The new year comes and goes while I'm fast asleep, because we got a long day ahead of us.

Starts off strong with a light dusting of pure white snow overtop the reddish-brown dirt of the desolate badlands. Not quite a winter wonderland, as its more of a patchwork coating with plenty of earth showing through, but it's a good sign for us all as we make ready to head home. Ain't much point in sticking around the mesa any longer than necessary, as I done all the maintenance and mourning that needs doing. Same with the family, who've yet to raise even the hint of a complaint, but I can tell the novelty of camping have worn off some for Chrissy and Aunty Ray.

Luckily for us, things have worked out exactly as suspected. Either them Abby took care of whatever had gotten them all riled up, or their Proggies stepped in and decided the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Happens every now and then, as one merc outfit or another has the bright idea to use the cold to their advantage. It even works sometimes, though you rarely ever hear about the times that it don't. When things go wrong out here by the Divide, they go really wrong, so a deep-dive hunt is an all or nothing sort of thing that every government this side of the Divide strongly advises against.

I ain't ever come across an operation during the Christmas season, as even opportunistic mercenaries got family and friends to visit, but I suppose there's a first for everything. Plus, Drex Durden and his Corridor Companions are a dedicated bunch who spend more time under dark than they do topside, so I gotta imagine they've made some waves out here every now and then. Course, it could also be the Qin, who're the most likely suspects for causing the fracas of these past few days, but if Jinfeng knows anything about it, then she's a damned good actor because I can't get a read on her either way.

Seems just as confused as I am about what them Abby might be up to, and concerned about her cadre too. Claims she gave them orders to head home right quick, but she also admitted to having issues with malcontents nipping at her heels while eying her title of Second Sister and all the prestige that comes with it. A burden I know all too well, as there been plenty of kids over the last few years looking to take me down a peg just so they can say they done defeated the Firstborn. Course, I been all too happy to teach them a thing or two, because ain't no therapy like beating the snot out of some snivelling shit who done good and well deserved it.

That ain't me no more though, no sir-ree. Street fights are for kids, and I'm a grown man now, so I'll gun down anyone who comes at me with intent and lose no sleep over it after the fact.

It's got nothing to do with my healthy respect for Jinfeng's skills and a general wariness of close combat moving forward. Nothing at all. I just think it's silly to risk getting my head cracked open in a brawl when I got four guns on my belt and plenty of ammo for them. Not to mention my Spells, many of which would be far more effective than smacking enemies with my bare hands. While expenditure is an issue, there are plenty of Cantrips I could use that would work wonders, like the Primal Savagery I learned to teach to Cowie, or Shocking Grasp which is what them cattle prods use to send a jolt of Electricity into whatever the prongs touch. I know Kacey is a fan of Echoing Strike, which sheathes a struck target in a shroud of force that'll solidify a few moments later and erupt if the target tries to move, while the bread and butter of all melee Cantrips is Elemental Strike. No idea why, as it seems like a worse Shocking Grasp that lets you pick and choose what Element to hit with. It also lets you Imbue an object with the Spell's Elemental energies which will then release upon impact instead of having to wait until you yourself make skin contact with the target. Could also Imbue a rock and throw it, though at that point I don't see why I wouldn't just use Bolt.

What I'm saying is that there's plenty of Cantrips and Spells I could learn to improve my ability to go toe to toe with high-jumping, spin-kicking, fist of fury brown eyed girls. Might want to start with putting more practice into Blade Ward, since I imagine I'd be getting hit more often than not to start, but it's a very reactive Cantrip that'll only protect you for a short window of time and usually only blunt a single solid hit rather than block it out entirely. The key point to take away is that it's still best practice to keep Jinfeng and Abby at more than arm's length, and it'll stay that way unless I care to devote an inordinate amount of time to dedicated melee practice. Which I don't really want to do, because shooting things is so much easier than all that dodging, dipping, ducking, and weaving that Jinfeng gotta do on the battlefield.

That's why I use the Floating Disc after all, so I don't exhaust myself running around and having to turn this way and that while shooting and scooting. It's a style I more or less came up with myself, though that's not to say I'm the only one who does it. All I'm saying is that the first time my daddy took me snowboarding up by Mount Rime, I figured it'd be a great way to get away from Abby right quick, provided I don't topple over and fall at an inopportune time. Course, that was mostly an excuse to get real good at snowboarding, but my daddy enjoyed it too and I think he saw merit in my idea, though he never got to see me execute it in a real combat scenario.

