The car ride was a short one, which was nice enough. Jason had made small talk for most of it, asking after her family and about what she'd been doing out at Brownhat. Alex deflected most of the questions well enough, at least to keep from giving anything important away. He seemed to accept the minimalist answers without irritation, though she caught a hint of determination in his eyes whenever she evaded a sensitive topic.

They reached the Ochre Star facility, and Alex was distracted for a few moments by the structures in front of her. There was an impressive gymnasium, almost like a converted airplane hangar, off to the right side of the compound. A set of dorms were off to the left, set up in a pattern that reminded her a little of Royal Purple's facility.

In the center, however, was not a shining tower of some sort. Instead, there was only a plain, flat concrete space that took up most of the space between the gym and the dorms. A handful of obviously fake houses stood along the edges of it, probably to provide some sort of monitoring readings for the PAD. The portal itself was located in a small dip in the concrete, where a set of stairs led down to the vortex.

It didn't look unstable, for all that she could smell the magic coming off of the thing. Alex studied it for a moment and watched a small flicker of lightning race from one edge to the other.

Then Jason cleared his throat and pointed at the gym. "Our training facilities are set up in there. The dorms are in that direction; if you want, we could move you up there to be closer to the portal."

Alex nodded, her eyes drifting back to the portal again. "That would be nice. I kind of like being close by."

His lips twitched in a brief smirk. "At the very least, it keeps the paparazzi away, right?" She snorted, and he motioned for the driver to take them closer to the gym. "Let's get you introduced to the team first, and then we can go talk to April. Maybe after dinner we can send you to pick up your things and bring them out here."

She nodded again, turning her eyes back towards the gym. The car came to a stop alongside a handful of other vehicles outside it, and Alex opened the door and stepped out onto the concrete. Magic still filled the air here, and she breathed it in deeply as Jason came around the side of the car and gestured for her to follow him.

They walked together into the building, where she could already hear the crackle of magic and the sharp sounds of practice weapons clashing. Jason pushed open the inner doors and beckoned her through into a much larger room that seemed far, far too empty.

It was set up much like she remembered the Red Blade facility had been, with sparring circles set up on the floor. Unlike the Red Blade gym, these circles were all flanked by three separate pillars, each with an array of equipment that she recognized from her time at Royal Purple. They were nullifier arrays, meant to limit the effects of magic being used, hopefully with the goal of keeping Surveyors from killing one another during practice.

An obstacle course took up the rear third of the room, a tangled mess of poles, walls, and wires that could be shifted and retooled at a moment's notice. Alex winced at the sight; she hadn't exactly missed going through the similar course that Wells had set up, and it didn't look like they were using it for combat training. Instead, a handful of Surveyors were swinging through it at superhuman speeds, looking eager to avoid the occasional spotlights that lit portions of the course from above.

Another handful of Surveyors were using the sparring circles, while another set were clustered around a small table halfway into the gym. It looked like a terribly small number of Surveyors for a facility this large, but she supposed it was to be expected, given that ownership of the place had just changed hands.

Jason looked back at her. "We decided not to purchase the contracts of the Surveyors who were here before us. Didn't seem like they were doing a good job, so we've brought in new people." He pointed to the obstacle course. "Instead, we have contractors here from a few different spots. The team over there is a collection of independents we've had a long relationship with. The ones on the circles and at that table are from a contracting company called Coral Hammer Administration. They've done good work with us in the past as well."

She nodded, her eyes flicking between the groups. "Which group are we going to be working with?"

He shook his head. "None of them. We've recently brought in a really high-level group of contractors to provide support." Jason paused as another group walked out of a door near the table. They nodded to the Surveyors there, and then turned as Jason waved to them. "There they are now, actually. Hey, come meet our new member!"

Alex froze for a step. She recognized the pattern of the uniforms on the four Surveyors, and she thought she recognized one of them personally. They were wearing the dark blue and black of Blue Moon Management, and the man leading them was Mahrez Lazaar, the Surveyor who had nearly outbid them for the job at Emerald Bay.

For just an instant, she saw surprise and dislike flash across his expression, but Mahrez covered it with an insincere smile a heartbeat later. He extended his hand as she and Jason drew close. "Valkyrie. How good to meet you again. Especially in much more friendly circumstances."

