Oskar had always been a pressure guy. Not because he performed best under pressure, more that it seemed like... especially during his battle with depression... he needed pressure to perform at all. Self-motivation was never his strong suit. Executive function, his father always said. Without someone relying on him, he could rarely muster up the desire to push himself. This was, perhaps, the reason he did so well in the Marine Corp. He didn’t join because he thought the Marines were the biggest or baddest. He joined because he knew he was more likely to be under the constant pressure he felt he needed. The Marines were fewer in number, and so, did as much as they could with those numbers. Oskar he thrived there.

The point was; he needed pressure, which was probably why, as he pulled the wide-eyed Kobolds off the side of the cliff in his arms, he didn’t feel the panic the two usually unflappable Kobolds felt. He wasn't able to keep them afloat forever, but with Sora swirling around them, empowered as he was by Erik, they'd be far away from the Great Collective before they probably crash landed.

He had a whole new understanding of the world around him, having unlocked the higher concepts behind simple wind and water elements. He’d thought that focusing on a few specific magic or abilities were best, but he was realizing now that it was all connected.

And I know, you told me so.

// I'm not mad about it. You eventually listened. Listening is a superpower, dude. You’re doing well. //

Well, I’ve got my half dead brother, the thing I’ve been fighting for since I got here, hanging off my shoulders. You being nice to me just seems like you’re trying to manipulate me into dying for data.

// Was I close? //

Yup.

He tightened his grip on his strange family as Valla’s death glare grew distant. She waved her fetish at him threateningly, the monkey paw looking black rod with a fist on the end that she’d used in their first fight. Erik looked away, and a moment later, so did Oskar, holding tightly onto his spear and everything he cared about, save Penny, who he felt far below, sprinting her little heart out to catch up. He stared back at her plainly until she became a pinprick in the distance.

Oskar’s calm and determined face did little to ease their concerns. If anything, Fox's incredulous face looked like she was sure he'd lost his mind. Her eyes darted around in every direction but down, and due to his apparent insanity, was probably about to get them all killed. Thankfully, she didn't struggle, allowing Oskar to work on executing whatever insane plan he'd thrown together at the last second.

Her concern is probably valid, Oskar thought. But he couldn't get Joker out of his head.

No, his name is All-Red. I have so many questions, starting with why was he speaking Kobold, and what did he say to make Touwon and Fox trust him? Did he know he was going to die saving us?.

He felt guilt. It was something he was going to have to deal with, even knowing how limited their options were.

Even without Valla’s interference in the fight, Gramm would never have let them go. He'd never intended to. He didn't blame himself, they couldn't have known to how far Valla's reach and power obviously went.

We know now, though. And I'm not letting her get her nasty little blue claws on any of us again.

He focused on Sora, even though what he was doing- gliding- took little effort. He didn’t have to hold on very hard to the Kobolds. Erik was holding onto Oskar’s back as best he could, arm hooked over his shoulder and across his chest. Oskar had a Kobold in each arm, who had their own arms around both he and Erik, squeezing tight. Unnecessarily so; Sora surrounded him in what felt like a pocket of air that was holding them all. It was easier than holding someone in a pool.

Man, I would kill for a pool.

The ground magic and air magic were by no means separate the way he’d been made to understand, talking with the Kobolds. The two magics were more a part of a whole, just like fingers on a hand. He guessed it would need to be a ninja turtle hand since, from what he knew, there were only three forms of magic: Sora, Talau, and whatever spirit mastery was called.

He had a basic understanding of how Sora and Talau connected because of the water cycle and scientific knowledge of how the sky and the earth affected one another, but spirit was still an enigma.

It’s also a problem for another time.

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Valla was now out of sight, and it was getting to the point that he actually did need to concentrate to keep Sora flowing around them; they were quickly picking up speed. Oskar knew he could slow them down if he needed to, however, right now they needed distance, so he'd let them ride as long as he could manage until they went below the currents.

Fox’s claws dug in as their speed increased, but Touwon, after looking into Oskar’s unconcerned eyes for a rare moment, just stared out into the expanse thoughtfully.

Oskar could see the Sora flowing around him clearly, now. Remembering the dream he’d had, he wondered how he could use Talau in the sky along with Sora, but he couldn’t begin to guess at that moment. He felt close to a breakthrough, though. He just needed to reason it out. His PUB being silent was also a hint of its own.

Every time he was close to figuring something out, the PUB felt like it was hovering excitedly over his shoulder with nervous energy, like a dad trying to see if their kid had finally learned how to ride a bike.