Got plenty more practice while running around on my own in the years after his death, and wasted more ammo than I care to admit getting it down pat at first. Even if you know you retreating and not running in a full panic, it takes your brain and body some time to figure that out for themselves, and then you several klicks away from where you started and no earthly idea as to how you gonna collect all the Abby corpses you done strung out behind you.

Might well be putting all that practice to good use soon enough though, as I want us out of the badlands right quick now that the hubbub has died down. If it is the result of some merc force thinking they can tweak Abby's nose without reprisal, I'd like to be as far from the Divide as possible before they decide to ring the bell for round two. It's one thing to disturb a bunch of hibernating Abby and slaughter any and all comers who hear the disturbance, but it'll be another thing altogether if they decide to try again. See, the first-time round, they caught Abby unawares, and all them Feral bugs was reacting on instinct. They come under attack, they attack back, simple is as simple does, and the same goes for the rest. They heard a disturbance, so they went in with fangs bared and claws brandished to see what's what, and any half-decent group who's dug in and ready can hold them off for a time. Especially in the dead of winter with them bugs moving much slower than normal, if them mercs try to push their luck, they gonna learn something about the Divide.

There's an old saying from Tennessee, or maybe it's Texas not Tennessee, that says fool me once, shame on you. Fool me… You can't get fooled again.

Okay, maybe that ain't how the saying goes, but what I'm trying to say is that the fight goes a whole other way when them Ferals get the jump on you, and they will if them mercs decide they want another fight. They picked their moment well, came out just as most Ferals of the Divide were settling in for the winter and kicked over the hornet's nest while it was the coldest it's been all year. Judging by the breadth of all that Abby activity, I'm guessing the mercs who dunnit are either all dead or they netted themselves a good haul of corpses, ones they probably been cooking up over the last day or so since things settled down. If they're smart, they'll take what they've earned and get gone right quick, because if they try again, them Ferals won't come at them willy nilly like before. No, a Proggie done already stepped in to calm them Ferals down, so if them mercs keep poking the hornet's nest, then they gonna get stung when that same Proggie decides to teach them a lesson itself.

While there are rumours of a Synapse Aberration over in the Deadlands, The Marshal and most government militaries believe the Feral Bug colonies of the Divide have got the highest chances of spawning a Synapse for true. Not to say there isn't one in the Deadlands, but they're called the Deadlands for a reason. Don't much of anything grow in them marshy swamps, as the ocean waters swells with the seasonal rains and floods them lowlands area with so much salt that it kills all the plant life in the area. A world of difference from the badlands around the Divide, as these here barrens were stripped of biomass by scavenging Abby, whereas the Deadlands would've been dead with or without them Soulless lingering about.

It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Proggies tend to spawn Soulless when they stranded in areas without much of any biomass, as Soulless Abby don't need much of it at all. Instead, them ethereal, ghostly Abby are capable of siphoning life energy directly from living creatures with little more than a touch, as they are creatures of pure Necrotic energy that is almost anathema to life. That's what makes them so dangerous, that and the fact that they can pass through walls or come at you from under ground, a bunch of ghostie Abby that only take physical form when inhabiting the corpse of something they done killed. Makes them a difficult bunch to face, because you can't really wall them out without prodigious use of expensive Protection from Abby Wards or Consecrated grounds. Plus, even if you shoot the corpse they inhabiting, you won't kill the Soulless Abby, not without specialized Aetherarms that deal Radiant damage or Spells of that sort of nature.

Which is what makes the Catholic Knights Templar such a good match against the Soulless, and with support from the American Rangers and British Protectorate, they got the Deadlands under lockdown. Really raises the question of how them Proggies there could've gathered enough biomass or life energy and materials to create a Synapse in the first place. Ain't cheap, building a meat puppet for a Proggie to commandeer, to say nothing of how it can hijack any nearby Abby to control them too. No idea how it works, only that it does, and when it does, it'll take these cunning but ultimately animalistic Ferals and turn them into puppets controlled by a Progenitor so smart we've yet to find an upper limit to their intelligence.

