Firstborn of the Frontier

Book Three - Chapter 147


It was so surreal seeing Howie come skating in with that cold, impassive expression on his face.

Wasn't like Tina had never seen him at his worst, and this was far from it. No, if anything, this wasn't all that different from seeing him come home disappointed because Ms. Dawson ran out of ice cream or Mr. Gibson, rest his soul, closed up early for a night out with the missus. A little sour and sulky, but not rip snorting mad or nothing, and nowhere close to the storm of fury he'd unleashed upon those would-be mobsters back in July. Today was just another day in the life of the Firstborn, where he went racing off on his Floating Disc and zipped out over the horizon with a whole horde of Feral Abby nipping at his heels and came back a few hours later none the worse for wear.

Man didn't even look all that tired as he wandered into camp, though he happily accepted the water skin Mama handed over, and the hardtack slathered in pemmican right after. Drank sparingly and ate quick, so quick it was a wonder he was able to crunch through the rock-hard bread so fast without losing any teeth. Then he set right to cleaning his guns while there was still daylight left, working smooth and fast with a practiced hand while glancing around camp to make sure their defences were in good order. "Handled most of the pack," he said, his tones all curt and clipped without going over into rude, which was enough for Tina to see that he was mentally drained at the very least. "Swarmlings and Spitters were easy as pie, then circled around to hit the heavies trailing behind. Five Ankhegs and a dozen Burrow Hulks, plus nine Beetle buggies carrying full loads of Swarmings and Spitters for chaff, all done in without any Big or mid Spells, so still plenty left in the tank."

That there was Beetle Bus Special, because sometimes, when you brought down one of them big behemoths, you got a big surprise in the form of a whole host of Swarmlings and Spitters come scurrying out. Saved the little bugs the effort of moving around on their own and making it easier for the big hollow behemoths to maintain their body temperature in the cold winter air. Was real fascinating how all the pieces fit together when it came to Ferals, and gave Tina a real appreciation for how Proggies designed their Abby, to say nothing of how dangerous the badlands could really be. On the way up to the mesa, she'd more or less taken for granted how good of a Scout Howie was, so much so she almost started thinking it wasn't all that bad out here. Yeah, those mercs got into trouble, and might not have made it out, but like Howie said, they'd gotten greedy and overplayed their hand, so long as Tina played by the rules, then she could make it out here too.

Then reality reared its ugly head and showed her for truth, so much so she wanted to learn more about Scouting just so she could be better prepared. Wasn't like she wanted to specialize in Scouting, not even as a Tertiary role, because that was just too much responsibility for her shoulders to bear. One wrong decision, one moment of lapsed judgement, and then the whole group would be in for a rough ride, whereas a Vanguard really only had to do work when they was already in the thick of it. Even then, Howie handled most the work by himself, because there wasn't no way for Tina to keep up with him. Cowie and the horses had it hard enough already, getting pushed to their limit day after day with no real breaks besides a night of rest, so bringing a horse out to give Abby the run around might well mean an end to them both. Horses were powerful creatures, but also shockingly fragile in many ways, and the last thing they needed was for one of their animals to go lame, pull a muscle, or worse while they was out here in the badlands.

It was so important Mama even put aside her reluctance to work with horses to make sure they was all fine and dandy as could be. Was hard on her, because she loved horses, had grown up with them all her life and envisioned a life with Daddy raising and training mounts for the highest bidder until cruel fate put an end to those dreams. Then she couldn't look at horses the same way ever again, and Tina could understand it well enough. Was almost like a betrayal, for something you loved so much to be the cause of so much pain, but them's the breaks when it came to breaking in wild horses without breaking their spirits, as sometimes you had to let them run wild until they realized their passenger wasn't gonna give up.

That was Daddy's philosophy in a nutshell, a man who didn't know how to quit. Knew that horse he rode out on was an intractable beast, but he saddled up all the same and let it run as it pleased, which was how it ended up breaking its leg in a gopher hole and throwing daddy off of its back and breaking his neck. Mama hadn't ridden a horse since, much less trained one, but early tonight, she'd gone right up to Ivory and cast a Bolstering Compliment Cantrip before hitting him with Empathy to make sure he wasn't hiding no hurts, and then she did the same for the other three horses. Found a rock wedged between Winnie's hoof and shoe that Tina had missed, but it hadn't pierced through so they got it out without any fuss. Also noticed Sunshine favouring her back left leg and rearranged the saddlebags to take some weight off of her too, which just went to show how Mama still had the magic touch.

