The path remains clear until the first major checkpoint. No creatures swarm this far down; the teams further up the trail thinning them out. We pass several other teams as we head up the mountains, but never share more than a passing greeting.

The others have obviously been holding back for me. Now that I am willing to ride with Grímr again, the others don’t need to slow themselves for my flying speed. That, and they have a reason to push through the Stepps as fast as possible.

A gradually growing influx of creatures has put a strain on the Mercenary Order’s defensive positions. These beasts are varying, but each is of a type never seen prior. The most worrisome issue is that it apparently takes five Fearn teams at the very least to assure a kill without losses.

That there are so many of them is a cause of concern for all relevant parties. The upper brass of the Order would have sent a few of the Beith mercenaries to investigate under normal circumstances. Due to a combination of Remus and I having pissed the Order’s management off, and a lack of available Beith mercenaries, we are stuck investigating instead. Alone.

It’s not the worst, though; at least we’ll get to consume stronger beasts than we’ve yet faced. I’m feeling far more confident now that I have this snowsuit. Maybe I can actually learn to participate with my spear without worry of the snow under my feet.

I’ve hardly had the time to practice, so I doubt the time I can fight with a spear alongside the others will be any time soon. Tetsu might continue teaching me as we travel, but for now, the team seems far too keen on moving up the mountains as quick as possible.

Jav glides back to his perch on Remus. He’d been flying ahead, scouting the path we’ll be taking.

“We’ll be getting our first look at one of those creatures soon. It moves at least as fast as us, so maybe fifteen minutes until intercept.”

“Anything you can tell us?” Remus asks.

“Yeah. It’s a big fucking centipede.”

“How big exactly?”

“Bigger than a centipede should ever get; about the length of a house.”

“Alright then, I guess we’re about to see just how strong these things are. Bunny, you take front. Solvei, want to go for a flight?”

He asks it like a question, but it feels more like a request, if not an outright order. I’m disappointed to put away my new outfit already, but I do as he says and start my change.

As soon as the icy breeze flows over my body once more, I realise how good the suit is at keeping my heat contained. I hardly needed to strain to keeping my body temperature high. Now in my falcon form, the frosty wind forces me to burn hotter.

In the air once more, I have a better view of the path before us. I can see the centipede approaching at an incredible pace. Its yellow legs almost look like they are rolling backward as the creature speeds down the slope with its jagged, zigzagging skitter.

It’s hard to get a good idea of its size at this distance, but even without it is obviously fast. The ground passes underneath it from tip to end in a fraction of a second.

I look down at my team. Tetsu is charging head on toward the creature, with Remus and Grímr spreading out from her sides. Jav still sits with Remus, but I imagine as they get closer he’ll be thrown again.

A hiss announces the centipede’s awareness of the incoming hostiles. Jav flies toward the creature, closing the vast distance in but a moment. His short wing blades slice through several legs before it can react. But when the centipede does react, it is with lightning speed. A razor tipped leg thrusts toward Jav faster than I can comprehend.

Jav twists around the sharp leg and curves through the air to cut off another leg before letting his momentum pull him high into the air, barely dodging the next six bladed leg strikes.

Even as it strikes at Jav, the centipede never stops moving. Its eyes lock dead on the albanic charging head first.

Tetsu brings down a massive war-axe on the head of the critter as they collided. Four of the being’s front legs lift to hold back the swing just enough that the axe barely cuts into the creature’s exoskeleton. Tetsu abandons the axe now stuck in the creature’s head and holds her arms out to grasp the two large fangs snapping closed around her.

Their impact has Tetsu sliding back twenty metres from the momentum of the creature before she gets enough of a grip under her to pull it to a stop. The fangs come so close to the sides of her chest, but with her strength she keeps them from snapping closed.

The centipede doesn’t just sit there trying to win a battle of strength. It curls its body around, trying to stab or grasp the woman while she is stuck fending off its fangs.

Before it can do so, Grímr charges in and slams into the centre of the centipede’s trunk. The creature jerks away from Tetsu and is lifted into the air from Grímr’s heft before it lands on its back. The panther is quick to mount it and use its large teeth and claws to tear into the softer-shelled underside of the centipede.

The bug curls up around Grímr and jabs a number of its sharp legs into his side and back. He snarls and continues tearing through the wound he’d created. Grey blood gushes out and covers Grímr’s fur.

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The familiar thunderous sound of Remus’ limbs crack through the air as he impacts the axe already lodged in the creature’s head. The axe cuts clean through the centipede, splitting its head in half, but the creature still moves.

It writhes and coils, stabbing as many of its legs into Grímr and trying to crawl out from under him.

Jav and Tetsu return to the fight. Jav continues cutting off as many of the legs as he can, prioritising those stabbing into Grímr and avoiding what must be instinctual reactive strikes from the centipede. Tetsu steps forward and grasps the remains of the creature’s head, pinning it still and halting its constricting.

With an unmoving target, Remus has an easy time crushing through the exoskeleton with his whip-like tentacles.

It is only a matter of time now until the centipede dies. Maybe I should have helped, or participated somehow, but I didn’t know how I should. They all work so well with each other that I don’t know if I might get in their way if I try to help. If I were to engulf the area in flame, I’d just be limiting my team’s line of sight. I know how ineffective my flames are against beasts like this.

The body of the creature finally slows. Its legs still twitch and move as if walking, despite its body being overturned.

Remus and Tetsu help remove the centipede’s legs lodged in Grímr. Crimson blood flows from the wounds and mixes with the blue of the centipede’s coating his hide. He barely seems to mind what looks like grievous wounds.