"Mr. Lazaar." Alex shook his hand with a carefully neutral expression, and Jason glanced at her in surprise.

"You know each other?"

Mahrez shrugged. "She and her team won a contract out from under us, unfortunately. It's just part of how the business goes." He looked back at Alex. "I hope there are no hard feelings."

Alex nodded slightly. "None at all."

Jason gave her a relieved smile. "Good! Glad to hear it." He gestured to the group. "In any case, team, this is Alexandretta Morrison. She'll be coming with us on our Surveys from now on."

The man standing to Mahrez's left nodded and stepped forward. He grinned as he extended his hand. "The name's Carter Johnson. I'm a Warden, in case you were wondering. That means I'll be the one out in front, taking the hits."

Alex shook his hand, feeling the strength of his grip as her mother's voice spoke in her mind. Heavy physical defense. Magic attacks more effective. "Nice to meet you."

Another man stepped forward. He was slimmer than both Carter and Mahrez, and he studied her with piercing grey eyes. "My name's Andrew Marshon. Call me Drew. Good to meet you as well."

Carter chuckled, shaking his head. "He's our Seeker, Valkyrie. In case you were wondering. He usually acts as our scout." Drew gave Carter a brief, stern look as he stepped back. As he moved, her mother's voice surfaced again. Hard to ambush, hard to hit. Fight up close or use wide-scale attacks.

The woman who had been standing with them nodded, her eyes measuring Alex as if she were judging a weapon she needed to use. "I'm Bess Riversmith. I'm a Traveler, if you were wondering." She glanced at Carter, who was already opening his mouth. "If you must know, I usually function as the support healer for our team. You can rely on me to help you out."

Alex nodded to her in return. Balanced magic and endurance. Vulnerable to high damage. "Thanks."

She looked expectantly at Mahrez, who raised his eyebrows. "I'm the team leader, for my sins." Carter started to say something, and then subsided as Mahrez glanced at him. "My Role is Spellsword, so magic is more my style." Alex nodded, as her mother continued in a cool voice. Magic strikes close up. Keep at range or dodge.

Jason nodded, his smile still on his face. "And I'm a Zealot! Not quite as impressive, I guess, but it works for me." She glanced at the Ochre Star heir, and her mother continued in an even tone. Heavy offense focus. Engage with physical attacks. He went on in an enthusiastic tone. "I'm sure we'll all get along well. What did you select for your Role, Alex?"

She hesitated, instinctively unwilling to reveal anything about herself. At the same time, they likely would be able to find out if they tried at all. "Messenger. I have some magic, but I'm mostly used to close combat."

Carter blinked, seeming a little baffled. "Messenger? I don't think those are very common, are they?"

Mahrez shook his head, a polite frown on his face. "I haven't met many, no. Probably because Pages like to be fast and Porters tend to care more about defense. The combination of the two doesn't match up normally."

Drew tilted his head, still studying her. "She seems to have made it work. Maybe she could keep up with us after all."

"Well, if she can't, she can probably run away well enough!" Carter chuckled to himself, even as Alex tried to fight down a reflexive burst of annoyance. "No offense, of course. Just a little ribbing between teammates."

Bess gave him an exasperated look. "Maybe you could spare her your humor for a bit, Carter." She looked back at Alex and sighed. "Don't worry, you get used to it. Unfortunately."

Alex forced herself to smile. It still probably came out a little too stiff to be natural, but it was an attempt. "Thanks. I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't." Mahrez looked at Jason. "Are we still going out this afternoon?"

Jason nodded. "We are. Just need to get Alex here past April." A series of sympathetic groans swept through the Blue Moon Surveyors, and Alex felt a hint of empathy creep in. "Might as well get that done. Follow me, Alex. We'll be back in a bit."

She nodded and waved goodbye to the Blue Moon Surveyors. They waved back while she followed Jason back towards the doors. Alex felt their eyes on her back as they left; when she glanced back, the four Surveyors were still watching her, talking amongst each other quietly.

When she turned back, she found Jason giving her a sympathetic look. "Don't let them intimidate you. I'm sure you'll do great!"

Alex nodded, thinking back to the last time she went through a portal with a potentially hostile team. Things had not ended well, for them at least. "Thanks. I'll make it work."

Three hours later, Alex faced the portal.

