It was sixteen years ago last month that William Rydel had gained his class in the fields of Kallical. Thinking on all he had done, he struggled to say whether the attention the gods had given him was warranted. As a younger man he had not been as charitable or ambitious as he could have been. But that was to be expected, wasn't it? He'd become a Ranger, not a Hero, and weren't the Blessed owed something for the responsibility they took on? Wealth, fame, a comfortable life outside of hunts, that wasn't so much to ask.

Yet in his shame he looked back on days spent drinking and wondered how much harder he could have pushed. If he'd had one more level, would he have seen past the Tyrant's deceit before it was too late? Word had reached him that it hadn't been Heldren, but while that partially absolved him from the consequences of not slaying the treacherous Hero when he'd had the chance, it didn't change the fact that he'd stood against Murdon.

He had to be better. Stronger. It was as much of a debt to himself as it was to his former Commander. When the draconoid himself had rushed off with almost everyone else the Ranger was familiar with, he'd initially thought he'd lost an opportunity to earn redemption. Then Zolyra had contacted him and he understood he was exactly where he was meant to be.

Not that that made his life easy. Soraso was obviously aware of who he was, and they didn't have anyone who could tail him without him noticing. Well, he assumed as much anyway. Otherwise he'd flagged every Rogue, Ranger, or plain guard that hadn't been quick enough to obscure that they'd been watching him. Watching was all they'd been doing, thankfully, and he could say the same. Zolyra had impressed upon him the fragility of the peace in the second secure message she'd sent.

It was breaking now. Most in Aurus' streets and sky could tell something was going to go down. The betrayal by Lagori Talongleam and subsequent appearance of Zozar had shaken the avianoids of the region to the core. That some form of revolt or protest hadn't occurred was due to anyone who would have backed one dying with Lagori. Most made the tragic assumption that Soraso was merely clinging to power. A new Tyrant wasn't the worst thing that could happen if it kept everyone safe, and if he became a King that would make everything right.

The Ranger scoffed slightly, within the crevice his body could barely fit into. He was hidden within the Shattered Falls, the side of the mountain city dedicated to agriculture. From above the massive sky river fed into a small lake that flowed down to water fields before beginning the loop again. It was one of the best places to lose pursuers as there wasn't as much cover or crowds for them to hide within, but plenty of nooks to dip into. Few appreciated how hollow Aurus actually was as the city did a good job of covering obvious gaps. An entire collective of earth gestalt lived somewhere in the mountain's heart after all, though William hadn't seen one in a while.

R…ranger William, this is Silora Thelonas speaking for, well, everyone. Are you alright? We can hear you breathing but I'm barely seeing anything.

"I'm here," he whispered as quietly as he could. "Hiding out beneath the earth. Almost certain no one's watching, and I scraped off the tracking power they put on me. When you say everyone…"

Everyone. The Ty- the ruler of Aughal is in the room, along with Zolyra and every team leader. I'll say the name of whoever's talking before I transmit the words. He could hear the nerves in the woman's voice and understood, in a way. William didn't know what he'd do if he were in that room, but if Murdon made a move he'd be at his back in a second. Ashier deserved to be put down once this was over, and if he had a hand in it he might just sleep well at night again.

"What do they want to know?"

Zolyra: William, I want a report on the streets. Include if you've seen anything that would make you suspect Soraso is concealing true elites under the guise of tamed monsters. The order came through well enough, though it lacked the intensity he'd come to associate with draconoids in general.

William flicked some of the dirt from his face, though getting himself fully presentable for the audience viewing him was a foregone conclusion considering over half his body was pressed into the dirt. "There's unrest, but I doubt we'll find too many willing to take up the cause if you come in swinging. The flights will all be fully against you. Maybe the guard keeping order in the streets will care more about sheltering the innocent, but anyone with a level's grabbing a sword and taking wing if they have 'em. Whether anyone solely in the pocket of the Hunter's Guild would act is anyone's guess. I have no doubt many respect you, Zolyra, but the look of what you're planning isn't the best."

