"Took you long enough," Daniela called from the walls of the Ock Outpost.

"I had to do your job for you, and tussle with the big wigs. Don't give me that crap, Danny," I said, glancing at the midmorning sky. It had taken almost an hour to jog to the outpost after I was done with Filomena. She had several tasks to complete before she made her way to the Outpost. "We can't all be specialized on Mobility and Refinement."

"This is why you need so much armor. Why would you need to tank a hit if you aren't hit in the first place?"

I didn't comment on the fact that the brunette was wearing one of the sets of armors created with my Item Blueprint. She and Sarah were waiting at the wall as I jogged to the foot of it. There wasn't a door anywhere to see or sense. As a matter of fact, since I'd been at the Outpost the walls had been reinforced up and downwards. Good. Inconvenient, but it should slow down any Earth Attuned with a love for digging.

With a slight twist of mana, I formed handholds on the wall and climbed to the top with ease. The two women were glaring at me when I crested. "What?"

"Why do we bother making walls if they can be scaled this easily?" Sarah said, shaking her head.

"Easily by a Q7 Earth Attuned. These things are nice and sturdy, trust me. Plus, would you rather look a charging boar in the face or have the high ground?" I countered.

"Fair point," the orc woman said. Despite that bit of levity, her expression turned serious as we stepped away from the edge of the wall. "Are you certain this is the right course of action? I have passed the message back and we are mobilizing but..."

"This will be our chance. If we wait... then the only opening we are likely to have will be with a bigger force we don't know if we'll have while getting pressured all around." Sarah didn't look happy in the least, but she nodded. Her Wild Guard pin bobbed with the motion. "Can you run us through the latest?"

"Daniela is in the loop, but we are waiting for the rotating squad to come back after we gave them the details of the plan," Sarah stated, leading us down the parapet and to a set of stairs formed out of the wall that led to the ground. "Despite how much I would like to gainsay your decision, the movements we've observed line up with it. There are hundreds of creatures of all Attunements and levels formed up around the Fire Aberrant. There's a building that wasn't there before, right at the foot of the crystal. We've got a confirmed sighting of the demon that fought with Daniela. They've also been hounding the Boar Boss, keeping it between them and Ocala while sacrificing creatures to it so it will linger."

"That's... somewhat good for us. As long as they don't lure it all the way to the city," I pointed out.

"When the next rotation goes out, I will give them permission to engage if they need to lure it away. We'll lose our eyes but.."

"But we'll likely save a Ward and a city," I agreed. "Do we know how many things are Q6 or greater?"

"We've spotted some of those Wildfire Hogs," Sarah said. "As well as an armadillo that seems to match the description of the compaction one you fought, but with several smaller armadillos huddled around it. No bessbugs, but there are a half-dozen other insects we've confirmed are Q5 with three others likely in the Q6 range based on their size."

"That's less than optimal," I admitted with a sigh.

"Tell me about it," Daniela huffed. "It's a good thing we'll have more people than our usual crew."

"Who do we have?"

"See for yourself," Sarah said, pushing open the doors of the mess hall she'd been leading us to. Within was a true conglomerate of rambunctious mages that had been a hotspot to my vibrosense. Most of the squads that had been posted at the Outpost were present, with only one posted at the wall to keep a lookout. In addition to those, there were six new groups catching up and getting an early lunch as the cooks worked feverishly to keep the mass of Fallen fed. More than one of those Fallen was using their magic to assist the cooks in between their conversations, making it a game to help out while also practicing their magical prowess. It was leaps and bounds from months prior, as each person seemed comfortable with their magic in a way that hadn't been the case except in special cases like Stonecrest's leader Rachael or the New Hopes of Wildwood.

As for the New Hopers...

"Rommel!" I shouted, easily spotting the towering figure of the New Hoper's resident orc.

"Ronan," the man said, nodding his head and receiving the hug I aimed his way cordially. He seemed more than a little flustered by the fact that I now had at least four inches of height on him. "It seems your magic isn't the only thing that's grown."

"Ha! Yeah, you could say that," I chuckled. "I'm assuming since you are here and not revolutionizing the Infusion Artisan scene the others in your squad are here?"

"Only Devon is missing," Rommel said, nodding. "Sarah sent him with the last group of scouts."

"Good! I'm happy to have your whole team with us."

"I see how it is," a gruff voice called from behind Rommel. "You don't invite us to the monster wave and now you are cozying up to the competition?"

"Igor!" I said, feeling my mood lighten a bit.

It had been a great experience for growth and new opportunities, but being surrounded by unknowns, threats and dubious allies had been more stressful than I'd realized. A return to the people I knew I could rely on was a balm on my confidence. I turned to see the leader of the Wild Fists raising an eyebrow in my direction. He had a thick, gray fur half-cloak draped over the half of his body where his stump was, and dozens of new scars lined the arm that was uncovered. A harness of sturdy vines seemed to be the only piece of gear other than his trousers that the pugilist wore.

