I need a break, Windy tells us all, her mental voice exhausted. I’m not surprised. The wind current has been slowly weakening for the last while and Raven has begun labouring to keep us in the air at all.

  If the supporting wind dies completely, I will not be able to continue flying, Raven warns us.

  Alright, let’s take a break then, I agree, slightly unhappy that we haven’t yet made it halfway according to my map, but left with no real choice. Unfortunately, my Flesh-Shaping doesn’t make much difference to Windy’s mental fatigue – I’ve tried. See if you can find a good place to set us down, Raven.

  He doesn’t respond but angles downwards, gliding as much as he can to save energy. I suppose we’re not too far from halfway, I tell myself. We’ve been flying for at least five hours and we’re probably still another seven or eight hours out. Taking a break now isn’t too bad as long as it doesn’t take too long for Windy to recuperate.

  As we approach the canopy of trees, I see where he’s aiming us towards – a relatively bare patch on the mountainside which has few trees. The reason is because it’s rather rocky and much steeper than most of the other areas. I hope that we’ll be able to land well enough on it – landing with the capsule attached is a different story from him just landing by himself.

  Joy, can you unweave the cords holding the capsule to Raven’s legs, please, I ask her, making sure Raven can hear too so he doesn’t accidentally drop it prematurely. The cords are there to stop Raven’s clawed paws from taking too much strain due to needing to hold onto something heavy for an elongated period of time, but they will complicate the landing.

  Joy sends me an acknowledgement and presumably gets on with the job. I’d help, but my mana is pretty low after helping support Windy for the last few hours.

  We’ve come low enough that the capsule is almost at risk of skimming the top of the trees. We’re preparing to set down into the space just ahead of us when suddenly Raven jerks abruptly to the side.

  I hear a number of surprised and discontented hisses from the samurans both on top of Raven’s back and below, but as far as I can tell we’re all still where we should be – the hide straps holding us to Raven’s back have proven to be invaluable.

  Then he jerks again, this time to the other side.

  What’s happening? I demand, but just as I do, I see it. We’re being attacked from below!

  Guardian, Raven says shortly. Attacking me. Can’t move fast enough. Must lose some weight.

  No! I say immediately. Wait!

  But it’s too late. Raven swoops into the clearing, and lets go of the capsule.

  We immediately feel the difference – where before he had been labouring just to remain airborne, now he is able to shoot upwards with a single flap of his wings. My stomach would be going on a rollercoaster ride again if it wasn’t already in my mouth from fear for my Bound. I barely notice Sirocco letting go of her perch and flapping into the air.

  Raven twists in the air, dodging a strike and our assailant comes briefly into view. The sight is awfully familiar.

  Bastet? I ask, briefly diverted from my fear for my Bound in the capsule.

  Yes, it is, she answers immediately, her tone both convinced and full of awe. Because our assailant is indeed what I thought it might be: a Tier three raptorcat.

  Looking as natural in the air as Raven does – which is to say incredibly natural for a creature which I didn’t know even existed until coming to this world – the raptorcat twists and follows Raven’s movements, aiming to strike at his vulnerable belly.

  Raven twists and turns, green acidic mana emerging from his jaws even as the raptorcat claps its wings and sends a blade of air at us – the same ability that Hades and Persephone has, only this one is far bigger and obviously more powerful.

  Our ride dives to avoid the flying blade, giving me a momentary view of the capsule before he twists again to get into position to attack the raptorcat. The sight fills me with relief – Catch or one of the other Warriors obviously deployed the parachute which was Plan B. The only problem is that it seems to have got caught in a tree, holding the capsule off the ground. I also manage to spot Sirocco perching nearby. Good – hopefully she’ll help guide the group.

  A moment later, I get another view of the capsule and this time I see that they’re managing to climb out with the use of another cord from somewhere. Knowing now that that group is as safe as possible in the current risky situation, I turn my attention back to the ongoing fight.

  Now with my focus on the conflict, I see that there are a couple of oddities which immediately make me question what’s going on here. The raptorcat doesn’t seem to be seriously trying to attack Raven for one thing. It’s instead only attacking him when he comes close to it, which happens any time he heads towards the clearing. Another thing is that it only appears to be using a couple of attacks – that wind-blade one, and another which is similar but more like a flurry of weaker blades which are harder to avoid.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Even if they’re weaker, they’re still dangerous, though. That point is brought thoroughly home when I hear an alarmed series of clicks come from behind me. Turning, I see only a flurry of movement where Yells used to be, and then she’s gone. The hide straps which had been holding her in place are now flapping in the breeze, several small gashes cut into Raven’s scales.

  “Yells!” I shout urgently.