As for Howie? Tina could only imagine the day he'd had, skating all about while gunning Abby down. Made it sound so cold and clinical he did, how he 'handled' the pack, when in fact he killed a veritable army of Abby all by his lonesome. She'd seen him clean his guns just yesterday, yet his cleaning cloths came out all gunked up with purple black powder and caked on residue from his busy day of shooting, while Tina's four pistols had yet to fire a single shot. Just went to show the vast disparity between them, how far ahead of the pack he still was, even though he often said that she and the other recruits were nipping at his heels and he had to work double hard to keep his lead a little while longer. He also said he'd take her snowboarding this winter and teach her all his tricks, but that was back when they was still headin' up to Pleasant Dunes, before he was Exiled and probably even before he'd fully settled on not joining the Rangers.

Because whether he cared to admit it or not, Howie still wanted to be a Ranger. A real Ranger, not one in name until it wasn't convenient to call him that no more, but no one, not even Uncle Teddy, could assure him that the Federation would back him 100%. Maybe not even if Mama formally adopted him so that he'd have American citizenship, because there'd always be a chance of some bureaucrat revoking it on a technicality or something.

Made Tina real sad to see it, because both sides would've benefitted if Howie became a Ranger for true. The Federation would get the Firstborn, the leader of the pack he was born to be and the hero Tina knew he really was, while he'd get the structure and support of the Federal Armed Forces behind him. Combined with that drive, that instinct, that yearning to do good that was part and parcel of who he was, and Howie would've become one of the latest and greatest Rangers on the Frontier, a force unto himself who could call in the cavalry any time he ran into a trouble too big for him to handle himself.

The limits of which Tina still had yet to see, because Howie was fast becoming a legend unto himself. First he dismantled Vanguard National up in Pleasant Dunes, then the Puglianos in Brightpick, and now he was showing the skills needed to treat the badlands like his own personal stomping grounds from which he came and went as he pleased. The Swarmlings and Spitters were whatever, but those heavies were a real payday if he could've cashed in, which he might well could have if he were here alone instead of saddled with the safety of his family, Tina included. She just wasn't good enough to stand side by side with him just yet, not even as his support, moral or otherwise.

Because like it or not, her presence here in the badlands with him was dragging him down. That was the truth, no two ways about it, so Tina needed to step up her game in a big way if only to ease some of his burden by just a little bit.

So she did a circuit around camp and laid out the components Howie would need to put down his Wards. She didn't go so far as to do the Warding for him, because the last thing she needed was to make more work for him by screwing up with the layout or something, but she picked out the spots she thought they should go and prepped the areas for him. That way, when he was done cleaning his guns and repacking his ammo bags, he'd be good to go from one Ward to the next and hammer them out right quick. Which he did, giving her a small smile to show that he appreciated the assist. Only changed up one Ward location too, angling it a bit more for better coverage from the west as opposed to mostly facing north. When he was done, he gave her a one-armed hug and said, "You be careful while you on watch. Don't be shy about wakin' me if you think something's off. Catnap's all I need to be fresh as a daisy, and better safe than sorry even if you don't got nothin' concrete. Sometimes, you just gotta trust your gut, so do what you think is best."

"Will do," Tina replied, snapping to attention and throwing out a cheeky salute, which earned her a smile and a light pinch of the cheek. One she could've avoided, but didn't because he always followed it up with a light pat as if to apologize for being too rough, even though he never was. It was one of his rare shows of affection, though they was getting more and more common in recent days, as this trip might well have reminded him of how much he was missing out on after getting Exiled from town. Must've been real hard on him, as hard as it was on the rest of the family since they couldn't bring themselves to leave the home that Daddy built and join Howie in exile. He understood though, even argued against it saying they shouldn't have to leave New Hope just because of him, and that he would've had to strike out on his own sooner or later. Wasn't true, because he could've worked out of town for the rest of his days if he so pleased, but it wasn't meant to be.

A fact that Tina was still struggling to come to terms with, because there was a time when she'd thought she had the rest of her life already figured out. They'd both be Rangers and partner up together just like their daddies had, then clear the Frontier of Abby as the dynamic duo of the Firstborn and the Songbird. A life that clearly wasn't gonna happen anymore, so she put the dream out of mind as she bore down and focused on standing guard. Put together a bit of a routine these last few nights, even though Howie said routine was the enemy of vigilance, but she needed some structure to cling to lest her mind drift off into LaLa Land like Chrissy. It was a simple routine, but an invaluable one which she put together after the run in with the Razorscythes and seeing just how insidious their stealth could be.