That cost is why everyone thought the Bug Ferals of the Divide would be the first to bring out a Synapse. Given how much territory they hold, it's impossible to contain them from either side of the Divide, meaning they've been free to raid the entire eastern front since we first stepped foot on the Frontier. While the Marshal has been doing his damnedest to hold them back, we all saw the results of his efforts on the first day of our trip. Took us less than 8 hours to reach the border of the badlands, when 18 years ago, it took Aunty Ray four days of hard riding to do the same. The further west they push, the more area they have to harvest from, which I think is why they haven't reached the borders of New Hope just yet. Even if the Rangers retreated all the way to Thunder Bay and left the Ferals of the Divide untouched, I doubt they'd be making much more progress than they already are because there's only so much biomass they can process in a single year.

Yeah, it's a real kick in the gut to think about the facts. We ain't slowing Abby down none. They're just at the limits of what they can consume in a year, though that'll change once the Watershed hits and the higher Aetheric Concentration levels allow them Proggies to do more with less biomass and substitute in Aether instead.

Ain't my problem to worry about though. Either the Bulwark will hold, or it won't, but whatever happens won't have nothing to do with me. Can't say the same for Tina though, who's looking all happy-go-lucky and eager as can be as we eat a quick breakfast before setting out for the day. As a Ranger stationed here in New Hope, she'll be on the front lines of the War against Abby, one that will be plenty heated in years to come as them Ferals start pouring out of the Divide. If the worst should come to pass and Ranger HQ calls for a massed evacuation, she'll be stuck holding up the rear no doubt, and be happy to do it since I know the Marshal won't leave until every citizen and soldier is already on their way out. That's the problem though. It's all good and well for the Marshal to be all heroic and self-sacrificing, because that's just who he is. He knows good and well what the odds will be and has no qualms about laying down his life for the cause, because he is not only a soldier, but a good man who fights for no reason than to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Tina though? Tina's in it because she wants to follow in her daddy's footsteps without really knowing all there is to know about the life. She's got this idealized view of what it means to be a Ranger, to be the tip of the spear in the war against Abby and the last line of defense here on the Frontier, but what she don't understand is that there's so much more to it. She ain't just fighting Abby after all; she'll have to fight outlaws and other nations too, like how them Rangers stationed south of Redeemer's Keep are clashing with Qin Vanguard who're pretending to be bandits raiding them towns for gear and supplies. While she got a taste of that sort of bloodshed this past summer on the 4th of July, it can get a whole lot worse out there when you hunting outlaws instead of Abby.

And there ain't no point pretending like the Fed's are gonna want to shelter the young'uns. A soldier is a soldier and they'll use every tool they can get, like how they're planning to toss Gabriella off into the deep end by sending her up to Deadlock Bay and the Northmoor beyond it. Yeah sure, the girlie understands a dozen languages and will be of great use up there where you got at least that many different Middle Eastern dialects in popular use alongside even more Sub-Saharan African languages spoken only by a few families at a time. Who will stubbornly refuse to learn English mind you, or any other language besides their own, making communication difficult at best. If them durasheep weren't so valuable and labour intensive to rear, I'd bet my bottom dollar that some bigger government organization like the Feds would've swept through the Northmoor long ago and settled all them feuding families just to have a stranglehold on the Force, Fire, and Acid resistant durawool them magical ungulates produce.

Meaning end of the day? A Ranger ain't nothing but a soldier, and a soldier goes where the government tells them to go and does what they say to do. An unelected government mind one, as them folks in charge was appointed by a president who's second term in office ended months before the first settler stepped foot through the Gate. Hear tell his successor didn't want to rock the boat as it were, since he took office in January of 1989 and only had 3 months and change before the Advent on April 29th. Plus, even if he'd've won his second term, that president would've had to step down after 8 years to let someone else be President for a bit, and that successor would've had to do the same 8 years after that. At a minimum, the old world would've gone through three Presidents by now, while all them unelected government officials running things here on the Frontier are still in power after 18 years.

Men and women who ain't military, but have the power to dictate what the military does. That's who's giving Tina orders now, a bunch of fat cats who've made a good life for themselves here on the Frontier, the same types who got their hands out for the likes of the Puglianos to grace their palms with some ill-gotten gains. It's all crooked from the ground up, and anyone standing straight is doing so in spite of the circumstances, rather than because of them. Things ain't so bad here in New Hope with the Marshal running the show, but even Marcus had trouble keeping his house in order up in Meadowbrook. Sure, there was only the one real crooked Ranger in Wayne Marlon, but like they say, one bad apple spoils the bunch. Just look at Conner. He knew what Wayne was into and how deep a hole he dug for himself, but Conner didn't say nothing to Marcus now did he? No, all he did was follow his L.T and watch as them outlaws cut my hand off, when he could've drawn the 1911 on his hip and done something about it.