During their descent, Oskar shifted his use of Sora and its vividly colored currents, to control their speed as they moved from current to current. He wasn’t sure he could utilize the kinetic transfer of momentum with his hands full, so he just focused on gathering wind and manipulating pressure, which was much more complex, to give them... a less than fatal landing.

He pinpointed a tall dune in the distance with a much gentler slope than most and shifted the group to hit it at an angle that would allow them to just clip the top of the dune and slide out what momentum that first, lighter impact, didn’t slow.

Arms aching from the prolonged battle and their partial weight, and after slowing the group as much as possible, Oskar used a last burst of Sora that sat the group down- not quite gently- at a side slope to the dune. Erik lost his grip as they landed, but slid free more gently than Oskar, who tumbled, having mostly angled the fall for his weakened brother’s sake.

The Kobolds both landed gracefully and were already stabilizing Erik and helping him down the dune to the valley below when Oskar slid to a stop as the bottom himself.

Sand slowly cascaded down behind and around him, a single blue grain coming to rest beside him. He picked it out of the sand and looked at it, but it was just another piece of sand, and so he blew it off the top of his finger as the pattern of Talau settled again around him.

Oskar lay still at the bottom of the dune, looking upward at a single streamer of sand directly overhead that didn’t quite reach the dune on the opposite side, and so, it lost form, instead blowing into a small pile a few feet below the crest on the opposite side. He watched it for a few seconds, saw the pile grow too heavy and then collapse, sliding down the rest of the dune to leave behind a small divot, already beginning to fill in again in preparation for another tiny avalanche.

Maybe sandslide?

And then, it all clicked. The sight of the sand spilling away and slowly refilling before spilling away again made him realize he was still seeing the earth as its own entity, but it actually functioned more like an anchor. Not in the sense it held Sora down, but more like a foundation that Sora could rely on. Too much reliance, though, weakened the other.

He held up a hand, looking down, and watched the sand ride up his arm and settle into a new pattern around his hand. A honeycomb shaped pattern that was interacting with Sora in a very interesting way. The sand wasn't touching him, but it was so close he could feel the tiny barrier of Sora that carried the pattern.

Like armor? A shield, maybe? It feels like it can take a hit, though.

// Gambit completed: Defeat and escape the Gramm Collective

Also, Talau Mastery increased to 20%! I’m glad you didn’t fall off the bike, sonny boy. Sorry for hovering.

You gained a lot of Inspiration from defeating Gramm. You saved Erik, and you even managed to get him out alive. You did good. //

Thanks, dad.

// No time for the Insight Gem now, but it's clearly a 100% Synergy since it was your fight. Unfortunately, it's not a Greater. Maybe because there wasn't much back and forth, but you should get some time training with that breakthrough you had at the end. Just remember, not being a Greater, there's not telling how long it'll take to use. Also, check out your stats, but be quick, it looks like Fox sees something back in the direction you came from. //

Mind D- Rank

Body D- Rank

Spirit F-Peak Rank

Oskar could definitely tell he was moving easier, physically. He felt stronger, faster, and tougher, so it seemed that the breakthroughs represented tangible growth. He could also tell that his ability to use Sora, sense Talau, and fight at the same time now felt like second nature. Even a few days before, using Sora while doing other things could be challenging, based off the complexity of what he was doing, unless, like in battle, he was using it in bursts. But... that long, drawn out fight? He knew he was on another level now.

Erik comes first, but I'll need time to practice and learn my new limits. Unfortunately, down-time is something we're probably not gonna get today.

He exhaled a long breath and turned, looking back up to see a disheveled Fox at the top of the dune, wishing more than anything they could stop, rest, and talk through what had just happened and who the hell Joker really was.

Touwon stood nearby with his brother, shaking sand from his leathers and fur with an irritated impression, and Erik was taking a breather, so Oskar made his way back up the dune to try to gauge how far they’d traveled and to see what Fox was looking at. They had made it much further than he’d expected, but then, he saw several tiny specs of Gliders off in the distance spreading out in search.

Oh, no… Poor Erik.

Oskar looked back down at Touwon and Erik. His brother had already taken a seat on the hot sand and was leaning back against the dune to rest, despite the sheer off-white fabric he wore surely not being insulated enough to withstand the heat.

“Bad news, Erik. I’m so sorry, man. We’ve gotta move. I don’t know exactly where yet, but we can’t stay here."

Erik's gaunt face stared at him for a short moment before nodding. Without complaint, his brother stood and began walking.