Looking back on the moment in question, Tina realized that she'd noticed the Razorscythes almost as soon as Howie turned them around to head back to the Mesa. He'd noticed them too, which was why he'd stopped there in the first place. Said somethin' wasn't right and had his jimmies all a jangling, and maybe Jinfeng noticed too, but not a one of them could actually place their suspicions and hone in on the trio of Razorscythes. Why? Because their Enchantment ingrained into that goo on their carapace was making it difficult to focus on them in thought, like a subtle suggestion to not think about elephants that actually worked. It was more like it guided your thoughts away from the subject in question, and it worked pretty well. Almost too well in fact, which was where it fell short, as Tina couldn't rightly recall what was directly behind her even though she kept glancing back to cover their six.

So to counteract that Enchantment, Tina would randomly take a beat on her patrol then scan the horizon for a second or three, taking it all in, looking away, and reciting everything she'd seen before looking back. Blinking stars, shadowy formations, lay of the land and more, she forced herself to parrot it all back and picked different objects to focus on each time. If everything matched up, then she be on her merry way again, moving around the campsite in an irregular route under the veil of Minor Illusion, while her Echo played bait a dozen steps ahead or behind depending on her mood.

A mood which turned dark when she stopped once more to take in the horizon, then turned away and realized she couldn't remember anything she'd seen. It was still there in memory, just inaccessible thanks to the magical effect, one which had taken hold of her mind with little more than a glance. Tricksy that, so she had her Echo continue on its patrol as she herself doubled back to the wagon, where she cracked the door open a tick and reached in to give Howie's boot a little shake. "Might be trouble brewin'," she whispered, and he was already up and at the door by the time she was done, at which point she had to scramble to expand her Minor Illusion to cover him too as he stepped out. Wouldn't fool no one looking directly at them, not even in the darkness of night, but Tina had an inkling that them Abby wasn't all that close since her patrol wasn't all that wide of a route. Couldn't be more than 15 minutes since she last scanned that area, and after explaining the situation, she waited for Howie to finish his Ritual Casting of Detect Abby before showing him where the problem was.

"Good catch Songbird," he whispered, his hand still pointed palm out at the horizon, which only went to show how he was improving with the Spell each and every day. At the beginning of this trip, he'd have to put his hand down before he had the wherewithal to speak, as it took his utmost Concentration to maintain the Spell as a tight beam. Now though? He was still beaming it out while counting each and every Abby in the crowd no doubt, and he could carry on a conversation at the same time. "Ready the tack, but don't wake the horses or your mama and sister just yet. Best let them rest as long as they can."

Wasn't any point, because they was already both up, with Mama throwing on her boots while Chrissy pouted over Howie's abrupt exit while trying to put on a brave face. No one outside the family would see it, but it was clear as day in the way Chrissy had her knees pulled up to her chest and her cloak held tight around her while she watched them from the wagon door, all sleepy and sulky but wholly understanding that this was gonna happen sometimes while they was out here. Didn't diminish her enthusiasm none though, as she was having a grand old time on this trip, especially after getting to use her Big Spell to clear out a good half of them Skreeler Wasps the other day. Wasn't often that she got to use it, as it was one of those Spells that couldn't differentiate between friend and foe. Least that was how it was supposed to be, as Psychic Scream was an Enchantment Spell used by Soulless Banshees and other such monsters of folklore that could kill with a piercing wailing. Was an attack on the mind and Spirit both, one that other Soulless could easily ignore, but not regular Abby or flesh and blood creatures. Course, Chrissy figured out how to use Metamagic to keep her Spell from hurting friendlies, but it was the Fear effect that was the real killer, as that scream instilled a mind-number terror that could send even the bravest soldier running for the hills right quick.

That's what made Chrissy's Big Spell so dangerous, because that Fear would hit friend and foe alike to cause chaos unimagined. Even bystanders wouldn't be safe, which was why she'd been warned time and time again to never use it unless there was no other choice, but it didn't seem like she listened all that well. Metamagic wasn't something you just picked up on a whim after all. It took focus, effort, and practice to get it right, and for Chrissy to somehow use Careful Metamagic to blunt the Fear effect on Tina, Mama, and Howie all at once while also somehow sparing them from the Mental damage portion of the Spell meant that she had to have had some practice and familiarity with the base Spell over the last year and a half.

A good thing too, though there were downsides too. The Spell was all fine and dandy when used against Abby, but if Chrissy were to use it against people, then that was a whole other story. There were too many subtleties and nuances to the laws for her to grasp when and when not to use her Spell, and all it would take is one mistake to get her put on some Federal watchlist. Or worse, taken into custody as a ward of the state and medicated to the gills to keep her 'under control'. Mama had all sorts of horror stories about that sort of thing happening to Innates in the old world, and Miss Alice's experiences in New Hope which led Mr. Gunnar to founding a village for all Innates only an hour away was proof positive that there was still plenty of discrimination against them. Wasn't fair that Innates all had to walk a fine line just to make other folks feel safe, but that was the way of the world these days, and Tina didn't have no choice but to live with it.

