Phoenix practically flew across the snow as she ughed wildly. They had finally been sent back out on the tundra to clear out monsters after the few days of rest they received once they had successfully regained control of Tulisuda. Her new armor, Shifting Twilight, was giving her the freedom of movement she had been sorely cking before and she felt exhirated as she ran, using her gravity technique to push herself forward.

  Night had fallen and the moons were at a darker point in their cycles and she appeared as a shadow flitting across the faintly illuminated snow with the combination of her [Embrace of Shadows] Aura ability and the darkness effects from her armor currently granting both an increase in Agility and the [Bckest Night] Boon.

  Status Effect: Bckest Night

  Type: Boon (transfiguration, magical, song)

  Effects:

  Your secondary characteristics reflect the night. For a low amount of mana per second, you can make your voice come from a nearby target.

  The wind caused by her increased speed was pushing her now bck hair back and stinging her shadowy cheeks, but that didn’t dampen the thrill she felt as she raced across the tundra. The fact that she no longer had any secrets being kept from her teammates was likely adding to the feeling of freedom she was currently experiencing, and she found herself hoping that someday Uriel could feel like this too.

  Even the swarm of Crystal Caste monsters trailing after her wasn’t enough to weigh her spirits down as Rayna suddenly arrived next to her and asked with a hint of concern, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “Nope!” she replied with a cheeky grin and ughed as the voxen’s ears fttened and expression soured, “It’s the only pn I got, though. So, if you have a better one, I’m completely open to suggestions.”

  The bard grimaced and shook her head, “Not really. Just don’t die this time, okay?”

  “No promises but I’ll do my best,” she replied as they both continued forward towards the small campfire in the distance.

  She had managed to get a couple of packs of snolves and frostprowlers from within the southwestern forest and was leading them back towards the northeast beyond the treeline to the wide ftter expanse that surrounded the capital for miles.

  Phoenix was just gd this wasn’t actually a video game where she had to worry about the monsters leashing back to their spawn point. Instead, she had to worry about never being able to shake them off as they pursued their prey relentlessly with the single-minded focus most monsters seemed to have.

  There were a few exceptions to this general behavior. Some, like the miserlings, were crueler and cared more for torturing their intended victims than immediate destruction. Others were apparently smarter and could think at least semi-tactfully, but those were more at higher Castes where their lowered Mind attribute wasn’t completely in the dirt.

  When Phoenix had asked the others about why monsters all seemed to be so rage-filled and dumb as a rock, Uriel had expined that the seed they spawned from would act like a fake soul for them and that most were focused on trading the “softer” attributes for the more physical ones.

  They were also focused on one primary objective: consume to survive. Without eating other magical beings they would wither and die. Most couldn’t just munch on magical grass or eat a few Mana Bits that some Vanhin had first been able to loot millennia ago and ter learned to create themselves.

  Monsters also couldn’t cultivate their Caste like most avals or people. Avals and Vanhin would naturally grow in their Caste as they aged until they hit the max of their potential. This max varied based on the type of species but there was no special process they had to perform to reach it. The only way for a monster to grow up and increase their Caste was to evolve into something new by consuming enough magic, usually in the form of Vauva—the various species that could become Casters.

  Rayna put on a burst of speed to reach the defensive line first as Phoenix gnced behind her to judge the speed and distance remaining. She gave herself a final push forward across the snow with [Ruler of Retivity] and began to chant while running on attributes alone, “As this star begins to dim, a final burst of light. As my life begins to wane, a final shout of triumph.”

  As she reached the rest of the party, she continued running past the Defender, who had his feet firmly pnted, sword drawn, and another brand new shield raised while eyeing the monsters with a grimace that matched the one Rayna had given her moments ago.

  Phoenix finally stopped running once she arrived at the [Home’s Hearth] Uriel had constructed a couple of meters behind their leader. She finished her incantation just as the horde of monsters were about to crash into Dazien, “In a supernova sacrifice, I offer the hope of victory.”

  Magic exploded out from her, consuming all of them in a bze of purple light. Briefly turning her hair, eyes, and armor a ptinum white that sparkled with starlight with the opposite Boon her Shifting Twilight offered.

  Status Effect: Brightest Day

  Type: Boon (transfiguration, magical, song)

  Effects:

  Your secondary characteristics reflect the day. For a low amount of mana per second, you can loudly amplify your voice.

  The monsters barely had time to howl in pain as they either died or colpsed in a burning heap within the partial crater the party now found themselves standing in.

  The amount of destruction done to the nd was why they had chosen this particur spot out in the tundra, kilometers away from any town or natural resource. The barren ice and rock made it the only pce they were willing to actively decimate while attempting to cultivate her most destructive abilities.

  Phoenix released her [Starlight Q to quickly regenerate the lost mana from the ability and stamina from the sprint. The glitter bomb wasn’t a Spell that would be silenced by the recoil effect of her [Supernova] and enveloped the area, causing her companions to softly glow as well from its regenerative Boon.

  White ashes began to quickly form around them as the dead began to dissolve from being looted. Phoenix’s appearance quickly reverted back to her darker aesthetic, and she let out a choking cough as she sank to her knees. “I need to hit Sapphire so I can practice not breathing… this is just disgusting,” she compined at the mouthful of monster dust and pulled out a mana potion from her collection. She quickly downed the sweet blue liquid as Saiya had already begun to restore her depleted health before a stray monster scratch finished her off.