That's what hurts the most really. Well, besides having to kill a man I considered a friend. The fact that Conner just let it happen. Yeah, the Ranger badge has long since lost its lustre for me, because as things stand, I wouldn't pin that five-pointed star to my chest even if they begged me to. No, I don't want that anymore, not since I realized what the Rangers really stand for, which ain't what my daddy and Tina's daddy stood for, or even what the Marshal stands for despite being their top guy on the Eastern Front.

A hero of the people. That's what being a Ranger used to mean, but heroes are few and far between.

Not without reason. Hard to be a hero, as it's hard enough to look out for yourself much less care about others. I'll still do what I can, but I ain't no hero, just a guy trying to get his family home safe from their trip out to the Divide. With that in mind, I go over our gear and supplies one last time, making sure Chrissy and Aunty Ray got their go-bags by their feet and the horses are carrying enough for me and Tina to get by. As an afterthought, I toss Jinfeng a fifth go-bag I done packed for her, one that got nothing but food, water, and blankets as well as a few first aid and survival supplies. "Keep that close to hand at all times," I say, in response to her unasked question. "If things get dicey, then it's every man for himself, and I ain't gonna wait around for you to get gone while hauling them corpses about."

Which is a disconcerting sight to be sure, three rotting, skeletal remains all trussed up by their shoulders and bouncing about on their feet like they still alive and… mostly well. She don't seem to mind it one bit despite being sandwiched between two of them corpses while carrying the poles on her shoulders, which says something about her which I don't care to think about. She's more put off by having to parse through my meaning, and soon as she figures it out, she gives me a stoic nod like it's only to be expected. And to her, it probably is, because there's no doubt in my mind that she'd leave us all to die if it meant she'd get away.

That's just how the Qin are, with an 'us against them' mindset, and for all her efforts to bring me on board to her side, me and mine are all firmly in the 'them' department for sure.

Though I might be overgeneralizing just a tad bit. I mean, Jinfeng did launch a desperate, all-out attack and put herself in grave danger just to save Tina's Echo. Earned her a fair few points in my book it did, even if the cynic in me wonders if it was a calculated move to try and earn my trust. If so, then her performance was once again flawless, from her hopeless resignation after shoving the Razorscythe aside to her fiery outburst after the fact, when she called me, I kid you not, a turtle's egg. That's the literal translation of "wáng bā dàn", something my daddy used to say pretty often, and I always thought of it as a kiddie curse word. You know, something you say instead of an actual curse word, like 'fudge nuggets' or 'son of a gun', so it's kinda amusing to see the calm and stoic Second Sister Jinfeng throwing out kiddie cusses like that.

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

All in all? Second Sister here got me all twisted up inside, and not in the good way like how Noora had me before she brung in Josie too and overwhelmed my defenses with strength of numbers. I'm talking about morally speaking, because ever since I was 8 and Uncle Raleigh passed away, my daddy done drilled into my head how I'm the man of the family and how I gotta protect the womenfolk. Not because they can't protect themselves mind you, but because they're more valuable to society. Ain't nothing a man can do that a woman can't, but ain't true the other way around. Men can't give birth, can't propagate the species, while a woman can have as many children as she cares to provided don't nothing go wrong in the process.

That's all there is to it really. Much as I harp on the Qin for being quick on the trigger to have babies, I'm pretty sure every government here on the Frontier wishes they could be as direct and upfront about the needed birth rate to sustain the aging population of settlers from the First Wave. The oldest of the bunch like Uncle Art and the Marshal are gonna be turning 54 this year, which ain't exactly ancient, but ain't great for the sort of hard lives lived out here. With me being the oldest of the bunch and only 6 others living in New Hope, it's gonna take a few more years before me and mine make up a significant portion of the workforce, and even then, them old timers won't really be able to sit back and relax. It's all hands on deck out here, and the wealth of experience ain't nothing to sneeze at either, but there's a world of difference between being a manager who schedules workers for each shift and a construction guy who carries heavy pallets and hammers nails all day.

Now, the Second Wave of settlers is supposed to help alleviate the workforce issues, but even then, I reckon it'll be the same as the first in that there will be significantly more men signing on to come to the Frontier than women. That's just how it was, so don't ask me why, and I got no reason to think it'll be any different this time around. Meaning it's the man's job to do the fighting and dying, while women are to be kept safe and sound even if they ain't willing to have any more babies. Because it's about more than just having children, but being a nurturing sort even to the grown ass men, as we all need a bit of tender love and affection in our lives, a fact I done plum forget these last few months, only for this trip to remind me of what I was missing out on.