Chrissy too, but she didn't understand the stakes, or if she did, she might not care and just go her own way all the same without a thought for the consequences.

A warning she didn't take to heart, else she wouldn't have practiced the Spell on her own, though heavens knew when she managed that. Might be she just practiced the Spell inside her head, going over the Structure's flows to familiarize herself with the effects and learning it that way. Would be farfetched if it were anyone else, but to date, Tina ain't ever even heard of an Innate who might understand the flows better than Chrissy. She had a real knack for it is all, so much so that she could manipulate the Flows replicated by tech with little more than a wave of her hand, and not even Uncle Teddy had heard of anyone doing that unless they'd built the tech themselves or Attuned to it after the fact.

Making it a trick Tina desperately wanted to learn, but it'd be like asking Chrissy to teach her how to breathe. Wasn't something she really understood, just something she did, so even if she were any good at communicating her thoughts, there wasn't all that much for her to say.

Now wasn't the time for envy though, so Tina put it out of mind as she got the gear ready and filled Mama and Chrissy in on what's what. "Might come to nothing," she concluded, if only to reassure all three of them even though they knew it wasn't likely to be true. "Could be a patrol that just passes us by, and we all end up a little sleepier for it." Giving her sister a smile, Tina reached out to stroke Chrissy's gorgeous silver locks and added, "So you keep some juice in the tank for a Catnap or two in case we need it okay?"

"Okay Tina," Chrissy replied, looking and feeling so much more chipper just for having a way to help out. That's just how she was, always eager to do her part even though there wasn't much that she could do, because she loved her family every bit as much as they loved her, a metric which if made manifest would stretch from here until the end of the Frontier.

As if reading her thoughts, Chrissy reached up to give Tina's hand three quick squeezes, and she squeezed right back before leaning in to touch foreheads and whisper, "Love you lots." Chrissy didn't respond, just squeezed three times again, so Tina held it for a moment longer before pulling away. "Alright," she said, taking a deep breath to brace herself for what's next. "Off to see what the bossman's got to say."

Her efforts to inject some levity into the situation didn't last long, as she arrived to find Howie looking grim and ferocious as can be. "Looks like Abby's determined to bring us home to their Proggies," he said, scowling something fierce as he scanned every which way besides straight up. "We've been fenced off from up ahead, and I'm guessing there's more coming in from behind, but they either stayin' out of range or so deep under dark that I can't Detect them." Which wasn't all that deep to be fair, since even with his tweaks to the Spell, he couldn't see far through solid stone or packed dirt. Could sense some inklings if they was close to the surface, or moving through a tall and wide tunnel close by, but otherwise, he was about as blind as Tina when it came to Abby moving under dark.

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"Don't make no sense," Tina said, not to cast doubt on Howie's claims but unable to make heads or tails of it all. "How'd they know where we are, where to lie in wait, and when to strike? Abby be cagey and cunnin', but this is a bit much don't you think?" Especially with the timing and location, as they was striking before there was a shift change while Tina and the rest were only just too far away to make a break for it and run headlong towards the west. If Abby had come at them tomorrow night, then the family could've pushed through towards the closest Watchtower and maybe see about linking up with a Ranger patrol if there was one nearby, or at worst, keep on running and either shake Abby off their tail or lure them into an ambush soon enough. Tonight though? They was still a good 90 to 100 klicks from the Watchtowers, and not even Cowie could make it that far without taking a break.

"The how and why don't matter just yet," Howie replied. "We get through this first, then figure out what happened after the fact." With that, he turned and headed back to the wagon where he filled everyone in at once. "It don't look good, but it ain't all bad," he said, not mincing words for once as he gave Chrissy's hand three quick squeezes before switching over to do the same for Mama. "I know you said you can maintain Major Illusion for three hours, but how's that change if we on the move?"

"Maybe half that," Mama admitted, which was only thirty minutes longer than base, but considering the Spell required Concentration right out the gate and the complexity of the task, that was already better than decent. "It's a lot harder with so many moving parts, especially if I gotta cover up the dust and tracks and whatnot."

Howie sucked his teeth and fell silent, no doubt doing the mental math to see if Mama was better off keeping them all hidden with multiple casts of the Spell or keeping most her Spells in reserve should things go bad. Was a delicate balance, because on the one hand, staying hidden meant they might not have to fight, while on the other hand, you never wanted to put all your eggs in one basket lest the worst should come to pass. "Here's how we'll handle it," he said, and Tina was gratified to see that she wasn't the only one who leaned in closer to hear what he had to say. "I'll cover our tracks for the first hour with Pass Without Trace, while the both of you do your best to rest up on the wagon." That was directed at Tina and Mama, because Chrissy staying on the wagon was a given. "We'll play it by ear from there, but if they're still locked on to us like I suspect they are, then even Pass Without Trace won't keep us hidden for long."

