It took some time to strap the packs to Rifin's back as the massive Changeling had his own bag filled with food as well. Bag would be an improper term for it, since it more resembled a tarp meant to cover a house which just happened to be filled with base edibles. True to his statement, Rifin could grow holes and even hoist points in his chitin at will.

The team decided to set a series of harnesses over the sides of the colossal Changeling. Each harness had two base points where it connected to his chitin and the rider was tied off in the center between the two. R.J. opted out of a harness, preferring to fly on his own. Darryl and Mike briefly debated offering to try outfitting Rifin with a series of mounts for weapons, but eventually decided against it.

Full Spectrum had disappeared for half an hour while Rifin was being fitted with the harnesses. She returned with a plumb-bob, a piece of chalk, a piece of charcoal, and a few strands of Tina's hair. Since Catalyst had forbade her from ever exposing the secrets of Blood Magic, she regretfully informed her compatriots, "I'll have to wait until we're outside of town to perform the ritual and even then I have to be alone."

The rest of the team agreed that it would have been a good idea anyway. Finally fully ready to depart, they turned to the gathered crowd to bid them farewell. Darryl saw Artex, Razor, and Oriana standing among the onlookers. He waved and approached the three calmly, "Hey there periwinkle, come to see us off?"

Artex shot his friend a flat look, "Indeed I am hoarder." The two men chuckled at the jokes about their last names. Adopting a sad smile Artex continued, "You were right, I'm not at my best right now. I'd probably be a liability if I went with you." He sighed and shook his head, "I wish I was though."

Darryl leveled a steely gaze at the Emissary. After several silent moments he pursed his lips and scuffed his right foot on the cobblestone street, "It's going to be ugly. Remember, I'm a Marine, when we go to do something, we go all the way. I can tell you right now, it's going to be a bloodbath. I don't plan on leaving any survivors unless they surrender... maybe not even then. These Bloodmages started something and we're going to finish it. They kidnapped innocents, they rendered our troops helpless, and they murdered a bunch of us in cold blood. They want to play by those rules... fine. They hit us like Pearl Harbor and just like the Japanese, they awoke a sleeping giant. I'd have liked to have you with us. I know you can pull your own weight, but you need to stay here and recuperate. Stay here and heal your mind. Hopefully there won't be a next time but if there is I'll gladly have you along." Darryl stuck out his hand, "I'll see you when we get back."

Artex clasped Darryl's hand, "Till then Marine, take care of yourself." He pulled Darryl into a hug and patted him on the back, "And take care of Rose Thorn while you're out there. I've seen the way she looked at me." he whispered into his friend's ear.

Darryl pulled back and winked at his friend, "No prob," he spoke in American English, "Gotta keep that ass safe!" Darryl looked back at Rose Thorn. She had her back to them and her flank was well-outlined in her armor. Darryl turned back to Artex and whistled, "Woo! Has she got an ass on her!" He clapped his friend hard on his shoulder, "Nice and tight. I know you're a big fan of a girl having a good ass and SHE has it in SPADES!"

Darryl turned and walked back to the rest of the strike team leaving Artex with an open-hanging jaw. Razor's eyes were bulged. Oriana, not being fluent in American English, opened her mouth to ask Razor what the conversation had been about since it had caused such reactions. Razor Wit wisely held up her right hoof and gently pressed it against the zebra mare's muzzle and shook her head.

The sudden appearance of a perpetually scowling Unicorn mare, one with a silver coat and a cobalt blue mane and tail, caused more than a few raised eyebrows. Backlash was well-known to the students. Her personality was serious and most had never seen her smile. In fact, if asked, most would say they had never seen her face hold any expression other than her perpetual scowl. Thusly it came as quite a shock when she boldly trotted up behind Darryl and loudly cracked her left forehoof against his right buttock.

Darryl spun around and looked down at Backlash with a blank expression. The Unicorn mare scowled up at the tall Marine, "Bring your head down here so I don't need to yell, you muscle-bound ignoramus."