It had not been the most pleasant interval. April had turned out to be some sort of personal assistant for Jason who had been determined to make sure that every line of the contract between Alex and Ochre Star was clear. They spent far too much time going over every clause, subclause, policy addition, and remuneration plan in the entire document. Every time Alex had tried to say that she'd already gone over the documents, April had just adjusted her glasses, given Alex a firm look, and continued.

While the meat of the discussion had been unpleasantly boring, the things that April had taken time to reinforce had been a little interesting. The assistant had made particular mention of the fact that unless all involved Ochre Star personnel returned from each Survey, Alex would not be getting paid. She had put an awful lot of emphasis on the words Ochre Star, as if to make sure Alex understood the clause didn't exactly cover any contractors employed by the company. Clearly, Obadiah wanted to make sure that Alex prioritized Jason's safety over the mercenaries from Blue Moon—something that suited her just fine.

There had been a similar, less pleasant emphasis placed on the fact that Alex would be required to accompany any Ochre Star personnel to the press events and investor meeting. The way April had hinted at the need for a discreet and personal touch at those events rang an alarm bell for Alex. If she wasn't entirely off, it made her sound like she would be acting as some sort of personal bodyguard for Jason, which begged the question over who would be hostile enough to threaten the Ochre Star heir in public.

It wasn't a question that Alex got an answer for. When she'd asked outright about security concerns, April had just seemed confused and moved on to the next part of the contract, which had apparently required yet another tailor to take her measurements. Alex had just shaken her head over the inconvenience; did she really need another custom uniform after the one Goldiron had given her? This time, they didn't even ask for her preference, which seemed like it would only result in a disaster of some kind.

The entire situation had left Alex uneasy, which had only worsened as April had finished the interview with a few more personal questions about Alex's family. Alex had deflected the interrogation the same way she had with Jason, though April seemed far less convinced. She'd seen the assistant make a few brief notes on her tablet before finally dismissing Alex to go get some lunch and prepare for the afternoon Survey.

Needless to say, Alex was beyond ready to go through the vortex. She'd rather face a hundred Grue than continue to be tortured by paperwork and questions, and she was relieved to find Jason and his contracted team already present on the steps, waiting for her.

Jason gave her a sympathetic smile as she approached. "Survived the paperwork, huh?" She nodded, and he laughed. "Well, don't take it too personally. April's been a part of the company for almost as long as I have, and she just wants everything organized well."

Alex nodded. "She definitely does a good job with that." She heard Carter start to chuckle, and Mahrez gave a rueful shake of his head. Ignoring them, she looked at the portal. "Are we going through now?"

Jason opened his mouth, but Mahrez spoke first. "Yes. A few last things to clear up." His voice grew serious. "While we are inside, I'm in command. You'll follow my orders, and I'll make sure that everyone comes home safely. Understand?"

She looked back at him, thinking about the contract she'd signed. "Yes."

Mahrez continued after a brief look at Jason. "Second, you let me know if you are wounded or nearing your limits. All of us are on the upper limits of C rank; you're just starting out. Don't keep pushing if you're almost done. We don't want to have to drag you back if your Skills give out on you."

Alex nodded again, and he continued. "Finally, we're going to be doing a Patrol Quest this time out. Let me know what Hidden Quests the Screen gives you, and we'll try to work around them, but the main point is going to be to make a quick run and maybe bring a few Camps down between patrols and Shifters. We'll worry about Salvage later, once we're better adjusted." He paused. "Any questions about any of that?"

She shook her head, and Mahrez nodded. His expression looked satisfied. "Then let's get in there. Good hunting, and move fast."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The others echoed the phrase, and Alex followed them in. Light embraced her…

[C Rank Pioneer Alex, Warpchannel]

[Ascension Level: 10]

[Role: Messenger (Role Skills: Running(21), Recovery(23)]

[Role Level: 0]

[Experience: 210/6600]

[Attributes: Strength -> 10, Speed -> 10, Life -> 10, Devotion -> 0, Control -> 0]

[Current Skills: Focus(30), Concentrate–Storm(30)]

[Permanent Skills: Battle Maneuvers***(31), Combat Balance*(24)]

[Current Titles: Empress of War (Increases Skill grade of Melee, Combined Arms, Weapon Mastery, and Battle Maneuvers by five.),