Say what you will about the hardships of sleeping between three gorgeous women who I love to bits, it's helped a whole lot more than it's harmed me. What's more, Chrissy is loving all of our time spent together what with me being more comfortable with showing affection again, always pressed up against me every chance she can get like she making up for missed hugs from these last few months. Shows in how she makes a beeline over for yet another hug soon as she's done loading the wagon with the last of her things, just the instruments and knickknacks she brung out for last night's New Year's celebration. Wasn't no countdown or bubbly to be had, but we had ourselves a well-portioned dinner and a few bottles of fizz. My last bottle until we get back to civilization no less, else there won't be enough for the rest, but it's a small price to pay to keep Chrissy in high spirits.

"You all packed and ready to go?" I ask, hoping the question ain't too much for her to process. Gotta keep pushing her limits though, keep her brain juices flowing so there's a chance she'll get better later on down the line, even if it's slim as can be. Unfortunately, she can't seem to work around the compound question and gives up after a few seconds of thinking, which I can tell because she goes all limp in my arms and snuggles in nice and close. So I pat her hand, wait for her to meet my eyes, then ask again, only this time I break it up into two questions and ask one at a time. She nods in answer to both, so I give her a little twirl to celebrate while walking her over to the wagon while Aunty Ray watches on with a smile and Tina puts on a pout because she's feeling jealous of her sister.

"You are doing her a disservice." Jinfeng's clipped and over-enunciated tones throw a spanner into our little family moment as she addresses me with three wizened corpses strapped to her shoulder poles, two behind and one in front to make it easier for her to balance. The macabre sight turns my stomach, even if I don't gotta look away like Tina and Aunty Ray, while Chrissy's got the courage to peek up at the other girl, probably because she thinks she's real pretty. That's how it's always been with her, as she likes to stare at pretty people and cute animals for no real reason than because they easy on the eyes, but at least she's been good about staying away from the potentially dangerous Battle Monk in training.

Who best watch what she says about Chrissy, because even though I've acknowledged that I got my issues with anger, I ain't working all that hard to fix 'em. Sensing the threat in my narrowed gaze, Jinfeng bats her big brown eyes in a pair of confused blinks before speaking her mind all the same. "She suffers from… I know not the English. She perceives Aether in ways you or I cannot fathom, and that excess of perception overburdens her mind. Is this not so?"

"Sensory overload," I say, using the clinical term as opposed to the general blanket description of 'Aether touched', since it applies to more than just Chrissy. Like Aunty Ray pointed out, Tina could be considered Aether touched too, what with how she blind to Danny's feelings and don't care much for any boys because she don't get romance. Since Jinfeng got me curious as to where she's going with this, I even explain a little more while giving Chrissy's hand three quick squeezes to let her know there ain't nothing wrong with it. "The Doc said that since Aether is a construct that exists in more than three dimensions, discerning all the permutations of Aetheric Flows has got her mind all wrapped up in knots. Like if you were trying to hold a conversation while reading a book. Technically possible, but not all that easy with your divided attention."

Jinfeng nods. "Sensory overload," she says, testing the words out one syllable at a time. "Yes. That. It is a common malady among Yìcháng." The term gets my fingers to twitching as I resist the urge to go for my gun, as it's best translated as 'abnormal' or more commonly, 'Aberrant'. My dark temper don't escape her notice either, and she lowers her head in unspoken apology. "There is no shame in the label," Jinfeng says, utterly without remorse despite the non-apology she just gave, which just goes to show the insincerity of the Qin in general. The head bob was an outward act of contrition without being contrite at all, but the mere act of showing it was enough in her mind. "Not like how you Westerners see it. To be Yìcháng is to be admired, for they have taken grave risk in pursuit of the strength and skills needed to better serve the Republic."

What Jinfeng is leaving out is that all Qin Innates must serve under the Republic, because there ain't no such thing as freedom over there. I'm not talking about here on the Frontier either, but back in the old world too, meaning if you was an Innate, then you just signed on to be part of the Republic Army for life, with all the caveats that come with. Even if your magic wasn't suited for combat, Innates weren't allowed to be private citizens and get to have their whole life dictated for them by their handler. Because every Innate gets one, not just the big and dangerous Innates like Edward Elton, but even the harmless ones like Tina would be assigned to someone like they was some sort of pet. Their handler will be responsible for ensuring their Innate has work and is properly cared for while making sure they don't exhibit any signs of mental instability or insidious intent. A job they take seriously, because if an Innate steps out of line and does something criminal, the buck stops at the handler who will be punished alongside the Innate.