He had to give the second question more thought. Zolyra had confirmed the existence of those creatures yesterday and specifically asked him to keep an eye out. He'd hoped at least one of his scouting powers would make a monster with class powers stand out, but either they didn't apply or there'd been none to find. "Maybe, on the second. Swore there was darkscythe mantis that caught me scoping it out in a market, but I can't be sure."

William waited patiently in the silence as those on the other end no doubt argued and bickered. He truly wasn't bothered by the tight quarters and in happier times could nap here. It reminded him of home, for good and ill. They're, they're being indecisive, Silora pouted. William nodded knowingly, not really caring that everyone could see him do so. Look, I'll just ask. I shouldn't have to remind you Commander that certain powers can detect my scrying.

"I can reposition if you need," William offered. "Won't take but a few minutes." He might have to anyway. There was a slight vibration coming through the ground. Faint, but slowly getting closer.

Zolyra: We're not going to leave you exposed. William, would you agree that it is too dangerous for you to confirm Soraso's location before we attack?

"Leading question if I've ever heard one, Commander." William winked, though it was unclear if the Fate had picked that up.

Ashi- the Ty… mmm, the Bastion Saint: Ranger, we must be certain Soraso is in Aurus before we strike. I can detect them, but doing so would reveal my presence as well. This advantage is made useless if he is not there to begin with!

Zolyra: I'm not risking him on that. His life aside… and now they're arguing again.

"I'm not doing it." He wished he could see whatever room they were in to catch the reaction but however they were sharing Silora's scrying was one way only.

The Bastion Saint: You cannot let cowardice overcome you. The Octyrrum itself is at stake!

Zolyra: Silora, stop repeating whatever- The message abruptly cut off. William moved closer to where the hollow he was in opened into a slightly larger cave, preparing to move if needed. Those vibrations were getting closer, making him wish he had something like Tremorsense to get a definite read on them. It could just be a large cart moving somewhere down the mountain slope, or something cutting through the rock to kill him.

Whispering now, he spoke to the air. "You have to have seen what the top of Aurus looks like. I'm not afraid, Commander, but I'm also not a fool. That big cloud bastard has the whole area covered, and I would definitely outstay my welcome if I tried to get in there. I'd holler if the Regent showed himself in public but that's a rare sight these days."

Zolyra: It will have to do. At worst we will have to focus our strike on defeating Zozar instead. I don't want to turn this into a long conflict, but if they are removed we'll have an easier time locating the Regent. William's eyes sharpened as, during that message, he began to hear footsteps close by. They didn't match the vibrations, but that could just mean he was being flanked. William, are you alright?

"Going to need to move. Last thing, Commander. Fight over the Shattered Falls if you can. They're letting most of the refugees hang their hats on the other side of the mountain to keep the fields clear. You'll be risking crops mostly."

Zolyra: Understood. We'll drop the connection, I'll have Silora check on you in an hour. He felt the presence in the air fade but didn't relax. The voices of avianoids were carrying clearly to him despite their attempts to whisper.

"And we're sure he's down here? It feels like this place is going to collapse any minute," one complained.

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"I know. We should have either done it ourselves or hollowed out the space." William caught a faint clinking sound from that one as a sword rattled in its sheath. While he was being careful to reserve any active powers in case one of them could detect them, his senses were passively enhanced and could pick apart details like that. For example there weren't any signs of heavy armor, which would have meant something if his pursuers were another race. "Think of how less crowded things would be if we had step homes lining the inside of this place."

"Who'd want to live there?" the first shot back, while a third navigated a drop in the ceiling that forced them to crouch. They were close, and one of his exploration powers was suggesting the only clean way to the surface was through them. "And if we take too much out the city would fall."

"Yeah, just feels like a waste to give it all to the plants. What are they even doing with it?"

"Quiet. We're close." William drew his knives when he heard the third voice. Authoritative, and definitely on his level. The two lackeys he could've risked sneaking past, or knocking out worst case, but he didn't like the chances of taking all three before an alarm was raised.

Half a minute passed as he held his breath. The three outside tried to move as quietly as they could, but he tracked them until they reached the narrow gap leading to him. "…no fucking way he's in there. You said this was a human, right?" the first in the group whispered.