Aggression (Increases Skill grade of Melee, Weapon Mastery, Combined Arms, and Combat Balance Skills by five.),

Fated Hero (Increases Skill grade of Dodging, Anticipate, Battle Maneuvers, and Inspect by five),

Eternal Motion (Increases Skill grade of Recovery, Running, Marathoning, and Motion Trance by five.),

Tireless (Increases Skill grade of Recovery Skills by three.),

True Sentinel (Increases Skill grade of Deflect, Dodging, Blocking, Resist, Zeal, and Combat Balance by five.),

Still Flow (Increases Skill grade of Meditation, Focus, Recovery, Arcane, Sense, and Motion Trance by five.),

Elite (Increases Skill grade of Combat Balance, Battle Maneuvers, Battle Mastery, and Battle Dance by five.),

Lethality (Increases Skill grade of Melee, Weapon Mastery, and Combined Arms Skills by five.),

Dedicated (Increases Skill grade of Holy, Concentrate, Focus and Zeal Skills by five.),

War Prowess (Increases Skill grade of Battle Maneuvers, Rush Assault, and Heavy Assault by five.),

War Momentum (Increases Skill grade of Combat Balance, Riposte, and Battle Dance by five.),

Blitz Master (Increases Skill grade of Combined Arms, Lunge, and Charge by five),

Deliberate (Increases Skill grade of Battle Maneuvers, Anticipate, and Combined Arms by five.),

Blur (Increases Skill grade of Motion Trance, Evasion, and Charge Assault by five.)]

She viewed her various Titles and Skills with something approaching discomfort. It still felt like she was a long way from being who she'd been before, even with all of her obsessive practice. How much longer was it going to take her to reach the maximum for Battle Maneuvers again?

[Current Portal Status: Stable, Magic Level Increasing]

[Current Portal Level: C2]

[Salvage Oriented Objectives Recommended]

[Local Area Population: None]

It looked like the portal was an even lower level than the Royal Purple one had been. Did Shifters really just attack C ranks at a much higher rate?

Then the amber words changed, and she had something very different to worry about.

[Current Objective Budget: 440]

[Select Priority Objective]

No Quests, obviously. It hadn't been a problem before, at least not an obvious one, because she'd had her own team and they had been able to supply the Quests. Now she was going to have to conceal the fact that not only was she not picking the same Intent as her teammates, she didn't have an Intent to pick at all. What would happen if they wanted to pick a Scouting Intent, and then asked her what locations she'd gotten?

She shook her head. There would be time to worry about those things later. Right now, she just needed to make her selections. The first one was obvious, though it probably wouldn't appear on any of her teammates' Screens.

[Priority Objective: Save five Surveyors. Possible rewards: 100 Experience. Accept?]

[Note: No Surveyors currently in local area]

Alex accepted it, though it left a bit of a distaste in her mouth. Even if she didn't trust the Blue Moon team, they were still on her side. For now.

[Select Additional Objectives]

Her next Objective was a little trickier. Shifters had to count for something, right?

[Additional Objective: Eliminate five Shifters. Possible rewards: 200 Experience. Accept?]

Alex blinked at the words. It looked like fighting them would be a good way to fill things out, though maybe it would be tough to kill them before her teammates. She rolled her shoulders a little; she'd just have to be faster, then.

As she accepted, her thoughts turned to the next problem. How many patrols would they expect a brand-new C rank to be assigned?

[Additional Objective: Destroy eight patrols. Possible rewards: 40 Experience. Accept?]

Now it came down to trusting the Screen or not. Alex stared at the words for a while longer, and then accepted. She didn't have much in the way of choices, after all.

Finally, Mahrez had mentioned hitting a Camp or two. At the same time, she wasn't in control of how many they'd hit. Scouting might be a better way to go, especially in a new portal.

[Additional Objective: Scout three locations. Possible rewards: 60 Experience. Accept?]

She accepted. Of course, as long as she was scouting…

[Additional Objective: Clear two Camps. Possible rewards: 40 Experience. Accept?]

It was a surprising increase in experience, but she wasn't about to complain. Alex accepted and braced herself. The light came for her, and she stepped forward into it…

She arrived in the other world and blinked in surprise as snow crunched beneath her feet.