And the Qin do not fuck around when it comes to law and order. Forget community service. If a Qin Magistrate finds you guilty of a crime, chances are you'll be lashed then sent to a prison labour camp for the next few years, where you'll work from sun up to sun down or whenever the overseers decide it's time to call it a night. Ain't no such thing as prisoner's rights in the Qin Republic, and they don't negotiate with other nations when it comes to imprisoned foreigners. Fact is, I hear tell there been a few ops led by Rangers, Protectorate, Chevaliers, and even Knight's Templar where they go in dark to rescue their people from the horrific prison camps of the Republic. Ain't a pretty sight, which if you ask me, is how a prison camp should be, though that's assuming every person incarcerated there is deserving of such punishment.

So again, I quietly warn Jinfeng to watch what she says, this time by resting my hand on the butt of my pistol all calm and casual like. Finally it dawns on her that this here is a touchy subject, and she bows her head once more, only this time she don't raise it again. I hate that about her, the way she pretends to be all meek and submissive just because she knows it'll tug on my heartstrings. She gives ground in order to gain ground, that's the best way to describe it, backing down so I back away whereupon she steps forward right quick. Tricksy woman, and smart too, because she's got me all figured out.

Not too smart though, because she thinks that knowing how to push my buttons means she can lead me around by the nose. I'm on to her game though, so her bowed head and feigned fear don't do nothing for her, not even when she 'risks' a nervous glance up to see how I'm taking it. Since I'm projecting calm and controlled, she sees that as her chance to get her point across, one that I'm guessing will have me thinking more like a Qink and less like a Foreign Devil. "If she is to overcome her sensory overload, learn how to push it aside and focus on reality, she must be challenged to do so. By coddling her as you do, you deny her the opportunity to tackle the problem head on and overcome it. Making physical contact to draw her attention is a start, but you must go beyond and press her to remain in the present if she is to have any hope of improvement."

All of which sounds… reasonable. And like what my daddy used to say about working with Chrissy to overcome her limitations one day at a time. He was always working hard to help her, while I guess the rest of us were happy to have her as is, because regardless of what anyone says, Chrissy is perfect in every which way. That don't mean I don't want her to improve though, because that would be wonderful too, and Jinfeng sounds like she knows what she's talking about. Me being me, I of course can't take anything at face value, especially seeing how she's clammed up after volunteering so much information, and not without reason. She wants to me to ask for help and clear out some of the red in her ledger between us, as I done saved her life twice now, which is a debt she won't like hanging over her head, and she sees this as a way to at least make a partial payment.

Rather than dance to her tune, I narrow my eyes some more and give her a long and calculating look like I'm trying my best to figure out her game. Already have, and know exactly what she's doing, but it's always good to make your opponent think they're doing better than they are. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, so any miscalculation could see you go from the former over to the latter right quick. "What you know about Innates, huh?" I ask, my lip curling in a sneer to show my outrage. "You someone's handler then? Your Sifu's? Them blue-haired Who siblings? Got your own little pet Innate and learned all about how to care for them?"

That sets her over the edge, and all signs of the soft and demure girlie evaporate as she blazes hot with fierce fury. "They are not pets!" She growls, going ramrod straight as she meets my eyes in a challenging gaze. "They are Yìcháng, deserving of respect and entitled to support. It is a great honour and grave responsibility to take charge of a Yìcháng, and I speak up only because she deserves better treatment that what you have provided. Did you know that she had also seen through my disguise, perhaps even before any other?" That throws me for a loop, but Jinfeng ain't done just yet, standing all and proud as she says, "I only realized it when she asked you to clarify that I was not a friend, because you referred to me as 'he', and she found that confusing. She could have told you then and there that I was not as I appeared, but she did not say as much because she did not think it important or because she thought you could see through it too." Giving a little huff of celebration, Jinfeng curls her lip and hammers her point home with, "Take a look at yourselves and consider this; between the Yìcháng in my cadre and your princess there, which one would you say is treated more like a pet?"

