Daniel hadn’t seen a Rogue in action before, not really. A few had taken part in the lightning dragon fight, but he’d been so subsumed by his fear, and then Tlara’s punch, that he hadn’t noticed their actions overly much. There was also the one that had ambushed him in Aughal, but in that case he hadn’t even tagged her before she’d run off into an unknown fate. Classes had generally followed what his expectations of them would be, but then again there was a lot of variability between any two Blessed, which would only be made more pronounced due to the recently expanded power pools.


    Shuni would have had the opportunity to gain at least a handful of unrestricted powers, and Daniel was curious as to what exactly she could do. For now, she continued to stand in the center of all of them while her body became gradually more and more transparent. It seemed like some kind of natural camouflaging feature if he had to guess, given that it had activated back at the compound when she’d pressed her shoulder against the wall.


    He was about to mentally remark that the power didn’t seem too impressive when there was a tap on his shoulder. Daniel almost jumped as he found a hooded figure behind him. At first it seemed like Shuni had cloned herself since his empowered senses didn’t register any difference, though that quickly changed when he focused on the slowly fading Shuni. It wasn’t camouflage at all but the clone growing more translucent as the effect timed out, and just as there was a visual hollowness, so he could better distinguish the falseness to its scent.


    With what was decidedly a confused motion, Khare tossed one of the small bone marbles their pop gun used through the now flickering image. It fooled their tremor sense, Daniel realized. “Nice. It works on monsters too?”


    “Wouldn’t be much help if it didn’t,” she replied cheerily, walking back to a more neutral position in the group. Daniel was beginning to get a general Evalyn feel from Shuni the longer he spent with her, though that might have just been from the ease and self-assuredness she acted with. He still had thousands of doubts about the ruins, whereas she was joining a bunch of people she’d just met to go somewhere potentially insanely dangerous. The only reason he couldn’t not go was that the bond would actively force him to like it had with the horde leader if he fought it.


    Why is she so confident? he suddenly wondered. “Anything else you want to demonstrate?” Daniel pulled on what he knew from role-playing games and added, “We’re open to discussing tactics beforehand. The cloak I’ll make you will give you a one-off cast of a cloud spell, but we’ll have items with that too if you need cover for any of your powers to work.”


    Shuni frowned. “I thought you said you’ve never dealt with Rogues before.”


    “He was shot by one once,” Khiat explained uncomfortably, the experience plain on her face as well. It could be said that the Rogue in Aughal had been the one to push her into her crisis of class, and the at times shy dusker had become completely reserved in Shuni’s presence.


    “Seriously?” Shuni asked, but the foreign expression on the dusker’s face was enough to tell part of the story. The upbeat quirk in her voice faded and she grew a little withdrawn. “Oh. I didn’t know.”


    “Not like we told you upfront,” Daniel replied reasonably, surprised to read disappointment in the Rogue and not sure what to make of it. “It was just some random asshole. Could’ve been any class behind the bow.”


    “So, yeah.” Shuni stood awkwardly for a few seconds, face still hidden by what was definitely some form of concealment power. No one else was eager to comment and the silence stretched. Eventually she scratched the back of her head and sighed. “Ok, look, I’m-“


    “It’s fine,” Daniel spoke over her, hearing defensiveness in her voice and wanting to head it off. “We’re both taking risks here. Full disclosure, I was told the ruins would help me bring a friend back from the dead. As long as you aren’t working against that we’re good, and you don’t seem distrustful anyway.” Despite Cloak giving me every reason to with people who could have those kinds of powers, he mentally added, trying not to let his experience with the god of lies taint his outlook.


    The Rogue visibly stiffened at that, but didn’t give anything else away. “That’s why this is so important? I’d heard the Hand church had lost their blessing but that’s, I didn’t expect this.”


    “I don’t know any specifics,” Daniel qualified in case Shuni had someone in mind herself. “It sounds like Soraso doesn’t know much beyond the quick look he took. If it were anything else I’d be asking why stronger people couldn’t go instead of us, and I’m lucky to have friends who will follow me despite that.” He ignored the loud wyvern scoff and continued, “Just don’t be a jerk or run out on us when things get difficult and we’ll be fine.” He did shoot a glare towards Tlara with that.


    “Alright,” Shuni ruminated with far less intensity than Daniel expected, before nodding and continuing in a diminished way. “Sounds good. As far as my other stuff, Sneak Attack obviously. I’ve got a good bit of ground fighting experience but can handle myself in the air. Just keep things distracted and I can make it work. Unless we’re fighting things that can pin me down I can usually take care of myself too.” There was a pause and an almost self-conscious way to how she removed her hood. “A couple of those weird powers everyone’s getting now too, but nothing worth mentioning.”