Alex looked around as the air misted on her breath. The portal here exited out into a small field filled with snow. There was a sharp slope a few strides away, where the earth curved down and away, revealing a breathtaking view across a broad valley. It seemed like they were alarmingly close to the clouds here; the grey ceiling loomed even more oppressively than normal, even as the cold bit at her cheeks.

There was a small hut nearby, next to a large pillar with a rotating wheel at the top. Alex frowned at it, trying to figure out what it was, at least until she looked back at the slope. "Is this a ski resort or something?"

She heard someone snort behind her and turned to see Mahrez nodding at her. "Got it in one, Valkyrie. Well done." He blew in his hands and then pointed at the slope. "Most of the Camps and everything are further down the hill, and the lifts aren't exactly working. I hope you are ready for a walk."

Alex heard a muttered complaint from Bess and a restrained chuckle from Carter, but Jason just rolled his shoulders and smiled. "Nothing like hiking down a mountain to get you ready for a fight, right? Mahrez, which way should we go this time?"

The Spellsword turned to Jason and considered him for a moment. Then he looked at Drew. "Any suggestions?"

The Seeker shrugged. "Might as well go down to the main resort again. At the very least, we know there are Camps there."

Mahrez nodded. "Down the slope it is. Watch your footing, and keep an eye on the trees. Just because Grue kill you faster won't make a fall any less painful, and it will be a very long way back home if you snap an ankle."

They all nodded, and Alex followed as they set off together down the mountain. Snow continued to crunch underfoot, and she was suddenly grateful for the fact that she'd invested so much in her boots. Something told her that fighting with wet, freezing feet would not be fun at all.

The first Grue ambush hit them while they were still on the way down the slope.

It wasn't the surprise that the creatures had been hoping for. Drew had spotted them in their hiding place and shared the location. The other Surveyors had nodded and adjusted their course down the slope just slightly, angling a bit closer to the thicket of snow-covered pine trees where the Grue were hiding. They held off for a few more sliding footsteps.

Then, at Mahrez' signal, they charged, hurtling straight down the slope towards the enemy.

After fighting Soldiers and Archers for so long, it was a bit of a shock to see a patrol made up entirely of Knights, Brutes, Killers, and Mages. At the same time, the Grue were thrown into disarray long before Alex reached them. Sunlight suddenly blinded their eyes, making them fling their hands up to guard their faces. Others suddenly stumbled as if their weapons were trying to pull themselves out of their hands, and still others tried to shift into a formation, only to realize that the snow had frozen around their feet.

Alex, for her part, channeled the Storm and divided the wind in front of her, allowing her to outpace the others. She slammed into the Grue formation hard, crumpling a Knight's shield and sending it tumbling backwards down the slope. Another Knight tried to stab at her. She ducked beneath its sword and put her axe through its torso; the Grue folded up around the hit and collapsed into the snow beneath.

Even as the pack tried to recover and surround her, the others arrived right in her wake. Jason slammed into the Knights right next to her, using his shield to smash his own hole in their ranks. Mahrez and Carter both arrived seconds later, the Spellsword carving through Brutes and Knights alike with a sword that seemed to pass right through their weapons. The Warden wasn't any less impressive; Carter just shrugged off hit after hit as he swung his massive polearm around, hacking and smashing his way through the Grue towards the backline.

Not that the Killers or Mages were safe. Pinpoint beams of light began picking them off as they targeted the other Surveyors, and a steady rain of javelins shot right over her head to take down even more of them. Alex pushed harder, trying to take as many Grue down as she could before the others finished them, but in the end, the patrol was down before she'd done much more than her usual amount.

[Combat Balance* increases to 25!]

[Objective Progress: 1 of 8 patrols destroyed.]

As the bodies burned, Carter let out a laugh. "Well, they didn't call you Valkyrie for nothing! You really jumped right in there."

Jason looked at her with a slightly stunned expression. "You aren't hurt are you? Bess, can you check her for—"

Alex shook her head. It might have seemed a bit paranoid, but the less magic they used on her, the better. "I'm fine." She cracked a smile. "If anything, I'm a bit sad they died so fast."

Mahrez snorted. "Well, we have gotten a lot of practice." The bodies finished disintegrating, and he gestured to the remains. "Collect what we can, and move on. The Camps are still a lot further down, and we have a ways to go."