"What makes you think they locked on and not out for a stroll?" Mama asked, a beat before Tina made up her mind to do the same.

"Timing and coordination," Howie replied, pointing out at five different directions towards the west. "Got five separate groups beelining it right for us, and they all coming in hot." Tina felt the shift of Aether as he directed his Detection Spell past her with a frown, adding, "Won't all make it here at the same time, which is strange to be sure, but ain't no denying they coming for us all the same."

So Howie thought it odd too, same as Tina, but he was better at compartmentalizing than she was. "Best we get moving," he said, reaching out to give Chrissy's nose a little tap. "I know it won't be comfy, but you mind staying in the back of the wagon, Princess? Give your mama and sister a little more room to stretch out front." Chrissy's shoulders slumped, but she nodded all the same, and Howie offered her a hug which she happily accepted before allowing herself to be wrangled back into the wagon. Didn't take her long to prop up the front so she could poke her head out and keep them company, even making sure to double check that the flap was tightly secured and wouldn't come swinging down on anyone's head.

Howie wasn't messing around none though, as they were up and at 'em by the time Chrissy was done. Cowie and the horses weren't none too eager to be moving so soon, but Howie kept them at a slow and steady pace while cutting hard south in hopes of getting around the swarm without a fight. Took about thirty minutes before he admitted that it wasn't gonna happen, but he took it in stride and outlined his plan and ran them through all the variables in the next 30 minutes until his Spell ran out.

Was the same plan as usual with only a little bit of a twist, where he'd head out and make a big fuss to keep Abby focused on him while Tina brought Mama and Chrissy away to safety. Must've had a sour look on her face, because Howie met her eyes with an expression that was serious as the grave. "You got the most important job here," he said, and there was an edge to his tone which Tina hadn't ever heard before. "I'm trusting you with all that I hold dear, so you get everyone out safe and sound, yourself included. Understood?"

"Understood." Was sweet of him to frame it like that, though Tina would've been happier if he didn't immediately say more or less the same thing to Cowie. Even gave him a kiss and a hug while she got bupkis before Howie Ritually cast Floating Disc and gathered all his gear to go. Six pistols, the Whumper, and the Nanfoodle to boot, alongside several pouches, two saddlebags just bristling with gear and ammunition, and a crate full of ready made molotovs so he could run headlong at a veritable army of Abby and draw them away from the wagon. Didn't make no long goodbyes, or even say all that much before he left, just flashed them a grin that faded before he finished turning away, then zooming off into the distance with a, "See ye soon."

They all had sour faces over that, but Mama wouldn't say nothing for much the same reason. If this was the last time they saw Howie, then it was bad enough that his final words were 'See ye soon', so there wasn't no point making things worse by giving voice to their grievances. Or at least that's what Mama was thinking, so Tina went in the other direction and said, "Least it wasn't 'See ya later alligator'. Remember when that was all he'd say, and the look on his daddy's face when he replied?"

"Ming still said it all the same." Mama was smiling now, which was the whole reason Tina brung it up. "Felt silly as a goose doin' it, but he'd do anything to see Howie smile instead of lookin' all sad and sour when he left." Which was probably why Howie kept his goodbyes so brief, because he didn't want their last memory together to be all sad and foreboding. Not that this was any better, but that's just how he was, and Tina loved him all the same.

"Don't worry," Tina said, leaning in to touch heads with Chrissy and shoulders with Mama, and they had themselves a quick little cuddle as Cowie brought them and the horses away. "Howie did something similar on our way up to Pleasant Dunes, and I was all nervous as could be, but Uncle Tim gave me a pat on the shoulder and asked, 'You ever known Howie to bite off more than he can chew?'." Which was real reassuring, because while Uncle Tim didn't know much, he knew how to soldier and wasn't one to mince words, so if Howie had his stamp of approval, then he'd earned it twice over.

Mama knew it too, so she relaxed just a touch, but she stayed alert and vigilant as the minutes ticked on by. Cowie knew the lay of the land and kept them out of sight from anything coming from the west, all while steadily veering in that direction while still mostly heading south. If Tina had her bearings right, that'd bring them back out round about where they came in, as Howie had brung them northward these last few days in an effort to avoid as many patrols as possible. Nice and neat that, and it almost made her think he planned it. He might well even have, because otherwise they'd have to take an even longer detour up north to get around the shooting range without wandering into a possibly active lane, but it was too late to ask him now. All Tina could do was watch and wait with her new Merlin 45 in hand while doing her best to relax.

