His launch upward caused an explosion of air and sand blew in every direction. He opened his mouth, but his ears popped anyway from his quick acceleration. The air wrapped itself around him and he gave himself to the wind completely. He rode the colors and lines of the wind near the edges of competing currents, allowing him to change direction on a dime, and he spent a few moments testing his maneuverability. Sora was swirling around his body so fast he felt weightless, and even the rushing wind of the currents was muted, now sounding like a whispering ghost of what he was used to.

It's just the wind that's muted, though. Being unable to hear was the biggest downside to being up here, other than being an obvious dot in the sky. But, this is finally starting to feel like an extension of my body. Just like my dream. Well… almost, he added, losing his grip on Talau as the distance grew.

Talau was striving to mix with the wind like brothers separated for far too long, yet he was too far from the ground by now to use it. He knew there was a way, though. In his dream, Talau felt like a latticework of armor wrapped around his body. Even though he couldn’t use the magic below in the above just yet, something clicked.

It is all connected.

// How many times do I have to say that, you dry brained fool? //

In my defense, it’s not a very good way to describe the whole concept of magic to someone who’s never even seen it.

// I have rules. That’s the best I could do. Every time you’re stuck, just think "It's all connected." My data shows that even Crocling children understood that back in my day. //

I never said I was smarter than a Crocli- you know what, I don’t think that’s a word. Also, I never said I was smarter than a Croc kid.

// Statistically, there's gotta be a few genius Crocs. Anyway, Crocling is totally a word. Say it to Fox. She’ll applaud your worldly knowledge. //

Smirking as he lifted further into the sky, he spun to look for the Hyenas, reveling in the magic he could now feel all around him.

I kind of do feel like a dry brained fool.

He had believed the earth magic to be stoic and the air magic to be wild, but in reality, were just facets of the same entity… Nature.

And Nature, as limited as it had been on this desert world for who knows how long, had been waiting for him to reach out. It shook and raged, or settled and waited in the ground and swept and raced and danced across the sky. Not quite alive, really, but he felt its longing to be used in this world’s magic.

What it was exactly still eluded him, but it felt more like someone he knew and a little less like a strange, unknown power.

He felt a sudden emptiness, but it was immediately replaced by something else. Something stronger. Words flashed across his screen in a way that was completely unlike the PUB's usual method of communication.

/// It is not an unknown power, it is just unknown to you. ///

The words pulsed in an odd blue for a moment and broke apart into motes of light that drifted in every direction. Before he could even begin to form a question, more words appeared.

/// Keep them alive and hurry to the Gryphus' Lair. We have much to discuss. ///

What the hell was that?! Who are you?

The strange presence was gone, replaced by the familiar presence of his PUB. Oskar felt an odd wave of relief wash over him, just realizing exactly how much he relied on the subtle, internal presence he didn’t even realize he could feel until that voice was had suppressed it.

You alright, PUBs?

// I... I think so. There-for I am so? Does that work? //

No, but I think you're fine. I'm guessing you have no idea what that was?

// Yeah, that was odd. And scary, to be honest. It wasn't like I was being hacked, I was put into a monitoring stasis. Like, I could read the words, but I couldn't even think about what they might mean. Is that what's it's like to not be a matching Gear set? //

He scanned the horizon for their enemies, but answered the PUB. You know I have no idea.

// Yeah, sorry, I'm just still reeling from that. //

We'll have to talk with the others if we make it through this. Assuming I can land.

Oskar focused on the horizon and finally laid eyes on the two Gliders the same time they caught sight of him, coasting ahead and above. The lead Hyena-man, gaudy gold painted Goggles around his surprised eyes, cocked back an arm and threw.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The air itself might as well have warned him of the incoming spear. Smooth lines of color in the air curled, darkened, and split like shaved wood from the projectile as it flew toward him. He could have caught it, and almost did so, laughing… yet stopped the wild bravado he felt overtaking him the moment he realized it wasn’t all his. This wild new power would play along with him, but would gladly take the lead in this dance if he allowed it to.

It acts like it's alive.

Oskar couldn’t help but be curious. but obviously didn’t have time at the moment to ponder the secrets of this world. Instead, Oskar shifted slightly and let the spear pass him by inches and then rode a new current of wind that was lower to fly directly over his team. They were jogging with Touwon in the lead, but looked up as Oskar coasted above them for a moment, slowing to match their speed. He looked back at the Gliders, who were now circling around for another pass, hopefully sure they would have the advantage two on one in the air.

Hopefully they're wrong.

Locking eyes with the lead Kobold, he released the suction on his prosthetic, pulled it off and tossed it into a bemused Touwon’s capable hands, who caught it without slowing.

The Kobold’s green eyes lit up like he’d been given the keys to a kingdom. Unexpectantly, he cradled it briefly before carefully placing it in the bag over his shoulder, slowing into a shuffling run as he did so. Oskar shook his head and pushed himself upward with Sora, turning around in search of the Gliders.