  “I’m sure Daze wouldn’t mind helping with that,” Uriel said with a smirk as he stood over her, forming another line of protection, “He’s pretty good at tying rope, too.”

  “Not the time, Uriel,” Dazien called over his shoulder as he stabbed one of the survivors with a series of quick strikes.

  Ability: Accelerating Strikes

  Type: Special Attack (combination)

  Cost: Low stamina, increasing with each successive attack.

  Cooldown: None.

  Current Caste: Crystal 10

  Crystal Effect: Each attack slightly increases your attack speed while this ability is active.

  “Time for what?” Phoenix asked quizzically.

  Uriel simply shook his head and said, “For humor, apparently. I better go help him before he gets even more cranky now that your terrible pn actually worked.”

  As he made his way towards another of the struggling monsters, Phoenix turned her attention towards Saiya and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, “How cranky was he exactly?”

  “On a scale of one to five, I would have put him at a two before you returned,” she gnced over at the warrior who was now stabbing a monster that had already begun to dissolve into ash, “Now, however, I’d say it’s about a six.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “He doesn’t like putting any of us at risk, despite the job often calling for it,” she expined, continuing her ministrations, “I believe as the party leader he’s putting more responsibility on his shoulders to ensure our wellbeing.”

  Saiya followed Phoenix’s gaze before adding in barely more than a whisper, “I also think he’s particurly sensitive to putting you in extra danger after thinking we lost you permanently. Honestly, all of us are feeling that way.”

  Phoenix frowned at her friend as she apologized once more, “I am sorry about not telling you all sooner. I never meant for you guys to experience losing me like that.”

  “We know, but it doesn’t change the fact that we did and are still processing it. Even though it wasn’t permanent doesn’t mean we didn’t feel it,” Saiya replied with a sad smile, then hugged her tightly with both tails, “Just try not to make us go through that again, okay? Even if you come back, we’ll still worry and feel the loss.”

  “I’ll try,” she said, returning the hug. Then she hesitantly said with another gnce towards Dazien, “How about you talk to him first before we grab the next pack for my [Meteor Shower]?”

  “Because you assume anything we say is going to change the King’s mind?” Rayna spoke up, pcing an arm around her shoulder while adding tangentially, “By the way, I love the new armor. It will really help you to learn to own your body, ya know?”

  Phoenix rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around her chest that was only covered by her thin armor—which basically felt like a second skin—and the wispy dark clouds instead of starlight as she rebuked, “Just because I don’t funt it, doesn’t mean I don’t own it.”

  “Girl, you’ve been trying to hide it ever since I met you,” the bard replied with dismay, “How do you expect to gain any attention from a potential mate without at least making an effort to show off what you have to offer?”

  “You ever stop to think that maybe the best mate isn’t one that just wants your body?” she retorted, feeling her face flush from the conversation, “Shouldn’t you want someone that appreciates your mind first?”

  “Bah, that’s what we have friends for,” Rayna said with a dismissive wave of a gem-encrusted gauntlet, “You all already love me for my incredible personality and wit that’s almost as quick as my feet. A mate is for the physical side of life, the intimacy you don’t get from friends. The person you can’t help but want to touch and wants you just as much.”

  “I… I’m not sure that’s something I need… or want,” she admitted hesitantly.

  Rayna blinked, as though having trouble processing the words, then gave an exaggerated sigh and shake of the head, “Right, I forgot how young you are still, you’ll grow out of it eventually and understand what I’m talking about. You probably just need to find the right person first… probably a girl if Dazien isn’t doing anything for you. Saiya said he was pretty—”

  “I merely expined that while he is very attractive for a man, his looks don’t define who he is,” Saiya interjected with a blush Phoenix had never seen before.

  Rayna tilted her head and looked over at the new topic of discussion as if inspecting Dazien again before giving a shrug and saying, “Meh, I still don’t see it. Anyways, I’ll go help clean up the rest since I’m pretty sure the one he’s still stabbing is very dead.”

  As the bard left to join the others, Phoenix frowned after her. She gnced back at Saiya, who had remained silent as she also watched the bard leave them with a small frown. Nervously, she asked, “Is she right? Am I just… thinking like a kid still?”

  Warm amber eyes looked up at her currently pitch-bck orbs and the small frown was repced by a smile as Saiya said, “From what you’ve said of your past, that might be the case, but it also might not be and it’s just a part of who you are.”

  “Is it… Am I just broken if I don’t, um, grow up like she said?”

  “Oh, sweet flower,” Saiya said softly and took her hand to squeeze tightly as she reassured, “No. You’re not broken if that’s how you feel and that feeling doesn’t make you unhappy or uncomfortable. Instead of worrying about what Rayna thinks you should feel, maybe just ask yourself why you feel a certain way and if that’s something you want to change or accept about yourself. Why don’t we go help the others now and we can talk about this more ter if you want?”

  Phoenix nodded and gnced over to her other party members and wondered exactly how else she might differ from them when it came to things that were considered “normal” to want. Then she contempted if that was something she actually did want to change about herself or not. The way Saiya had phrased things made her remember Priest Jacob’s own words about their sessions and she realized that she needed to do some actual introspection about what she felt, why she felt that way, and figure out who she wanted to work towards becoming.

  But first, she had monsters to fight.