Easier said than done, but she'd almost managed to lull herself to sleep when the first shot went off. Too far to hear, but plenty bright enough to see even without Darkvision because Howie lit off with the Nanfoodle and a Molotov to boot. Wasn't nothing huge, just a reddish-orange spark of light off in the distance that quickly faded into a muted glow. Could still be seen for kilometres around though, as that was probably why Howie set it off, to draw in any and all Abby around him. Might've been her imagination, but she thought she could see some muzzle flashes as he opened up on Abby with his Whumper.

And if that was the case, then it meant one of two things. Either he was taking a big risk by letting Abby get in close so he could clear out swathes with each Blast, or he was sniping bigger, more dangerous Abby with the Condenser screwed on, and Tina suspected it was the latter. Thrill seeker and risk taker though Howie might be, he wasn't one to take unnecessary risks so early in a fight. He liked to play the odds, but only when they were in his favour, or after he'd done everything in his power to stack them his way. That's why Uncle Tim said that about Howie, because he was never one to take a losing fight. Or at least he wasn't back then, though things might've changed recently. Could be he took away the wrong lessons from those tussles up in Pleasant Dunes and Brightpick, leaving him thinking he could take on steep odds and walk away more or less clean.

Not all that clean. Was a stump on his right arm and a whole spiderweb of scars on his back from the injuries he took in those fights, and that was just the worst of it. Tina wasn't one for prayer, but she said a small one here and now asking the Lord above to see Howie back to them safe and sound.

Much as she wanted to keep praying and watching for him, Tina had a job to do and a mind to do it right. As such, she gave Mama and Chrissy each a kiss before hopping off the wagon and grabbing Fifi's reins off the loop as the horses all trotted by. The frisky filly was all too happy for the chance to really stretch her legs, and Tina brought her out front to get the lay of the land. Cowie was smart as a whip and steady as a rock, but he wasn't one for scouting ahead and wouldn't see danger before danger saw them. What's more, Howie had pointed out 5 groups of Abby, and Tina had been keeping track of their locations and trajectories, so she knew there was a chance the southernmost group might not have gotten caught up in Howie's fracas. He was hoping to gather them all up at once, but he said it himself how Ferals tend to have one-track minds, so the furthest groups from his position might well have figured he was too far to bother with and was still coming after the wagon.

A suspicion that was proven true all too soon as she found another blank spot on the horizon, a patch of land she could see all too clearly, but couldn't quite picture in her mind after looking away. Without Howie here to confirm things, Tina went back to Mama who had some familiarity with the Detection Spell and might be able to confirm her suspicions. Instead of casting the Spell though, Mama simply narrowed her eyes in the direction Tina pointed out, and all of a sudden, there was a whole host of Abby just a klick and a half to the west.

Or in other words, maybe 5 to 7 minutes away as they all broke out into a mad dash, with Swarmlings, Spitters, and Razorscythes aplenty to round out the herd scuttling headlong towards them. "Stay close," Mama said, before Tina could so much as get a word in edgewise. "Aim for the big 'uns wherever you can, while we'll take out the little 'uns before they overwhelm us."

Seemed like a good plan, so Tina just nodded as she worked the lever of her Merlin 45 and racked a round into the chamber. Just like Howie, she fed an extra round into the tube just so she could maximize her shots before having to reload, while moving Fifi ahead of Cowie so she could cover his flank without standing in Mama's sightlines, as she was busy unscrewing the Compressor on the Whumper for maximum coverage as opposed to punching power. Again, it made perfect sense, because this here was the first wave, the chaff and scouts meant to tie them down for the slower heavy hitters no doubt trailing behind. Howie liked taking the fight to them, because so long as he could catch them out on open ground, he could slaughter them from afar with impunity, but Tina didn't have that luxury here, not if it meant leaving Mama and Chrissy to fend for themselves against far too many Swarmlings to count.

Remembering almost too late to matter, Tina swivelled in her seat and waved at Chrissy to get her attention. "Floating Discs?" she asked, and her sister cocked her head in that adorably fetching way she did before giving a confident nod to proclaim that she understood. A half second later, the wagon rose up a good three inches as Chrissy activated all 6 Floating Disc Sleds stowed in the undercarriage and cutting the weight of the wagon by a full 1350 kilograms to make Cowie's job that much easier.

Tina flashed a smile at Chrissy and gave her a big thumbs up to say good job, and got two thumbs up in return. Their cheer was short lived however as the oncoming horde let loose with a screech that was like nails on a chalkboard in a piercing, staccato warble. The sound chilled her to the core, and not just because of how unpleasant it was. Might be her imagination, or might be her sensitivity to Aetheric flows, but she could almost feel the rage and bloodshed in those Feral voices as they ran headlong towards the wagon, all hopped up and ready to go after a long and arduous hunt. 1500 metres turned to 1000, then 500 all too quick, but Tina held her shots until she was sure to hit, because the optic Howie jerry-rigged to her rifle wasn't any good with Darkvision on. Aim for the big 'uns, that's what Mama said, and while Tina might not be a bapple-polishing brown noser like Howie, she still loved her mama something fierce and would always do as she asked.

