip at.

  Ivory had picked up the habit too, going for Tina’s hat when he saw her coming, but she soothed his frayed nerves and got him nice and relaxed with a liberal use of the Bolstering Compliment Cantrip. Didn’t do nothing but jazz them up, a feeling they associated with Tina and paid dividends, but if she really wanted to charm them, Animal Friendship was the Spell to use. That was First Order though, and she didn’t want to waste no Grainage with a possible conflict looming over the horizon. Minor Illusion and Prestidigitation worked wonders though, as she helped the horses shut out the eerie atmosphere and barren scent of the badlands, while the Artifact shut out all sounds of Aetherarms fire too.

  Wasn’t until after she settled the horses down for a good nap and stepped out of the bubble of Silence that she realized she probably should’ve waited until she was leaving to turn the Artifact on, seeing how a marching band could’ve easily snuck up on her while she was inside. Didn’t even mean to do it, but the sound of Aetherarms fire set her nerves alight, and she wondered if it was her imagination making them sound louder than before. Not significantly louder, but it felt a touch closer than she remembered, though that might well have been the period of Silence that done it.

  With nothing else to be done, Tina circled the top of the rock formation in search of weak spots or defensible spots before taking up vigil to watch the eastern horizon once more. Whoever was out there had to have some sort of training, because it’d been almost half an hour since she heard that first shot and they were still going strong. Meant these folks knew how to survive even against the overwhelming odds they were no doubt up against, but it was only a matter of time before they fell. Didn’t matter how good they might be, because this close to the Divide, Abby would keep on coming until the threat was dealt with.

  Maybe those people out there would get away. Maybe they had real good horses and multiple people with the Lay on Hands Ability to restore their stamina in a pinch. Wasn’t likely, since the Ability was so rare Tina was pretty sure Uncle Rigsby had come up to New Hope just to poach Errol away. There was a Fifth Order Spell called Greater Restoration that could reduce fatigue and exhaustion, but the Second Order version called Lesser Restoration couldn’t do that, as it was only good for magically inflicted conditions like Blind and Paralysis, whereas Aid only made you feel refreshed, without actually doing anything about the root issue.

  Or maybe those strangers were all Third Order Spellslingers with Fly in their pocket, ready and waiting to escape up into the skies and go far as they could in the base 10-minute duration, which was only enough time to get about 2 klicks away. 4 with Extend Metamagic, which wasn’t much better, but still better than getting bogged down by an endless wave of Abby.

  While Tina was coming up with scenarios that might see the mysterious soldiers away to safety, Howie made his way back up with a storage compartment full of stone and dirt, which he quickly upended and emptied out into a pile just outside the wagon before heading back down to get more. Since he didn’t say anything to Tina, she was too scared to start digging in just in case he had a different idea from her, so she kept watch until Howie returned with yet another load. Only then did he wave her over and show her how to compress the dirt with Mould Earth before sprinkling a layer of stone and Moulding another dirt brick overtop it.

  It was the best they could do since there weren’t no branches or anything for added support, but they made do with what they had. Or rather Howie did, as he built a good 80% of the dirt wall all by his lonesome as all he had to do was point and the dirt would leap to heed his command. Took less than a half hour to get a defensible position, one built around the storage compartment which had been tipped over onto its side, with a thick layer of dirt and stone already stuck fast to the bottom. “Listen,” he said soon as they were done, without so much as sparing a moment to take in their handywork. “If Abby do come a knocking, we can’t win a stand-up fight. If it’s a small group, best we can do is take them out quick and make a run for the mesa or home, but both options are dangerous as can be with Abby all riled up like this.”

  Tina didn’t say anything, just stood there waiting for Howie to explain how things would be alright, except he didn’t. He just looked at her, his lips pressed in a hard line and wholly at odds with his soft, sad eyes as he considered how to say what he had on his mind. “If it’s a big group,” he began, looking away as he did, “Then all bets are off. If I say it’s quitting time, then you get your mama and Chrissy and take your Potions of Gaseous Form, then get as far away from this rock as you can and make a beeline for New Hope. Do everything you can to get away safe, and do what you have to if you can’t.”

  Frowning something fierce at the prospect of not only abandoning the horses, but also covering 200 klicks in hostile territory on foot, Tina realized something and gasped. “What about you then?” Tina asked, pouting up a storm and resisting the urge to stomp her foot. “What you gonna be doing while we getting gone?”

  “Buying time,” Howie replied, giving a little shrug. “I’ll hold the horde off long as I can, while you three get away.” Holding a hand up to forestall her argument, he said, “I ain’t saying I’mma go down with the wagon or anything. It’s just metal and elbow grease, so I can always build another. I’ll stay and fight to hold their attention, then get out with Cowie if I can.” Meaning without using his Potion of Gaseous Form, because even though he had two, getting Cowie to drink it would be a real challenge, and teaching him how to control his movement as a cloud of gas even more difficult. Tina had some training, though she’d never drank one either, but Howie said it was no different from swimming, except you couldn’t feel your hands or legs.

  So to save Cowie, Howie would rather risk his hide and jump off the side of the rock formation, relying on his Featherfall to get him to ground safely before running on his own two feet in the vain hopes of escaping an Abby horde. These weren’t the bipedal gobbos and orcs running across the dunes while he skied down them atop a Floating Disc. These were Feral Bugs, with some moving right quick like them Swarmers and Spitters, to say nothing of leaping Razorscythes and all the other scary, specialized bugs they had out here.

  Tina wanted to argue, call him a fool and tell him in no uncertain terms that they’d all leave together, but he wasn’t having none of it and shut her down before she could get started. “Ain’t gonna hear it,” he said, fixing his steely gaze on her once again, and even though the goggles, she could feel him radiate a cold, hard air of finality. “That’s the plan, so if I give the word, then you get gone tout suite. This is our best chance to make it out of this, because if we all go gassy at the same time, then some Razorscythe or something is gonna lock onto our signature and lead the swarm right after us, and then where’d we be?”