My gun almost clears my holster before I get my temper in check, because this anger ain't for her. Or rather, it shouldn't be directed at her, but inwards at myself, because the truth hurts something fierce. I do coddle Chrissy, we all do, and while I could say it's because she needs to be coddled, that ain't entirely true. We call her Princess because she ain't one to push herself, and she's so sweet and endearing the rest of us can't bear to push her either. To say nothing of how it's easier to just deal with her as is, because it takes time, effort, and dedication to keep pushing her each and every day, when we all got our own stuff to deal with too. Aunty Ray's working hard to not just put food on the table, but she's also running around putting out proverbial fires in town by playing peace-keeper without pay, while Tina's hard at work training to be worthy of that Ranger star she got pinned to her chest.

And me? I ain't even around anymore, because I done burned almost every bridge I done built these last 18 years and squandered all the goodwill my daddy done worked so hard to build up.

No, that ain't fair. I done gave up on helping Chrissy long before this year, because I been too wrapped up in my own misery to do anything about her. Which she don't mind, but that's the thing. Since she's not working to improve herself, that means its on me to help her through it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, for long as I can remember, I been wishing for the day when she gets over her inability to express emotions through facial expressions, but if wishes were fishes, then wouldn't no one starve, now would they?

So I slam my pistol back down into my holster and direct all that outward anger back in at myself before booting it down into my belly once more. All the while, Jinfeng been standing there with them corpses propped up without making any effort at all to defend herself. Even if she's confident she knows me well enough to know I ain't gonna shoot her, that's one hell of a coinflip to bet her life on. Even I ain't so sure I'm not gonna gun her down later, because she got me good and angry now, and we all know how I am when it comes to controlling my temper. Taking a deep breath, I take another, then a third, fourth, and fifth before finally feeling ready to talk again. "This is personal for you," I say, and I'm rewarded by a look of shock before she stills her features once more, giving Chrissy a run for her money in cold and impassive expressions. "You got someone close who's an Innate then? One who…" has got it bad is what I want to say, but with three Innates who I love and adore standing by and listening, I quickly change it up to, "Needs a lot of support."

Jinfeng don't dignify my probing statement with an answer, but I seen enough to know it for true. Maybe a brother, or even a parent now that I think about it. Just because she's a ward of the state don't mean both her parents are dead. Could be one turned Innate and was taken in by a handler, while the other is dead or gone, leaving Jinfeng without a proper guardian in the end. Explains why she was so wistful while telling me about New Year traditions and so sour about the General's organized dinner. Wasn't because she didn't enjoy the festivities; no, she just had other places she wanted to be, with other people she couldn't be with.

Comiserations aside, this new information makes me take another good and long look at the girlie, and not to appreciate her pretty features. No, I'm looking for anything that might be a Brand to mark her as Innate, which would make her even more of a threat than she already is. She don't miss much, but she don't say nothing to confirm or deny the suspicion either, which is just annoying. So we stand there for a hot minute glaring daggers at one another until I make the first concession since daylight is burning and we got places to be. "So then what would you suggest I do?" I ask, glancing over at Chrissy to find her watching on with wide-eyed apprehension, as she don't know exactly why I'm so heated, only that she's at the centre of it all. Giving her the best smile I can muster in the moment, I'm almost tempted to Conjure up my Wildshaped Hand just so I can squeeze hers three times right quick, but I ain't about to waste one of two uses or let go of my gun just yet.

"Teach her to block out that which is not present, so that she might focus on what is," Jinfeng replies, which sounds a whole lot like a non-answer to my ears. "Do not coddle her, but press her with questions that force her to consider your words. She is capable of such, but she refuses to do so because it is difficult and she knows you will do the work for her." Which is better than the first statement, but not by much, as it's just another way of saying that we gotta keep on keeping on and pushing Chrissy to improve and succeed. Easier said than done, and I almost say as much when Jinfeng says, "Have you tried teaching her alternative methods to communicate? Hand signals or Illusion iconography perhaps?"

Takes me a second to parse her meaning, as she's talking about Sign Language and Arcane Sign Language, which don't make any sense. "She knows how to talk," I say, feeling more than a little offended on Chrissy's behalf. "She just don't like to say much is all."

"No," Jinfeng retorts, shaking her head with a confidence I'm beginning to resent for no rational reason at all. "She does not speak because it requires her to place herself in the present, which as I said before, she finds difficult."

"So what's Sign Language or Arcane Sign Language gonna do?" I ask. "Spelling things out with her hands or Illusions would also require her to focus, right?"