He’s an odd dude. Awesome, but odd.

He couldn't stop thinking about the intrusive messages, though.

Whatever it was, it wanted me to "keep them alive," so it probably wasn't all bad.

// Well unless it's hungry and wants everyone. //

Yo. That's dark. And potentially true.

Oskar rose into the upper currents and made his way around the Gliders who were having trouble matching his maneuverability. He found a current that would close the distance to the frustrated Hyena-man duo and used it to launch himself at them with a fierce grin, the stress of his prosthetic breaking temporarily forgotten. He was forced to rotate to avoid a spear thrown at him, stealing some of his momentum, but scored a shallow strike on the rear Glider with his first pass, his spear cutting through the hide on the mangy Hyena-man’s right side.

The small Glider spun sideways at the impact, though and barely recovered, almost falling out of the current of air he was riding. Oskar observed with grim satisfaction that the self-proclaimed Dragoons’ mocking laughter suddenly sounded much more panicked. Oskar agility in the air was a massive advantage since the Hyenas were stuck in currents going one direction until they could change direction

So, they weren't even watching as he spun around and immediately rose into a higher current to give chase. He’d caught back up to them before they’d even noticed what he’d done.

This is the difference between using the wind and being a part of it, Oskar thought as he slammed his spear down into the spine of the mangy rear Glider, leaving only the Hyena with the fake gold Goggles.

They’re used to being the only ones in the air, not having to dogfight. Ha, dogfight!

// Pedant alert! Hyenas aren't dogs, cats, or anything related. They have a family of their own, Hyaenidae. There are two other members of the Hyaenidae family that exists here. There are Pachycrocutal like Chonkdog, remember him? Also, there are Aardwulf. More confusingly... they look nothing like aarvarks or wolves, more like... uh, long foxes. //

I do not have time to work through everything you just said, but thank you, I think. I'll try to work that into my schedule along with the two Gems I haven't had time to use and learning Talau.

// Whoa. And apparently a nap. //

Hush, you! Oskar thought at the PUB with a smirk, just happy to be in the air again, broken prosthetic or not.

He followed the Hyena-man with the gaudy painted Goggles for a minute before he saw a second trio of Gliders approaching way off in the distance, and another group of four not far behind them. Oskar knew he lacked the experience for a prolonged "hyenafight" with eight Gliders. Eleven, Oskar thought with a curse as three more dots appeared on the distant horizon.

We need time. Way more time.

Oskar sunk in the air, acting as if he were wounded and desperate to get away from Gaudy the Giggling Clown, and was able to draw him and his cheap looking Goggles away from his team, still running for their lives. He could see them moving as fast as they could towards the Gryphus Vulture’s lair, visible now in the distance. Oskar played it as slow and safely as he could, barely dodging a few throws and exaggerating his minor injuries to keep the Hyena on the attack.

// We're not using Gaudy the Giggling Clown. I refuse. Please find something else. //

The Hyena-man, now down to his pair of spears, tried to close the distance for a better shot. Oskar spent twenty minutes letting the fella almost catch him before dropping or rising into a different current to drift away. He didn’t want to kill the guy just yet; he needed to keep him distracted and fighting so that the Gliders who’d responded to the smoke alert would… hopefully… come to his aid.

The dots in the distance had been steadily getting closer, and both he and Gaudy were tired of the life-or-death vigilance of their battle.

The Gliders that had responded to the initial smoke alert didn’t give a rat’s ass about Gaudy, though. Their angle became clear… and it was straight towards Oskar’s brother and the Kobolds who were trying to clear the last mile or so to the Lair, and hopefully a shelter the Windgliders wouldn’t enter. The final Hyena-man, with no help coming, decided he no longer wanted the be alone in the air with Oskar and angled himself towards Oskar's team in the distance as well.

Oskar was chasing the panicking lone Glider towards his friends, who were minutes from entering the outer boundary of the Lair. Oskar was about to catch up when Gaudy activated a skill that sent him diving towards the group at breakneck speed, pulling further away from Oskar.

Oskar knew as he improved his control and power with Sora, he might eventually learn to mimic the powered attack, but all he could do now was dive after him. His speed increased dramatically as Sora responded to his need, and skill or not, he was swiftly gaining on Gaudylocks… but it wasn’t going to be enough.

// Urgent- Dorn Collective Gambit:

Don’t Die Gambit! Gliders incoming! I’m not generating the failure conditions. If you don’t know what happens if you fail a Don’t Die Gambit, you deserve to find out what happens when you fail a Don’t Die Gambit. Oskar is probably confused, but he’s safe up here, so I’m not worried about him. //

Your mother’s confused.

// And your brother can’t clap. //

What the hell is wrong with you?!

// I’m so sorry, I literally can’t stop. //