    Daniel was curious about which formerly restricted powers she had received after the Collapse, but he decided not to ask. Even some of his friends had balked at showing him their full list, and there was the effect his power could have on settling pre-awakened powers as well. Not that he’d be brazen enough to ask Shuni to show him hers.


    “Alright. Well, only Willow’s got something new to try out and she’s still growing into her class. As far as the other two, Khare is good at multi-attacking in melee and range, while Khiat-“


    “Can shoot huge glowing arrows?” Shuni asked appreciably, glad for the change in topic. “Hard to miss a giant bug lighting up the sky below you. I thought she was the best shot in your team until I saw what that monstrous contraption did to that poor island.”


    “Proficient,” Khare mumbled to themself as the Rogue talked up the other two ranged death dealers on the team, their opinion of her continuing to fall after she’d tried to jockey for one of Daniel’s blast bows.


    “She still is,” Daniel replied, made a little uncomfortable by the combined praise and how Shuni had referenced Khiat. “I’d be trash without my aiming power, but Khiat does it all herself.”


    “You help the team in other ways,” the dusker readily assured, her normal humble nature absent when it came to her talent. “But he does need to get better at aiming that thing.”


    “Hard to see why when the hit’s that big,” Shuni shrugged, but then reconsidered as she took a subtle step away from Daniel. The topic was dropped though as she turned to Willow. “So, last mysterious member of Wingcraft. What’s your game?”


    …


    Willow didn’t shrink as the spotlight was cast on her, but Wisp did. That was the name she’d decided to give the sole spirit currently sheltering in her after growing closer to it. Daniel had given her an odd look when she’d told him about the name but didn’t explain why, reassuring her it was a good choice.Stolen novel; please report.


    The thought of giving Wisp a more person-like name had occurred to her, but despite the will she could feel inside the spirit it didn’t feel like a complete consciousness. She supposed that was the difference between a spirit and a soul, for it was a completely different experience to have Tlara’s soul in her grasp the rare times her sister had to leave one of her monsters.


    Willow would have never imagined reaching these heights. Her destiny had been to inherit power and wealth, though it came with the trade of never taking a class. She found that being a Spirit Master fit her better, despite what the journey had cost.


    It still hurt her heart, and not just for what she’d experienced. Daniel had told her more of the cyclical nature of the Collapses as his Focus had continued to unlock more information, as well as how one of the gods they’d known nothing about had perished during one of them. The very one she was attuned to through her class, which had been locked until the world began to break down. How much misery could have been avoided if the mortals of this world had had these powers? To sense the potential allies in their enemy and reach them?


    Well, as recent events showed having an element of spirituality did not guarantee friendliness. Willow had resolved not to let blind idealism guide her any longer. She would use her class with the responsibility and reverence it was due.


    In that light, the casual way Shuni asked her to expose Wisp to the world was slightly offensive, as if she expected her to start twirling daggers on her talons or something. Using her new combat power out in the open without good reason felt slightly wrong, but it would be necessary if they had to fight in the ruins.


    Taking in a breath, Willow walked a short distance away from the currently green wyvern and nodded at Shuni. “I haven’t been able to see how strong the attack is yet as I gained it after the horde, but it is only a level 1 power.” Willow knew that to this newcomer she’d be the least impressive. Khiat’s relatively new status as a quasi-Blessed overshadowed her scant weeks since awakening. “I’ll need a moment.”


    “Another charge attack?” Shuni asked.


    “Wisp is shy,” she answered simply, only drawing more curiosity from the Rogue. She didn’t ask more questions though, patiently waiting with the rest of the team. Willow knew the spirit would act with more alacrity if they were in actual danger, but right now it was steeling itself for the ability. She and Tlara operated on completely different levels and ideals, and yet their classes shared a common weakness. They relied on those in their care.


    When she sensed the one within her was ready, Willow slightly shifted her stance and took what a Totem Warrior would recognize as a sparring pose. Few other classes fought with natural weapons such as claws or fists because of how poor they were compared to enchanted weapons, though as her new development demonstrated, powers could make up the difference.


    A soft light began to fill the air around Willow, similar to the shields she could summon only fainter. The intensity grew as it began to gather in one of her legs, and she executed a downward kick that cracked the ground. Another shot of radiance surrounded her and then infused her arm. Though the punch didn’t connect with anything, the air rippled as her fist passed through it.


    “Huh.” Shuni was mostly confused by Willow’s display and was looking between her and the ephemeral energy. “New class, right? I’ve heard those are getting the strangest powers. That looks like some kind of Martialist special attack but it feels weird to look at.”