"Good god," Daniela gagged. "Way too much testosterone here."

"You are just feeling short, Daniela," Sarah said, patting the brunette and leaving her fuming. Despite just how deadly everyone in our little huddle knew she was, she was a solid two feet shorter than even Sarah; the perks of our Fallen types. "We can walk over to the satyrs if you'd like?"

"Ugh! Call me when there's something I can stab. If it's a chance to punch you, I'll take that too!" Daniela groaned, throwing her hands up and heading for the long table where food was being served.

"I'll put out a message on the comm-plant. I was able to convince Gec to make a Raid Party option. It will take some doing, especially as we head out, but proper communication is the first step towards an effective execution," Sarah said. She parted with us not long after that, immediately intercepting a runner that had been looking for her seamlessly.

"Man, I'm glad I'm just a grunt," I said, shaking my head. Small team leading was plenty fine, but the scale at which Sarah was operating? I fought off a shiver.

"You're damn right," Igor said. "Once we make it through this, I think we'll be up to snuff to put that pansy gator in her place."

"That where you've been? Lake Weir?" I asked.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"A little there and a little on the base on the other side of the river," Igor grumbled. "They've tightened the command structure in the Allied Towns enough that roving as a squad is harder. If it wasn't for you Bunker Busters, I'd be back in the same hunting grind as always. These fights matter."

"Putting food on the table so that we can have these fights matters also," Rommel added.

"Bah, this is why you are no fun, Rom. The things you say make too much sense. Punching things doesn't require as much thinking."

"Actually..."

"Nope. Don't. Your leafy brother has already been burning out my brain with information this morning. Apparently he made some kind of breakthrough that might get me my arm back." Igor shook his head, a smile curling up around one of his tusks. "If it'd been any other joker I would have given them a right clobbering. With you lot? I expect it's just a matter of time before I can give beasts the ol' one-two again."

It took me a second to realize the orc was talking about Samuel, and that Samuel had apparently been working on limb regeneration techniques. What else has he been cooking up in that experimental building he's been working out of? I shook my head. It didn't matter; whatever Sam was cooking up would be key to the future. And maybe this plan too. He did ask for Blobby's help...

The minutes slipped by as I caught up with the two complete opposite orcs, as well as the dozens I'd come to know in my time at Wildwood. Oliver Davis, the Air Attuned human, was showing off one of Marie's latest Infused bow creations. Lilly the merwoman and Godfrey the dwarf from the New Hopers were similarly showing off new weapons significantly more deadly looking than their originals. The fact that Lilly's were a pair of barbed hooks made from bones made total sense, but Godfrey's shovel-hammer... I still couldn't get over the weapon being made entirely of bamboo and just how bendy it could be at will.

Some of the fresh trainees were also present, having been integrated into the more veteran squads. Tristan the fae healer and Nick the combustible orc were clustered around Sarah's old squad. She was still honorary leader for the Big Guns squad, but since the bulk of her time was spent leading the Wild Guard as a whole they had taken on new members to supplement their number and strength. The Carl-Karl twins were chugging some kind of ale the people at the Ock River Base had brewed on their side of the river, while Tim tried to keep them from doing just that hours before a mission.

Yet another sigh of relief and contentment escaped me. The more I saw of what the Wild Guard had become, the more I knew things would turn out. Perhaps not perfectly, but what in this world does?

It was somewhere after my second plate, and third ale, that Samuel entered the absolutely hammered mess hall. Sarah hadn't even attempted to stop the drinking, but she'd made it very clear that she had a healer on hand that would sober everyone buzzed even if it made them purge their stomachs dry. Those who'd been the target of her warning had been much too far along, and in my case I opted to partake at the social level. My Geocardium was purging it from my system almost faster than I could drink regardless, but I hadn't been pushing it.

"They are here," the blonde said when he found me. His eyes were serious. It was time.

"Hustle up, Wild Guard!" I shouted, stomping my foot and shaking the building with a pulse of mana. Conversation died instantly. The drunks swayed for a moment before their squadmates steadied them, but the jovial expressions had been replaced with cold calculating looks. My own expression went grave, and I followed Sam to the Outpost's Ward. Standing in the ground floor were the resources we'd been able to finagle off of Ocala.

"So far, I've only been doing a whole lot of grunt work, Ronan. If I hadn't brought these meat heads with me I would have been very displeased that my brother edged in on my turf," Filomena complained, arms crossed as five dwarves and three giants adjusted four crates against the wall. "Tell me this is worth my time?"

"They are going to attack the Aberrant they found beyond the Mother Boar," Ponzio explained with a roll of his eyes. The elf was perched atop one of the crates while two Cloth Muscle teams-- Threads as they liked to call themselves-- looked at the amenities of our Ward with trepidation. "He's using the stirred pot he left in the city to divert the attention of any spies working for the Aberrants."

"Why didn't you lead with that!?" Filomena complained, gesturing at the base of her neck. "I would have gone even without getting this thing stuck up my backside."