“So, what do you think about one of them?” Remus asks Grímr with an amused tone.

“Please, don’t even consider the thought.” He seems to hardly notice the many wounds lining his back and sides.

“Are you going to be okay?” I ask, looking at his bloody fur coat.

Grímr looks up at me, then back at himself. “Huh? Oh, don’t worry, this is nothing. I’ll be back to perfect shape in an hour.”

“That felt rather weak for a Mid Elevation creature,” Tetsu says as she retrieves her battleaxe. “You don’t suppose it’s a swarm type, do you?”

“Don’t you dare even put that thought in our heads, Madwoman,” Jav says.

I catch a small upward twitch at the corner of Tetsu’s mouth.

My flames spread out over the centipede to shape the ritual while I change back to normal and hop back in the comfort of my outfit. Its insulation feels amazing.

“It is good that they aren’t that strong,” Remus says. “If we’re lucky, they come from somewhere in the Lower Elevation and we won’t even need to go through the effort of reaching the Mid.”

“How long will it take to reach the Lower Elevation?” I ask.

“We’ll likely have to fight a few more of those things, so three days sounds right.”

“What should we call them?” Jav asks as the last motes of the centipede disappear into the inscription.

“Bugs.” Tetsu ties her axe back into the side of her pack.

“Oh yeah, why not? I’ll just tell you we’re facing a bug anytime I scout something. Good luck if it turns out to be a swarm of blood crickets or a thermite hornet.”

“Sounds good.” Tetsu grins.

“No, no. You won’t be doing that, Jav; we don’t need any unnecessary confusion. Just call them centipedes for now. I doubt anyone here would mistake them for the regular sized ones. Let the teams back home decide their name.”

I burn through the small portion of centipede left over and remount Grímr. In no time, we are sprinting through the mountains again. Plumes rise behind us where our speedy movements disturb the snow.

In the next few days, we tear through many of the centipedes. The higher we move, the more often we come across them. They weren’t the only creature, but each we come across was far easier dealt with. It is hard to believe considering the immense amount of land we’ve covered, but apparently we are still only on the Stepps.

“How far is the Lower Elevation from here, anyway?” I ask.

Jav stokes the campfire. An array of fish sit above the flames, simmering under the volan’s careful eye. “About another day. You’ll know when we’re there.”

I wait a moment, expecting him to elaborate, but he remains quiet with his attention entirely on the burning fish before him.

“Why? What’s there?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Remus butts in, his eye grin more teasing than usual.

That’s annoying. Can’t he just tell me instead of messing around? My annoyance must have been visible on my face as he lets out a chuckle.

“I heard you did pretty well in bleed for your first game. How about we all have a game?” Remus materialises a deck of the cards out of thin air.

Tetsu’s eyes narrow. “Is Jav playing?”

Remus turns a questioning gaze to the small cook.

“Of course,” Jav says.

“I’m out.”

“Nope.”

Both Grímr and Tetsu immediately refuse to play.

“Oh come now, we don’t have to play for bets. Just a nice friendly game.” Remus tries to encourage them.

“It’s never a friendly game with Jav,” Tetsu says.

“You’re just scared of losing,” Jav says. “The battle of strategy is the only battle you’re not confident in.”

The internal conflict Tetsu feels is as blatant as a charging beast. “Fine. I’ll beat you this time.” She frowns, but sits with us.

Jav grins at her and turns to Grímr. “You’re not going to be the only one to sit out, are you? How lonely.” Despite his words, Jav is grinning ear to ear.

Grímr sighs and, without more prodding, drops beside Tetsu.

“Excellent. We have a fifth player now, so do we move up to three decks or stick with two?”

“Three,” Grímr and Tetsu say in unison.

“Oh look, the fish is ready.” Jav proceeds to some sort of powder to the fish before handing them out to everyone.

I’m surprised I’m even given one; I still have my iron to eat through. The thin metal stick that skewers the fish rests in my hand as I inspect it. Fish come from the water; I watched as Jav dove after them earlier. They are a strange existence, completely opposite to me. The silvery blue creature in my hands can only survive in the water. The idea just seems so bizarre.

I poke at the charred scales of the fish, expecting to be burnt like I’m touching water. But I don’t feel any pain, instead it feels soft and springy.

Remus eyes me as he deals out the cards. “There’s no water in the fish if you’re worried. Well, no more than any other animal, and you have no problem with them.”

I take it in my hands, and slowly rise the fish to my mouth. Hesitantly, I take a bite. It’s delicious. As surprisingly good as it is, I can’t see myself ever willingly putting myself close to water to get some for myself.

My cards in front of me are horrible, there’s no way I’ll win this round. I look around at the others to see if their public cards are any worse than mine. Everyone gorges on their own fish. Both Tetsu and Jav savour their meal while the other two dig in without care.

“So,” Jav starts after everyone has finished eating. “I know Remus said there wouldn’t be any bets, but the game just isn’t the same without. How about just a tiny wager?”

An hour later, Jav finds himself with another pile of coins before him. Grímr and Tetsu are both visibly deflated in depression. Remus, despite having lost more to Jav than anyone, seems more happy than usual. He packs away the cards, whistling all the while.

“Never again,” I hear Tetsu groan, getting a grunt of agreement from the big cat next to her.

It’s getting late now. I crawl on top of Grímr’s back, away from the snow-laden ground and snuggling into his comfortable fur. It surprised even me how quickly I’d become accustomed to sleeping on Grímr, but when the alternative is the cold ground, I find his thick fur coat far more appealing.

“Enjoy your last night of peaceful rest,” Remus says. “From tomorrow, we won’t be able to be so lax.”