Darryl bent at the waist and frowned at the silver mare, "What is it?" he asked sternly.

Backlash' expression never changed even for half a second as she stared up at Darryl, if anything she looked even more irritated. Moving with nearly blinding speed, she leaned forward and planted a peck on Darryl's cheek, "Don't get killed." So spoken, she turned and trotted away while a blush spread all over her whole head. Her scowl was still in place, but her blush revealed her actual feelings.

Everybody had seen it and everybody was stunned to silence. Artex smiled at his friend, still bent double with his eyes bugging out of his head. He raised his hands and began a very slow clap, "And you said that I knew how to pick them..."

Darryl suddenly straightened up and adjusted his armor, "Shut up you... civilian puke."

* * *

After New Humansville was lost to sight, Full Spectrum tapped her right foot against Rifin's back. It was one of the signals they had worked out since yelling and screaming to be heard against the wind was not particularly dignified. R.J. was flying alongside the huge Changeling. Rifin's battle arms waved once toward the ground. R.J. saw the motion and went in for a landing. Rifin immediately began descending and within three seconds he had not only cleared the trees, but had also made a small clearing among the thickly growing pines.

"That... WAS the signal to land... wasn't it?" Rifin asked.

"Yeah man." R.J. said as he crossed his arms, still floating a Fathom above the forest floor.

Rifin turned his huge head left then right, "Is something wrong?"

"I need to perform the tracking ritual. Everybody stay here and don't come looking for me. When I come back, do not distract me, do not touch me, do nothing to break my concentration. I'll try to be quick but I have to get this right." Full Spectrum then unhitched herself from the harness and casually jumped the distance to the ground.

As she walked off Kaneesha spoke up, "Was it just me, or did she just..."

"Yeah," Andrew confirmed, "She jumped down..." he peered over Rifin's side toward the ground, "Four Fathoms... sixteen feet? She didn't bend her knees or grunt when she landed so she must have used a spell, but..."

"She never lit up." Chris completed the thought, "What's more, I don't think she even realized it."

"I'm sorry to change the subject, but why did you bring the trident Captain?" Darryl asked, "And how the heck is it not activated right now?"

Mike shook his head as Rose Thorn looked from person to person in confusion, "What? How could a trident 'activate'? Is it magical?"

R.J. floated up on Rifin's side, "I forgot you weren't here during the Battle For New Humansville."

Rifin raised a battle arm, "Nor I. I'm just as confused."

The other Humans all smirked at each other, "Who wants to do the honors?" Darryl asked.

Mike threw up his hands, "Oh hell why not." He slipped the trident off his shoulder and held it up, away from the others. He pulled off one glove and slid a thin ring off the index finger of his left hand. The tines of the trident burst forth with brilliant white light as three blades of light appeared. The left tine had a blade which veered three Hooves to the left, curved like a scythe. The right tine had the same but in reverse. The center tine had a blade which extended straight up three Hooves.

Rifin and Rose Thorn both looked on in awe at the aethersteel weapon as Mike began to explain, "Seven months ago, just after New Humansville was founded, the Bloodmages created a disease which they unleashed upon a Diamond Dog City/State. The effects of the disease made any individual bitten, into a slavering, mindless animal. They were unable to think, to feel, to make any decisions, their minds were dead and they existed only to kill. They came to New Humansville... three thousand of them. We fought them off using blades and shields and more than a little bit of stubborn determination. During that battle one of our dear comrades perished fighting the Diamond Dogs where they had broken through a wall. I couldn't get there fast enough and seeing it tore me to pieces. I had this trident in hand at that time and I channeled magic through it. It was an accident at first, but my passive is Create and Magic. I bolster the magic of everybody around me." He held up a stern hand, "Do not ever tell anybody about that either."

"So how have you kept that a secret all this time?" Chris asked.