So when the first Razorscythe came into clear view save for its sword-like hands, Tina knew it was probably over the 270 meters mark seeing how it was taller than most men, so she opened up with her first shot right then and there. The muzzle flash was near blinding thanks to her Darkvision, but she blinked through it and fired off her second shot right quick. Bang-Click-Clack-Bang barked her Merlin, with a nice tinny clang that wasn't all that loud even without Hearing Protection, on account of how the rifle had Silence baked into it. Was like a wind chime almost, and she did so love to hear it toll out loud, and doubly so when that jingling sound accompanied the sight of Abby going down. A simple weapon from a simple time, the Merlin still packed a punch that was more than deserving of the name, firing off 45-15 rounds same as her 1911s, but with a Metamagic loadout that had the full suite of Intensify, Empower, and Maximize with Penetrating slapped on top to boot.

That's why the first round that took the Razorscythe in the chest was more than enough to end it, but the second one really sealed the deal just in case. Didn't have time to cheer or celebrate though, because there were far more than just 3 Razorscythes this time around and they was all coming hard and fast, so she breathed out, aimed down her iron sights, and doubled tapped a second mantis from about 200meters out. The third went down at 175 meters, and the fourth only got a single shot, because that was the last one in the tube and she made sure that it would count. Blew its neck and upper thorax clean off, with the head flying away mostly intact, not that it would do it any good with the rest of it looking how it did.

Wasn't no Sharpshooter like Sarah Jay, but Tina still maintained some of the highest marks in all her courses, edging out Michael for second place in long-range marksmanship thanks to all those lessons with Uncle Ming.

Wasn't all he taught her though, and she fell back on her tried-and-true beauts, the shiny silver twin 1911's he'd gifted to her on her 12th birthday. Only had Intensify and Empower without Maximize and Penetrate on account of how it needed to fit Quicken in, but that also meant it didn't kick half as hard as the Merlin. So even at a 150 meters, she could still hit something the size of a Razorscythe at least every one in three shoots on average, and she put out a whole lot more than three shots. Squeezed them off in three round bursts, nowhere near as fast or accurate as Howie's triple shot trick, but still good enough to stagger and down another two Razorscythes before the leading Swarmlings reached the 50m mark.

At which point Cowie showed just why he was Howie's partner as he bellowed out in challenge and kicked things into high gear. The big, burly bull was a mass of muscle that looked solid as could be, but hardly all that speedy, and truth be told, it took him some time to pick up enough steam. Gave Tina plenty of time to reload her 1911s while the horde bore down on them, but instead of unloading on them rapid quick, she switched them out for her harder hitting Szass and Tam 45's, gifted to her by Howie just this past summer. They was carbon copies of her silver 1911's with a heavy emphasis on carbon, all black steel and just a hair thicker in the hand to give them an extra bit of heft. Much needed heft, because unlike the 1911's the Szass and Tam's cared nothing for Silence and swapped it and Toppling for Penetrating again. By now, Abby had arrived at her best range, less than 40meters away and gaining ever so slightly, but not because Cowie and the horses couldn't outrun them.

No, he was leading them Abby on, teasing them almost by saying they almost had him, and if they ran just a little bit harder then they might catch up. Then they would, and he'd run a little harder too, again just enough to make Abby think they could get him. On his own, the frontrunners might catch on and give up the chase soon enough, or at the very least revise their strategy somewhat and slow down to conserve strength, but that's where Tina came in. With no Abby to her right anymore and just a long trail behind, she heeled Fifi to pivot so she could get a clear angle on the horde to unleash hell on every Razorscythe in sight.

Wasn't nothing to it at this close a range, especially after Chrissy helpfully turned on the lights and dimmed Tina's shades at the same time, meaning she wasn't blinded by Darkvision or the unexpected illumination. Neither was most Abby, as Swarmlings don't rely all that much on their vision, but Spitters and Razorscythes most certainly do. Their screeches took on a plaintive tone like they was complaining about how Tina and the rest wasn't playing fair, but like Uncle Ming said, fair fights was for children and meaningless competition. In a life and death match, you'd be a fool not to use every advantage you had, so Tina bared her teeth in a grin as she unloaded her 45's into the crowd, aiming low so the through and throughs would hit the Swarmlings and Spitters too while the crippled Razorscythes got trampled beneath the spiked feet of their lesser cousins.