As if to punctuate his words, a howl rose over the mountains. Alex blinked, hearing the Shifter's call echo from the slopes, and then bent to grab at the materials left behind. Depending on how the next few minutes went, it might come in a bit handier than Mahrez realized.

A few minutes later, about halfway down the slope, they reached the first Camp.

It was located in the middle of a patch of trees, where someone had erected another small hut. Unlike the sleek thing at the top of the ski lift, this one looked fairly old, constructed from weather-hardened logs and smoke-stained glass. A small symbol that Alex recognized from a few health clinics had been plastered on an old sign, and a handful of what looked like snowmobiles had been parked under the cover of the nearest trees.

The Camp itself was located just beside the hut, a cluster of crystals hovering over a particularly large snowdrift. Grue had set up tents all around it, and they patrolled the perimeter with keen eyes and ready weapons.

It suddenly occurred to Alex that during her time at Royal Purple, she'd never actually attacked a Camp before; her team had just spied on them before retreating. She couldn't see any Grue less advanced than a Knight wandering around; there were far more Killers and Mages than she felt comfortable facing. The fact that the Camp's crystal had somehow mutated into a cluster rather than just a single one seemed ominous as well, though she couldn't put her finger on why.

Instead, she tried to focus as Mahrez signaled for them to get ready. The Surveyors had already crept close to the hut, getting ready to charge. He whispered quietly, trying to avoid being heard by the prowling Grue ahead. "Hit hard, move fast. Avoid the Wretch. Now!"

Alex had paused for just half a heartbeat when she'd heard mention of a Wretch, and then she was sprinting through the snow towards the closest Grue. The Knight pivoted, far too slowly for it to bring its shield around in time. She slammed into it with a shield-check that sent it flying like a broken ragdoll. It tumbled into two more Knights, neither of whom managed to disentangle themselves before she leaped in among them, axe hacking through both in quick succession.

By the time she had finished, the others had also launched their own attacks. Roars and howls competed with explosions and sizzling beams as combat swept through the small clearing. Killers drew arrows to fire and stiffened before falling to the ground dead. Mages lifted their hands and burned, their spells uncast. The Grue fell back or were cut down, their lines collapsing as the Surveyors tore through them.

Alex smashed a Knight aside and finished another with a quick blow to the head. A Mage sent a stream of purple flame in her direction, and she took the blow on her shield. Flames billowed around her, scorching the snow and turning it to slush beneath her feet. As the spell faded, Alex unleashed the Storm and sent a burst of lightning crackling out to take the Mage in the head. It snapped out with a blast of power that killed the Grue instantly, leaving it to tilt backwards like a felled tree.

Before the body had even hit the snow, a pair of Brutes lunged to obscure her view. She dodged aside as hammers came down, slipping past them to put her axe into one Brute's ribs. Alex ripped the axe back and forth across the Grue's chest, chopping away in a frenzy of attacks. As the Brute collapsed, she spun around and took another hammerblow on her shield. Her feet skidded through the snow, her boots digging a pair of trenches. As another hammer was lifted skyward for an overhead blow, Alex sprinted forward again, reaching for the Storm. The wind slowed the hammer's fall, and Alex took advantage of the delay to hack the Brute's legs out from under it.

As she finished the thing off, another Brute lunged at her from the side. Again, the wind answered her call, blasting at the Brute's legs and forcing its charge to turn into a headlong stumble. Alex leapt forward and planted the flat of her shield against its head. There was a terrible cracking sound as the Brute's momentum came to a sickening stop. It fell, and she pivoted to behead it with a downward blow.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blaze of grey light and jumped aside. The beam of corruption just barely missed her; she could feel a few errant strands of hair shrivel as the heat of it brushed by her cheek. Alex snarled as she landed. Her boots churned the snow as she accelerated through it towards the Mage, who was already gathering a second strike.

A Killer leaped at her from the side. She killed it with a brutal backhand blow, easily dodging the sword aimed at her ribs. Another Killer shot at her from nearly point-blank range; she grabbed it with a gust of wind and tumbled it away on its back. The Mage ahead of her reared back, ready to unleash a wave of poison.