Mike held up the ring, "A little gift from one of the volunteer Unicorns from the School. Normally these are put on the horns of Unicorns to cut off their magic. Rather unexpectedly, the fact that my magic is constantly flowing also helps keep me thin... and it's growing stronger. I'm not a three yet, but I am a high two in Create and Magic. I'll be a three before the year is out."

He lapsed into silence and the sound of cracking twigs approached the team, "She's back." Mike said quietly, "Remember don't distract her."

Everybody got back into position and prepared to leave. They did their best to hold still and settle in for a lengthy flight.

Full Spectrum fluidly leaped from the ground and landed on Rifin's back, "Fly due West." She spoke the command as she kept her gaze straight ahead and fumbled trying to fasten the harness. She failed five times before she managed to tie off the correct knot. She stomped her left foot three times and Rifin unfurled his wings and buzzed straight up into the air like a tank sized Hercules Beetle.

* * *

Night had fallen. They had been making incredible headway thanks to Rifin's powerful wings. The forest had eventually given way to rolling hills and the view of the sunset from above the clouds had been gorgeous. It had passed more than an hour before. Darkness closed around the small group, the only light to be had came from the light of the moon above them. Each person seemed no more than a somber shadow tied down with ropes buzzing through the cooling night air. Not a single word had been uttered ever since Full Spectrum had returned. Everybody was left with nothing except their own thoughts.

"There." Full Spectrum's right hand suddenly shot out, her index finger fixed to a specific spot on the ground. She stomped her right foot on Rifin's back.

Everybody followed the direction of her finger. Kaneesha was the first to spot it, "There! It's a cave or something."

There was a pitch black spot among the dark shadows thrown around by the moon. It was a pit of darkness among the absence of light. The hole in the ground was set at the very base of a short, squat hill which was liberally coated with shrubs.

Rifin began to quickly descend and all eyes scanned the ground all around the hill, "Don't land here! Patrols!" Kaneesha's voice was all but drowned out by the wind.

Mike closed his eyes and flexed his fingers, preparing to subtly break the law, 'Rifin, don't land here. Set us down somewhere close by, out of sight of the hill.' Mike opened his eyes and caught a dizzy spell. He had not had many chances to use what tiny bit of Mind magic he had. Cessily had given him a few secret lessons with it, but he was nowhere near as skilled as she was. The short message to Rifin, which he was not even certain had succeeded, had taken almost everything he had.

Thankfully Rifin veered off course and set down some distance away with a small copse of trees between the team and the hole. Rifin knelt then lay down in the tall grass and everybody began untying themselves. Darryl was the first to untangle himself. He threw off the ropes of his harness, sat down on Rifin's back, and slid off the Changeling titan. His feet hit the ground and he pulled the shotgun out of the burlap bag he had stowed it in. He slung it on his shoulder sling and drew his gyrojet pistol. The shotgun was a recent invention of Morris and Jason. It had been a real trick to create and it was the only black-powder weapon among the entire arsenal. The cartridges had to be hand crafted and the kick was enormous, but by the same token, so too was the size of the barrel and the spread of the twenty jagged shards of metal it spat. The others began joining him on the ground and likewise preparing their own armaments. Not a single one noticed the pair of eyes looking down on them from the clouds above.

The Pegasus staring down at them never saw the black form of R.J. Brinsin slowly rising into the air behind it either.

Kaneesha was the first to hear the sound of flapping wings and was likewise the first to notice the absence of R.J., "Where's Brinsin?"

A body limply flopped onto the ground as the man in question floated down with his arms crossed and a smug grin plastered on his face, "Got us a little spy here."

The Pegasus was slate gray with peach colored mane and tail and a cutie mark of a star-burst surrounded by a circle. Sparks of electricity danced all over his body and he groaned quietly lying on his stomach. Darryl took the initiative. He holstered his pistol and drew the knife hanging from his left shoulder, "Well we can't have that..."

Let me know if I left any typos.