  Raven jerks downwards rapidly and then rises again.

  I have her, he tells me curtly just as she also speaks.

  He caught me in his claws, she tells me, fearful relief pouring through the Bond. The straps holding me in place broke when the air-blades struck near me.

  Are you hurt? I ask quickly even as my mind races – this situation isn’t tenable. None of us apart from Raven are used to fighting in the air, which means that we’re at an automatic disadvantage. And the one who would be most adapted to this kind of fighting is currently too tired from hours of sustained effort to do much. Worse, as Raven twists again in the air, I get another quick glimpse of my group of Bound on the forest floor – they’re surrounded by very familiar figures.

  Only a little, Yells answers which at least takes that weight off my mind.

  Good, I quickly acknowledge. Bastet, can you help mediate? I think we’ve accidentally stepped into a raptorcat den.

  I can try, Bastet answers, though her tone is full of uncertainty. Their matriarch might see me as a sister…or a threat.

  Well, they already see us as a threat, I say grimly. I doubt you could make things worse.

  Then I will try, my raptorcat friend says with determination.

  After a quick mental discussion with everyone, Raven backs off a little, using his domain to project a desire to communicate. Sort of.

  When it flows over me, I still feel the always-present elements of him projecting his sense of superiority, that he’s bigger and stronger than anyone around so they might as well give up now. And the desire to talk comes across more as him deigning to pause his unstoppable attack to allow the lesser life forms to perhaps appease his wrath. Which doesn’t seem very conciliatory to me.

  The raptorcat reacts by releasing her own domain. This one is full of a wild desire to protect. It’s a sense that she will do whatever she must to make sure that those in her care remain safe, to the point of risking her own life. I guess that that makes sense – I’ve come to understand that a domain is about core beliefs and values being projected outwards.

  Kalanthia sees herself as an apex predator, so that’s what her domain comes across as. Raven sees himself as being above others – in all senses of the word – so his domain takes on his belief in his own superiority. This raptorcat evidently is convinced that she is her pack’s main protector and takes that very seriously.

  Either way, they have broken off actual attacks in lieu of allowing their domains to clash and struggle against each other. As they fight, I send mana through the network of straps holding us all against Raven’s back, searching for the ones holding Bastet in place.

  Reaching them, I reform the hide sufficiently for her to pull herself free. Those of my Bound with hands are able to do their own straps – another reason why only Bastet and Sirocco were on Raven’s back to begin with of my non-samuran Bound. And they were only there because Sirocco can fly and Bastet could reduce the speed of her fall with her own wings in an emergency – I thought it would be better to have them free to use their wings instead of trapped inside the capsule.

  Once free, Bastet carefully climbs up Raven’s back – he’s currently gliding around in a circle, the raptorcat keeping pace on the other side as their domains still struggle against each other. From what I can feel, they are fairly matched in strength – I guess that that’s a good thing. If Raven was weaker than the raptorcat, she’d probably just attack. If he was significantly stronger, she might attack anyway, in a suicidal attempt to keep her pack safe.

  Practically walking on Windy – who glares angrily at her – Bastet perches on Raven’s shoulder, her talons digging into his scales, though only barely piercing them due to their thickness. I feel her project her own awareness outwards towards the other raptorcat.

  Bastet doesn’t have a domain. Well, she didn’t the last time I checked. But this is definitely the beginning of one. I sense wisps of determination, and a protectiveness that matches the other matriarch’s. Though instead of being filled with wildness, Bastet’s gives me the impression of a…shield? At my back? It’s not clear yet, but that’s understandable considering that Bastet isn’t even getting close to Tier three yet. At least, I don’t think she is.

  My curiosity getting the better of me, I quickly access her information on my Bound tab.

  Well, she has made more progress towards her next Evolution than the last time I checked, even if it’s still not anywhere near Tier three. Her progress is currently sitting at thirty-four percent instead of the twenty-nine she was at a month or so ago. She’s also added a little more to her mana, health, and stamina, though I know she’s been working on all of those since crossing the first blockage at ten percent.

  Closing the screen, I tune back into what’s happening. The raptorcat seems to have recognised Bastet but I can’t tell whether it’s a good or bad thing. I sink my awareness more heavily into Bastet’s Bond, trying to use it to understand what’s happening in the same way I did with River right back at the beginning of my relationship with him. Only this time I’m much more practised with Bonds in general and Bastet in particular, so I’m far better at it.

  The other raptorcat matriarch is wary about the presence of a foreign raptorcat matriarch, but because Bastet is obviously weaker than she is, she’s more curious than threatened.

  Hope rises in my heart when the other raptorcat uses her domain to extend a line of communication to Bastet. Maybe we can end this without bloodshed?

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