    “It’s called Spirit Strike,” Willow explained, adding, “I am a Spirit Master. As far as I can tell, the ability feeds mana to Wisp, who gives me energy in return filtered through their archetypes.” The blank look she got in return was the main reason she felt safe in explaining that much. Well, that and the fact that no one could take Wisp from her.


    “Wait, sorry, who’s Wisp?” She started looking around as if the team was going to pull another fast one on her, but everyone else was letting Willow take the lead. The Spirit Master herself could tell Daniel was getting nervous about oversharing when it came to the Astral, but he wasn’t the ultimate arbiter of secrets.


    “They are a spirit,” Willow answered, growing less confident as she did so. “A fractured soul. I believe my class is meant to find and protect them.” And after that? she mentally asked. The end of her path was unclear. Placing spirits in monsters to encourage their development was one end, but was it the only one? She’d have to trust in her class to reveal more as her powers grew.


    “Spirit. Like Spiritualists?”


    “We’ve killed Spiritualists, definitely not on their side,” Daniel quickly spoke up, though his words did little to allay Shuni. She seemed uneasy judging by how her arm feathers were puffing up under her sleeves.


    Willow reached out her hand and beckoned to Wisp. There was nothing in the static description Daniel had read about her power that covered why she could do this, but then again both her class and bond behaved less empirically than his.


    A small globe of light hesitantly appeared from her palm, drifting slightly upwards as she released Wisp from her Spirit Vault. She knew it looked like a simple illusion at first, but those without her abilities could still tell there was something more to the light just like there was to her attacks. Wisp stayed out for only a few seconds before retreating back into her. It wasn’t completely sapient, she could tell, but there was a mind within that had seen an unfamiliar face.


    Shuni was silent for some time as she thought about what she saw while pacing. The two of them were left alone as Daniel let Khare borrow the blast bow and Khiat took off in her continual efforts to improve how she flew. Only Tlara remained engaged with a more wistful expression in her soul than normal. Her ordeals had been transformative as well, though not to the same degree as Willow’s. Either way, the Astral was something both of them were tied to now.


    “I can’t think of anyone on this team that’s normal,” Shuni finally concluded, though her voice didn’t hold much malice. “I mean, it might be the only one with a dusker and a gestalt in the region and that’s ignoring the wyvern in the room.”


    “Having second thoughts?”


    Shuni tilted her head and let out a short, high-pitched call of amusement. “Are you crazy? World’s ending and I trip into a few of the only people who know what’s really going on. The rest of my team was already jealous I got tapped for this.”


    “You’re not hesitant because of Wisp?” Willow pressed, not touching on whatever Shuni was assuming they knew. She had no major objections to bringing a Rogue to the ruins, especially if Shuni could counter any hidden traps or monsters there, but this was an absolute dealbreaker. If Shuni’s opinions of her and her class were tainted by the surface connections to the Spiritualists, then-


    “Look,” Shuni said as she put a hand on her hip, slightly adjusting one of the tail feathers that had gotten caught in her armor as she cut off Willow’s thoughts, “It sounds like we all know who the real enemy is and Wisp… I’ve seen high level people pop off something impressive. That shot your friend made earlier isn’t the biggest explosion by far, and it sounds like he had to throw several things into the mix to make that work. Still, that, whatever that was?”


    She took a few steps closer and Willow could feel the wariness in Tlara as she held her breath as well. “You know why I think I got the Rogue class?” Shuni asked in a quieter voice, low enough that the others wouldn’t hear her over the crack of the blast bow. “There’s this beauty to Threst at night, a darkness so deep you can fall through it forever. I’m not saying I’m a dusker,” she clarified while smiling, eyes going to where Khiat had accidentally flipped upside-down while trying to shoot her bow and turn at the same time. “There’s something special about it. At first it was just when I could sneak out and run around as a hatchling, but it’s always stuck with me. Like I’m more alive when I find something wondrous. I guess you could say I’m like a Bard that doesn’t screw, it’s not about the money for me. Seeing that light in your hand made me think of the first time I was able to fly myself through an ocean of black. It was…”


    “Spiritual?” Willow offered when Shuni failed to come up with the word.


    “Guess so,” she chuckled. “Whatever it is you have a line on, it doesn’t feel like the kind of thing that tries to turn a village into monsters. Honestly, I wish I’d waited to get my class until now. Makes me wonder if I would have gotten something different.”


    Both of them turned their heads as another ridiculously powerful explosion sounded. It appeared that Daniel had figured out he could charge Power Shot while Khare was actually wielding the weapon, so long as he held onto part of it.


    “Oh, and then there’s that guy,” she added wryly, and something in Shuni’s voice gave her some insight into why she’d sounded a bit crestfallen after Khiat had mentioned the Rogue in Aughal. “Always good to know an Artificer, right?