She dashed forward, ducking low beneath the toxic stream. The Mage tried to lower it, but it was too late. Alex caught it across the midsection with a single flat swing. Her axe tore a massive gash through its torso; grey smoke poured from the wound, drenching the snow below. It collapsed a moment later, the magic fading from its hands.

Alex turned, ready to throw herself at the next nearest threat. She got a vision of the entire battlefield, still awash with magic and corpses. There were far fewer Grue left than she had expected; most of them were already lying motionless in the snow.

Then she caught sight of something else, running across the snow without breaking the crust. It was thin, almost skeletal, compared to the other Grue. Its smokey, stretched arms were tipped with glowing purple claws; its equally long legs helped speed it across the ground at a pace even she would be hard pressed to match. The canid head was topped with a pair of thin antlers, like a deer's, and the deep purple glow in its eyes was echoed by the light in the back of its fanged maw.

It was sprinting right for Jason, who was struggling against a Brute nearby. Alex snarled and threw herself forward, gathering the Storm around her. The thing hadn't noticed her yet, but if she could grab its attention for long enough…

A single crackle of lightning snapped out at the thing, and Alex blinked as the blast of energy washed across a barrier that surrounded it. The thing paused, turning to face her, and she saw hatred glowing in its eyes.

Alex continued to accelerate, bracing herself for the impact. The Grue ahead of her sped up as well, ready to strike out with its claws.

She braced for the impact, only for the thing to shift to the side in a way she hadn't expected. Only a desperate jerk of her shield kept the thing's claws from her throat. The impact still knocked her shield aside, and it slapped her axe away with a backhand stroke. They mutually dodged a bodily collision, and then lunged at each other, axe and shield against claws and teeth.

When she channeled the Storm, the wind refused to touch it; even lightning was diverted to the side by the barrier covering it. It was fast, striking out with preternatural speed, and the power behind each blow was steadily forcing her backwards. A straight blow opened a cut along her right cheek. Another flailing swipe opened a second wound on her left thigh, and a brutal double strike from above drove Alex to one knee, only saved by her shield.

The thing drew back, its eyes glowing with vicious, ethereal hatred. It crouched, ready to spring at her, and as she prepared to dodge, her mind was suddenly assaulted by a ringing blow that doubled her vision and forced her to gasp in pain. Her grip on her weapons weakened, and for just a moment, she couldn't react.

Then there was a flash, and Mahrez was there. The Spellsword lunged at the thing from the side, his sword flicking out to intercept its headlong leap. It shrieked, a sound that grated across Alex's still-stunned mind as if it had run its claws across the inside of her skull. As she shuddered, Mahrez simply ducked past a lightning-quick strike and swung at it, his blade seeming to blur and shift.

It jerked backwards, shrieking again as one of its arms went limp. Mahrez followed it, whirling and slashing. As Alex tried to focus, to bring her mind back from whatever had wounded it, the Spellsword ducked below a slash, struck the thing's leg, and then pivoted. His sword seemed to divide, almost, existing in multiple places at once.

Then he drove it forward, straight through the thing's eye. The thing jerked, and he twisted the sword back and forth before yanking it free. It stayed standing for just a moment more. When it collapsed, she heard a snapping sound; when she looked back, the cluster of hovering crystals had already started to collapse. Amber words flooded her vision.

[Running increases to 23!]

[Recovery increases to 24!]

[Objective Progress: 1 of 3 locations scouted.]

[Objective Progress: 1 of 2 Camps destroyed.]

Forcing herself back to her feet, Alex felt herself waver slightly. There was a burst of light, and strength flooded through her; she glanced back to find Bess nodding to her.

When she looked back, she saw Mahrez studying her with concern. "Are you all right, Valkyrie?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just… was that a Wretch?"

The Spellsword nodded. "It was. They show up around Camps at this level. Outposts too." He tilted his head. "I told you to avoid them."

Alex glanced at Jason, who was talking animatedly with Carter, and shrugged. "I… didn't have the option."

Mahrez followed her gaze. He looked back at her and nodded. "I see. Well done." Then he smiled. "All the same, perhaps leave it to me or one of the others next time?"

She snorted, and he clapped her on the shoulder. For the next few moments, they spread out to collect the remnants from the Grue that had fallen.

Then, as the howls of the Shifters rose above the mountains, they started out again.

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