One of the satyr in the other side of the room snorted at the draconian's phrasing until she glared him into silence. Teion, who stood at the forefront of two Nash Mage Circles, was looking distinctly uncomfortable. Each looked like what I would have expected a stereotypical shaman should have looked like. Whether fae or satyr, their clothes were mostly heavy cloth or leather and musical instruments and bottles hung from their bodies in loops. I vaguely recognized a few of them from the defense on the Weather Tower, but I did spot Ezrah near the back of the group holding a thin black wood staff with a ball on the end. He didn't look particularly confident, but he at least was standing firm unlike their leader.

I had been expecting the Cloth Muscles, but the Mercs and the Mage Circles were unexpected additions, and I let the three youngsters at the front know as much.

"What, did you think you were the only one with connections?" Filomena huffed, almost offended. "Rodrigo's Merc Corp owes big time. I've trusted them with my life plenty of times."

A dwarf with a magnificent black beard that he'd tucked into his waistband stepped forward to wag a finger at Filomena. "You also promised us a hefty cut in materials in exchange for all these essences!"

"You got a Merc Tassel for that, Rod-man," Filomena pointed out with an eye roll.

"If you are going to butcher my name at least don't make it a euphemism!" the dwarf sputtered. "That Tassel only covered the high Threshold--"

"We can discuss further payment, Mr. Rodrigo," I said, raising a hand to halt the tirade I could see building steam. "While I would love it for you to join us out of the goodness of your own heart, I can understand the tit-for-tat. Don't worry, when we succeed there won't be a shortage of materials for you to collect."

While the mercenary rubbed his hand in his best rendition of a cartoon scam artist and smiled wide enough that I got to see his pearly whites through his beard, I turned to the final enigma in the room. "Teion."

"Mister Terrigan," the Nash heir bowed slightly in greeting.

"What are you doing here?"

"Grandmother told us to come? She didn't discuss this with you?" The satyr suddenly looked even more out of sorts. He glanced to the two leaders, if their nicer leather vests were the indications I thought they were, as if to confirm he'd heard the order correctly.

"She told us to head to the outpost straight away," the female fae leader said quietly. "Grab our gear and go."

"Uh..."

"We are fighting for your city. It will be dangerous. I can't guarantee anything other than the fact that I will be there with you, as close to the front as my body will let me. If I got Sharon's read right, she wanted you to help us with this. Just like I told Rodrigo here, I would love your help. As a matter of fact, I would love your help a dozen times more than I would like his."

"Hey!" the mercenary complained.

Without turning, eyes still locked on Teion, I continued. "He can't keep my family and friends alive. Your Circles can, and have, so I would ask you to join us. Not because of your grandmother, but because of you."

I could feel the waves of hesitation radiating off the man. However, even as his eyes shifted around running through the options at his disposal, I could see a firming of his feet. A straightening of his back. A curl to his lip and a glint in his eye that I had seen during the Hog Parade, now aimed at a much different, much more real, target. "You will have our song."

Grinning, I clapped him on the shoulder. I hadn't been trying, but it was almost enough to knock him to the ground. After he sputtered and I righted him, I turned to the other groups. "Just--"

"You'll be looking for this I presume, Ron?"

"Gah! Christ! Alan where the hell!? Why!?" Right then and there I found out just how much of a vertical my increased Attributes provided me. Hell, even my Totems had been so surprised by the researcher's arrival that they'd manifested as if to fight the unassuming looking man standing behind me holding an abomination of a biomagical mechanism. It was one part fish scale, two parts copper tubing, two parts bone fragments and five parts metal strips that looked like circuit boards that somehow connected all the other parts into a pentagon with a rubber-looking sucker in the center.

"Blobby informed me that you'd left the mess hall. I assumed that your merry making was done and you were ready to receive the thing you requested." Alan nudged what I presumed was the Aberrant Purger into my side, insisting I take it.

"I..."

"Ronan, we both know you want me as far from that battlefield as possible. While I am perfectly capable of leveraging the two black belts I earned courtesy of Ava and Ingrid, I understand that the integrity of an experiment should not be disturbed by unknown factors. However, the shelf is in arms reach. Should you need, I will answer," Alan said, grabbing my arm with his hand and placing the device in my palm. Instead of releasing me immediately like he normally would have, the researcher lingered. "Your hunger for understanding and your pragmatism would have made her proud. You are a fine pursuant of the scientific method, Ronan."

With that, Alan spun and strode out of the Ward without another word. I watched him stride away with my eyes, because he was invisible to vibrosense. I would have stared in shock at the moment for longer if the closest thing to Daniela hadn't been present in the room.

"So... now that he's gone, what were you saying?" Filomena asked.

I looked at the purger in my hand, firming my hold on it. "We just march. It's time we bring swift justice on the Aberrants."

"You mean kick their ass, right?"

Chuckling despite myself, I nodded. "Yes, Filomena. It's time to kick some crystal ass."