"Hang on," Aunty Ray says, interjecting herself into the conversation for the first time. "I think she might be on to something. Sign Language ain't just spelling things out with your hands Howie, no more than Arcane Sign Language is painting words for people to read. They're both full on languages, with gestures and images taking the place of whole words and sentences with it's sort of syntax, grammer, and even lexicon. Traditional Sign Language might be a little difficult since she'd have to pay attention to your fingers long enough to know what you saying, but if we teach her Arcane Sign Language, then she can associate a specific Aetheric weave with a real, tangible, communicable concept which she can share with us, and we can share with her in return to give her a whole different way to interact with us."

And encouraging her to focus more on the present instead of hiding up in her head most of the day. Sounds real promising, more than anything else we've come up with these last few years, and I give Jinfeng a begruding look of thanks. Don't say anything though, because she done irked me good and well, but even this faint hint of hope buys her a whole lot of goodwill. "Well," I begin, letting go of my gun to take Chrissy's hand and give it three quick squeezes, to which she immediately replies to in kind. "Since don't none of know any Sign Language, Arcane or otherwise, then it's all a moo point anyways." Seeing Jinfeng's confusion, I can't help but smile at my own joke as I explain, "You know, about as useful as a cow's opinion. A moo point." She doesn't laugh, and neither does anyone else even thouh I think it's hilarious, so I stifle a pout and add, "Time we got going then, so double check that you didn't leave nothing behind and then we're off."

Leaving her to untangle that bit of trivia, I dust my hands off and get to gathering components to carry out all my Rituals so we can get on our way. Floating Disc for Jinfeng to sit on, Detect Magic and Detect Aberration for obvious reasons, and lastly, a whole suite of Spells and Cantrips to see us through the day. It's always a dangerous time, departing from the mesa, because if anything goes wrong, safety is up at the other end of a long and winding tunnel which got all sorts of traps that's just been armed, and maybe even behind a heavy stone door that requires a whole system of pulleys and counterweights to open, among many other things. Luckily for us though, there ain't nothing camped outside the front door. Always a danger that, because you never know what might've seen you coming and going the last time you was out and about.

Which for me was just last night, when I had me a quick look around all by my lonesome while worrying about what Jinfeng might do if left to her own devices. Told Tina to be on alert though, and to shoot Jinfeng if she hears so much as a peep from the girlie. Not that Tina would do such a thing, but it kept the other girlie on her best behaviour while I scouted things out by myself. Checked, double checked, and triple checked my surroundings to be absolutely sure there wasn't no Razorscythes following me back, but after all the run ins I've had this last week, I ain't so confident about spotting them anymore.

And if that's the case, then it's possible the Rangers have been underestimating Razorscythes too. I'll bring it up with the Sheriff when I get back to town, or better yet, write a letter and have Tina hand it over in my stead. Any official concerns gotta be logged and filed, so the Sheriff will have to take it seriously. Not that I didn't think he wouldn't, but I don't wanna be making any unannounced trips into town any time soon.

Our departure goes off without a hitch, and we double time it up the ramp and away from the Divide. With the mesa in our six, and my parents both there too, I move on forward into the New Year on this first day of the year, ready and raring to see what awaits me and the family ahead. Got a whole lot of irons in the fire and plenty of projects to work on, from Scripting my Automaton prosthesis to deciphering new Spells contained in the Arcane Grimiore I done bought with the corpses of my daddy's murderer, to say nothing of the real estate up at the quay and a potential meeting with my mother's brother. Ain't saying I want to break bread with the man and catch him up on my life, but I'm more open to a meeting now because with this latest exchange, I feel like I can trust Jinfeng just a teensy, tiny bit.

A feeling which persists throughout our first day of travel as we make our way up the ramp and over to the safety of a nearby campsite, and into the night as I snuggle up between Chrissy and Aunty Ray for some rest while Jinfeng sleeps in the driver's seat. It lasts right up until Tina opens up back with an appalling lack of stealth, to which I respond by cracking one eye open to give her a bit of a glower.

Only to see her silhouetted frame outlined against the starry night's sky, stood alongside two other silhouettes which look decidedly unfriendly. "We uh, got visitors," Tina says, her posture looking right sheepish as she stands there between two spear wielding Qinks if I'm reading them silhouettes right. "Snuck right up on me. Sorry."

That's what you get for trusting a Qink, and if I make it out of this alive, then I ain't ever gonna make that same mistake again.

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