The leader ignored that, speaking up in the carrying way avianoids were effortlessly capable of. "Ranger William Rydel, you are wanted by the Regency in connection with suspected treason. Surrender yourself or we will make free use of powers to capture you, dead or alive."

His surroundings grew hazy as William activated a power that let him see through terrain. How much depended on the type of material, with dirt being one of the least taxing. The meter or so of it between them fell away, though he could adjust the depth of the effect to avoid being blind to what was closest to him.

Now with eyes on, William rapidly engaged several powers that marked either one or all of the three. Damage enhancement, positional tracking, and even a single target ability that reduced the damage the level 3 would do. He wasn't going to be taken, not alive at least. He'd spare whom he could, but this wasn't a war for half-measures.

"Target's casting!" A Cleric behind the other two raised a staff, projecting a glowing shield in front of the crack. It wouldn't be enough.

"Come peacefully or we will burn you out! Last warning!" The leader announced, an orb of fire beginning to grow above an outstretched palm. William prepared to use Piercing Throw to attack through the wall, when he was reminded of the vibrations he'd felt earlier.

"Wait, Trayjin, below us! Something just used a-" The earth trembled, and then broke. William could see over 10 meters down and barely caught what was coming in time. Vines, hundreds or more of different sizes shooting upward with far more speed than the careful approach before.

He fought, severing several that had come for him, but the number of individual attacks was overwhelming. William had thought he'd have the advantage down here if it came to it, but these were a people even more attuned to the underground. Earth gestalt.

They dragged him down, down, through channels in the earth that could barely fit his body. The three avianoids were caught in the snare as well, the vines sealing the passage of each as they traveled. Amidst their screams, the Ranger was pulled into the true heart of Aurus.

…

Wingcraft had taken to one of the sides of the room as the war council continued to deliberate on the attack on Aurus. There were squad assignments and dispositions, minor objectives, and backup strategies that needed to be reviewed in detail as Ashier and Zolyra sought to combine their forces while minimizing strife. When the topic shifted to where the level 4s in the group would be placed, Lograve walked over with a half-smile on his face.

"I'm sorry to say they're not going to take it easy on you," he whispered. "You have no idea how long I pleaded with that irascible scaled menace. 'Oh please, Commander, think of the children. They'll be utterly lost up there without me.' But her heart was hardened to my cries."

"Because you were indispensable the first few times we were up there," Daniel fired back, not liking where Lograve was going with this but humoring the man.

"How many times did you say you and everyone with you almost died again? Bah." He glanced sideways at Evalyn. "I suppose you'll have to do."

"You're going with Murdon," she said, cutting to the matter at hand.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." The tall, scarred Arcanist looked down on almost all of the team except Khiat, who was currently standing above him, and sighed. "I'll be honest. We're past the point where the charismatic, wise, dashing, talented, and so on, mentor figure is supposed to die right after shouting some last bit of salient advice. Aughal was already cutting it too close for my liking."

"Not everyone was as lucky as you," Hunter pointed out. The ringcat was a bit on edge after being amidst so many people in an enclosed space for this long, but it was important that he be here for the whole thing. The same could be said for the entire team. While it was true they should still be away from the majority of the fighting, they had to know the general plan in case their end paid off and they had to aim the doom cannon manually. Daniel also had the teleport scroll Zolyra had originally given him for the distraction run but wasn't thrilled about the prospect of giving himself and two friends an all expenses paid trip to hell.

Something complicated flicked across Lograve's face and he nodded. "No argument there. And I'll admit, despite all my skill there's, well, the chance that this could be one of the last times we see each other. If that's the case?" The mimic quartz floated out of Lograve's bag of holding and over to Daniel. "I don't know if that will work or not. Technically only someone with Ritualism should be able to start the process but we all know magic doesn't work as it should around you. I've done my best to prepare it, and in the worst case someone else with the power should be able to learn what I did from it."

Daniel felt a chill in his hands and soul as he took the crystal, noticing very intricate runes laid out in ice across its surface. They were so small it wasn't obvious until you were up close. The magic Lograve had put into the ice would keep them formed, but he still slipped it into his bag of cooling to be safe.