  Running away on foot with only the ammo and rations they could carry, which wasn’t all that much. Tina fell silent at the thought, and so did Howie, as they stood there across from one another hidden in the lee of the storage compartment in the dead silence of the badlands. Wasn’t even a breeze to stir things up, no glowhoppers trilling or chitterrats chirping, just empty night and stifling stillness that seemed to echo out into eternity.

  For a moment at least, until another Aetherarm rang out to shatter the calm and that Tina wasn’t just imagining it. The shots were getting closer, and she looked to east once more, except this time she saw something off in the distance. A flash of light, so tiny and brief it was instantly swallowed up by the darkness, but it’d been there all the same. “Howie,” Tina said, pointing it out for him to see, and as fortune would have it, another shot rang out just in time for him to catch it. “They’re headed this way.”

  Howie cursed up a storm, stringing several cusses together in a way Tina had never heard, and she wasn’t sure if she was more appalled by the unfolding disaster or her sorta brother’s foul language. Sure, he’d gotten rather foul mouthed of late, but he still made an effort to clean things up around her, and this was the first time he’d fully let slip. “Sorry,” he said, moving over to the edge and raising his Nanfoodle for a look. “You see anything?”

  Wasn’t ideal, using Darkvision glasses to peer through a scope, but at the next flash, Tina could almost make out a figure off in the distance. “They’re people,” she said, rather redundantly, but Howie didn’t say nothing about it. Just kept staring, waiting to see what direction they going in, which the next flash of light and pop of sound revealed to be straight towards the rock formation Tina was currently stood on.

  Didn’t need to say it either, because Howie cursed and said it for her. “Fuck. They’re coming towards us. God fucking damn it. Sorry. Go get your mama.”

  Tina hopped right too, running back and popping the door open to hiss, “Code Red. Mama, Howie wants a word.”

  Took her a moment to fully wake, while Chrissy squirmed and sulked in her embrace, but she knew better than to throw a fit once Code Red had been called. Soon as Mama had her cloak on and guns in hand, she followed Tina over to Howie, who quickly explained the situation and asked, “How long can you maintain a Major Illusion Aunty Ray?”

  “Three hours, give or take,” Mama replied, which was really something considering it was 10-minutes at base and required Concentration from the start. Seeing Tina’s look of awe, Mama patted her cheek and said, “It’s easier than you’d think. The Spell was built for long lasting Illusions before being scaled down to Third Order. Fact is, if you upcast Major Illusion at Six Order and only create a static illusion, it’ll last indefinitely until dispelled.”

  “Can you cover us up and hide the path up the side of the rock formation?” Howie asked, all business with the threat in sight. “I’m thinking they’ve scouted the area and picked this place out for a fallback point, so best we make ourselves scarce.”

  Appalled by the suggestion, Tina tried not to show it, but she couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “You gonna hang them out to dry like that?”

  “They’re the ones hanging us out,” Howie replied, all calm and cold as could be. “If it wasn’t for them, we’d be fine and dandy while catching z’s in prep for our trip up to the mesa tomorrow. Instead, we’re caught between a rock and a hard place, because it’s too dangerous to leave, but it’ll be even more dangerous if we sit tight while they bring a whole swarm of bugs right to our doorstep.”

  “I can do one or the other,” Mama declared, putting a stop to the argument before either one of them could get heated. “Which one you want? Hide us, or hide the path up?”

  “…Us.” Which made sense. Could be them folks out there weren’t actually headed for this formation, but if Abby passed by and spotted the wagon or something, then they’d be no better off either way. Heaving a sigh, Howie gave Tina a look she couldn’t read, but he didn’t say nothing else about it. “When she’s done hiding us, be sure to tell your mama what I told you,” he said, reaching out with his hand and holding it there until she took it a half second later. Gave her fingers three quick squeezes, and Tina’s heart hurt to feel it, and she squeezed his hand three times back because she felt like he needed it too. He wasn’t looking to get anyone killed. He just wanted to keep them safe, and he’d do anything to make it so.

  Howie was willing to stand up here all by his lonesome and risk death buying time for their escape, so why wouldn’t he be willing to sacrifice the lives of strangers too?

  Didn’t make it right, but Tina understood where he was coming from, so she leaned in for a quick hug that lasted longer than she intended. “Go on now, Songbird,” he said, breaking things off and waving her away. “I’ll keep an eye on our friends there, but don’t nothing change. Only difference is that I’ll have help buying time for the three of you to get away.”

  Tina didn’t like that one bit, but Howie had already turned back to face east with his rifle raised to his shoulder.

  And finger on the trigger too, which wasn’t an accident. No, if he had the shot and thought he could get away with it without Abby noticing, Howie would kill those people out there or at least try and drive them away. Was just how things were done out here, and while Tina herself couldn’t stomach the thought of it, she understood that there might well come a day when someone did that to her.

  Assuming she made it out of this pinch in one piece of course, because this right here was a worst-case scenario for a trip into the badlands, an unmitigated disaster even Uncle Ming never had to deal with, much less Howie. If anyone could see them through to safety though, it was him though, so Tina put her faith in her sorta brother and made ready to fight to the bitter end if need be.

  But not before putting a Bolt through Mama and Chrissy first, because a quick death was preferable to being captured alive by Abby. That’s what Howie meant when he told Tina to do what she had to, and didn’t anything else need to be said. Was a bleak and ugly prospect for sure, but a grim reality of life here on the Frontier, one Tina had long since made her peace with, and prayed would never come to pass.