Wasn't nothing to it, like skeet shooting at the range, just point, aim, and fire. Simple is as simple does, and Tina never thought much of it, but not even Howie could keep up with her when she got in the groove. The percussive bang of her 45's laid the beat for the melody of her slide racking back and forth with each shot, while the ping of ejecting brass and the hum as it whirled through the air formed the harmonies for her song of battle, one that coursed through her from the bottom of her soles to the tip of her nose as she sang out in a call for victory. The music emerged from her unbidden, and the Magic came with it as she erupted into five copies of herself and Fifi both just as a Razorscythe emerged from the shadows to strike.

A moment of confusion, that's all the Mirror Image Spell bought her, but it was more than enough to pump three Bolts into the mantid's face and chest as it tried to figure out which Tina to bring its arms down upon. By then, it was already too late, and Tina quickly put her Mirror Images to work distracting the crowd, humming her tune all the while because she just couldn't help herself. Mama was doing work too, singing "Holding out for a Hero" while standing in the driver's seat with one foot braced against the side and shooting Abby down in droves. Her song was an actual Spell though, as opposed to Tina's which was just the Somatic component to Mirror Image which she just kept singing along with, though she soon switched to accompaniment for Mama. Rallying Cry was the name of her Spell, a Supporter's staple that was a mix of Heroism, Aid, and Bless, only better in every which way on account of being Third Order. Gave everyone a tiny boost to their stamina to wash away their fatigue, or at the very least their perception of it, but would also form an ectoplasmic barrier around them that might turn a direct strike with a claw into a glancing hit. On top of all that, it bolstered everyone's spirits, Tina and Fifi included, who let out a cry of glee and excitement as she thundered alongside Cowie in the dead of night.

All the same, the horde was gaining on them slow and steady, and while them Abby couldn't keep this pace up for long, that wouldn't matter if they got their claws into the horses at the back and left their corpses intact to weigh Cowie down. Activating her shield, Tina made ready to fall back some and draw the Swarmlings attention away from the horses to buy them some time, only for the back door of the wagon to swing open and reveal Chrissy's silver-maned head poking out from the side.

"Aim for the big 'uns." That's what Mama said, and while Tina caught the rest of it too, she chalked up the 'we' of 'We'll take out the little 'uns' as Mama just trying to include Chrissy to be nice. Not at all though, because Rallying Cry was a Concentration Spell, and so was Phantasmal Force, which was how Tina figured Mama would take care of the little 'uns. Just made sense, as a Big Spell for a big swarm seemed like just what the doctor ordered, only Tina didn't have the right Big Spell in mind.

Because while Phantasmal Force had an area of effect of a sphere with a 6m radius, it also had a lag time, which meant Abby had to get hit, fall for the Illusion, and then die. At the speeds they was running, they might well move in and out of the Spell's area of effect before it had time to take hold of their stupid little pea brains, the same way someone sprinting at full speed might clear a Fireball's radius in the half-second's time it took to superheat the air. Add in Mama's poor angle to see the back of the wagon and target it with her Spell, and it was clear Phantasmal Force wasn't the best answer.

Psychic Scream though? That most certainly would do the trick, because as Chrissy opened up the pipes and screeched something fierce, she didn't just inflict a big burst of Mental damage. She also hit the survivors with a double dose of Fear to send them running for the hills. Hit the horses too, and this time, Chrissy didn't have no Metamagic bead bracelet to keep them from getting hurt by her Spell. That was still on Tina's wrist, but it turned out Chrissy had a whole lot more practice with the Spell than anyone knew, because she was able to finagle it to not hurt anyone it wasn't supposed to. This left the Fear though, which hit Tina like a cool breeze thanks to Mama's Rallying Cry which protected her, the horses and the rest of them from the worst of Chrissy's Spell. Not Abby though, and after the front few rows of chasing Abby toppled over like they was hit by an invisible truck, the survivors let loose with a chittering screech all full of fear and panic as they turned tail and ran.

Leaving Tina grinning from ear to ear as she gunned down the few remaining Razorscythes still brave enough to stand their ground, but not so brave that they was unaffected. They was scared stiff they was, and made for easy prey as they panicked and went after her Mirror Images which she purposely brought in close to bait their swings. She still had three left when the last mantis fell dead, and she though they'd done a good bit of work, but just to be safe, she brought Fifi around in a circle to make sure there were no more Abby lingering about while Cowie continued pushing westward towards safety at a more manageable pace.

There wasn't nothing to fret about, not that she could see, so now all there was left to do was to wait for Howie to come skating back in. Only difference was that this time, Tina would be over the moon if the worst thing he came back with was a sour expression, because that there was better than never seeing him ever again.

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