Tak frowned as he did so. "This is a strange thing for you to say. You aren't planning on dying, are you?"

"Of course not," Lograve chuckled lowly, careful not to interrupt the wider proceedings. "I'm just keeping my promise in the best way I can. Alex should see her home once more, at the very least."

"Thank you," Daniel said firmly. "But I'm giving this back to you the moment I see you after the battle."

"I don't doubt it. It's a heavy responsibility to bear." Lograve backed up a step and smiled sadly at all of them. "All grown up. Except for you, Sigron. Getting back up after taking a nap for months doesn't count as progress."

"Ass," the Knight bit out sarcastically, and with some effort.

"That's the spirit! Oh." Lograve's voice dropped a bit. "They're calling Murdon up. I should go with him so people don't think he's replaced me entirely." He waved and then fought through the crowd to get to where Murdon was stomping forward.

Evalyn broke the silence left in his wake. "Something's wrong with him. He didn't comment on Daniel and Shuni once."

"I've only known the guy for a few weeks, and yeah, agreed." Shuni tilted her head as she thought to herself. "I was afraid another one of his sculptures would be waiting for us in the courtyard this morning, but then I thought it might've been a one off thing for Murdon."

"He doesn't actually think he's going to die, does he?" Khiat asked worriedly as, with a better vantage than everyone else, she kept track of the Arcanist through the crowd. "It's not just him. All of this is wrong. We shouldn't be fighting each other. Why are they doing this?"

"I think I get it, or at least part of it," Daniel replied, looking at the pink cube. "Khiat, what if Soraso offered to help your people get rid of their weakness to the sun? Actually, now that I say that he's definitely going to do that if they get their kingdom established."

"And anyone who wants a pair of wings gets them," Shuni muttered.

"But they'd do it by turning you into a monster!" Khiat shrank slightly under the gazes her raised voice had attracted. "It should be like how Willow wants everything to be. Us and them living together without war."

Tak picked at a spot on his upper arm, removing a feather that had bent at an odd angle before adding his own thoughts. "Even if the gods did not like each other, there would be war. Just between two other groups. Maybe not as bad as it is now, but I am at least smart enough to know that having peace everywhere is impossible."

He is getting smarter, Daniel thought. Or at least it seems that way. I wonder if he's only advancing intelligence until he's balanced. What would that look like? He wanted to see it. Daniel wanted Quala to meet his mother and witness what they could do together. For that matter the rest of his family should get to know Shuni, which would be an awkward conversation considering he'd already introduced a humanoid cat as his brother. He wanted to give Lograve his crystal back, for Murdon and Tounaki to be happy together, and…

And when it came down to it, he didn't want anyone to die. As much as he tried to delude himself, he knew that even if they won, there'd be casualties. It seemed they wouldn't have to wait long to start counting them.

"Commander," Silora's voice trembled, catching in Daniel's ear. "Commander, I'm sorry. I can't find William. I ran a Regional Log at level 3 and looked over everything, just to be sure. He'd be on there if they had him in magical suppression. I… I think…"

"We must assume Soraso knows everything he did," Ashier immediately asserted without any sympathy. "This is unfortunate. Commander, you were wise enough to compartmentalize information?"

Zolyra looked like she wanted to scatter the Tyrant to the winds there and then, but instead she just bared her teeth at them for a moment. "More than you know. Damn it! I wasn't expecting Soraso to kill him, not this quickly at least."

"He could have refused capture," Murdon said grimly, looking at the ground. "One way, or the other."

The active illusion of Aurus disappeared as Zolyra raised her voice. "We're accelerating the timetable! Ashier, I want those potions and items you promised parted out. Team leaders, your full squads will be assembled here in ten minutes. We're moving out as soon as possible. I want to be in Aurus' air space within three hours."

"Commander, my forces can't travel that quickly," Ashier said, though it didn't seem that the Tyrant disapproved of her readiness.

"I guess it's like you said. I've been compartmentalizing information. One last thing. Wingcraft, front and center!"

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