Icarus Awakens

The chunk of heliorite Daniel possessed had shrunk dramatically over the past few days. Originally just smaller than his torso, it was now easy to carry one-handed. If he could directly touch it with all the lesser rock removed, that was. It had taken seven full days, but he’d made everything Murdon had wanted and then some after a last minute addition to their strategy.

The specialized weapon the draconoid had loaned him as templates had proven interesting, and he was now equipped with a heliorite version of each along with an enchanted crossbow that he’d taken notes from Earth’s designs on. He’d still use his primary crossbow for normal fighting, but if he ever convinced Hunter to allow for mounted combat the new additions to his arsenal would be far easier to use.

Something else he’d occupied his mind with over the long periods of waiting was working on the designs he’d make next. For standard gear he’d just needed a rough idea of what he needed to make, which included visits for everyone requiring fitting such as for the lightning wings. For his gear Daniel afforded more thought, such as working out how to add a stock to his crossbow. He’d even enchanted a very tiny level 1 version that would need toothpick sized bolts just to make sure it looked right.

The only thing missing was Hunter’s armor. He’d put in a lot of design work on trying to retroactively fit his wings on the back, just in case, but if Hunter’s body changed dramatically with Growth he’d have to start over. They were running out of time to decide. Even if Daniel didn’t make him armor the day of the evacuation was looming. Food was critically low, and while it had taken longer than they’d expected for higher level monsters to fill the gap, that just meant there was less to eat. When asked privately, Murdon had given Daniel two days to get ready. Longer than that, he couldn’t guarantee.

For Hunter’s part, he’d been more docile. That probably wasn’t the right word, but the only thing the ringcat had done was lounge, think, and visit Tak by himself. That was fine, Daniel wasn’t worried at all that his murder cat had made a friend that was himself half murder cat. He just missed the days when it was only Hunter and him, or even the day it was just Ringcat and him. That first walk to Hagain Village, before he knew anything, seemed so much simpler and even nostalgic.

Of course, Rorshawd was lurking in the background then. Tlara had also haunted his days spent hunting under Lograve and Kob’s leadership. That’d changed too. Kob died, Lograve was… no, he was the same, and Tlara had gotten in trouble when her wyvern attacked a scouting party. Rumor, passed along through Thomas, said she’d pretty much gotten away with it. Oh well, she wasn’t his problem anymore.

The last of the heliorite and the terrifying dragon were. Hunter needed to decide. Do you have any ideas? he asked the ringcat. They were walking through the village’s crowded streets, drawing attention both due to the monster, and the wings on Daniel’s back. He’d made seven in total, each in different fashions. Since the wings themselves didn’t have to be functional, they could be shaped in whatever way he wanted so long as they conformed to the general concept. He’d done insect wings, bird wings, and a set of dragon wings specifically for Murdon.

For Daniel? The impulse to make wings that looked like some kind of superhero cape was easily resisted since the color would be completely wrong for what his first choice would be. In the end, he’d taken the first set he’d made for himself. Even if they did faintly remind him of something a toy would wear, the fighter jet shape was fun. They were also the only set of wings that weren’t set in place, making them less unwieldy.

He stopped as he realized Hunter hadn’t answered and he’d gotten completely sidetracked. Hunter?

No. The look in Hunter’s eye was almost mournful. Can’t.

I don’t know who else to ask, Daniel thought. No one had ever heard of atypical breeds of ringcat, not even Lograve. All monsters had one set development path as far as the Arcanist knew, though there were some species thought to be closely related. We can’t avoid this decision forever. You need to get to level 2, at least for Regeneration. Do you want to know which one I’d pick?

Hmmm.

It wasn’t a no. Daniel hadn’t put forward a serious suggestion up until this point because he wanted the choice to be Hunter’s. This might be the only choice Hunter had over what kind of being he was. There’s one that says unique. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it's rarer or better than the others, but it means there’s something about you that it's specific to. ‘Awakened’ probably connects to you being sapient. I don’t know what that’ll do to you but-

Scared.

I know. Daniel resisted the urge to put a hand on Hunter’s head. He’d gotten a dose of that fear every dawn, which was when they’d figured out Empathic Link reset. Rising with the sun had become a common occurrence for Daniel if only to suppress the link and go back to bed. I don’t know how you can be more terrified of this than a dragon, but I know you’re scared.

I will change. Die.

You won’t die, Daniel tried to sound comforting. Unless you meant the dragon for that one which, yeah. That’s fair.

Hunter dug a little further into the ground with his next pawstep, kicking dirt behind him. What is next will not be me. It will be different.

Unless Awakened Ringcat just makes you more you, Daniel argued. Like, concentrating your essence or something. But if you don’t want that, Alpha Ringcat is what you’d naturally be without me. Would you want that?

Alphas lead, Hunter countered. I will never be with my kind again. Never be in a pack.

That more than anything made Daniel’s face fall, and he understood a little more Hunter’s connection to Tak. There are plenty of choices in between. Dawn or Luminous Ringcat both sound noble.

But I would change!

Well, yeah. He scratched his head instead of Hunter’s. You’ll change no matter what you pick. But you know what won’t change?

What? Hunter was looking at him intently.

This is going to sound corny, Daniel thought to himself, and then to Hunter. We’ll still be friends. I doubt Tak will care what you choose either, but we can ask him if you want.

Hmm. That was a thoughtful mental grunt, that method of Hunter’s expression becoming very flexible through repeated use. Would, but I cannot. He understands to a point, but not with words.

I can just ask him for you. Hunter didn’t reply. You did think about that, right?

Would have eventually.

Daniel laughed, attracting glances from onlookers. Let’s do that then. I owe Thomas a couple of lunches anyway.

…

Acquiring the needed lunch was easier than it should have been. Even though he arrived about thirty minutes early to where the day’s rations were being dispensed, a line of fifty people had already formed. These were the villagers without any responsibilities and nothing to look forward to in the day besides relief from their hunger. Or, their children’s, as several bedraggled parents in line had their offspring in tow. Daniel was in no great rush. He couldn’t start Hunter’s armor until the next morning so the decision could wait until tonight. If other people with children came into the line he’d let them pass. The only reason he was here so early was to relieve Thomas in case the Cleric tried to get his own meal. That wasn’t what happened.

Instead, the person in front of him, a young human man only a few years older than Daniel, did a double take when he looked towards the motion behind him. He stepped aside stiffly in surprise. In response to Daniel turning around in kind before offering a confused look, the man beckoned forward. It looked like he wanted to say something but the words were catching in his throat. Do I know this guy? Daniel thought to himself, plagued with the all too common sinking feeling of being recognized without reciprocation. Maybe it was someone he’d saved during the sparkbat fight after Murdon turbo-charged him?

Then, the next person in line stepped aside. Another, a father holding his daughter, followed. It spread down the line, skipping a few holdouts until they bowed to peer pressure. Each looked at him differently, but even the recalcitrant shared the traces of one common emotion: awe. That was when Daniel became self-aware and realized exactly what he looked like.

A young human in armor. Probably not the cleanest, but the wings on his back and the golden replacement of his old leather armor shone in the sunlight. The sparkling wasn’t just a reflection but a specific reaction in the wings’ case as the metal absorbed sunlight to recharge the launching ability. By his side was a monster, a cat massive compared to a normal one and larger than he was in total size, even if Hunter’s head came up to just below his neck. That wasn’t everything.

He’d flown in front of all of them, and his part in the evacuation had been made public during that first meeting. Of everyone, Daniel’s contributions had been the most tangible and theatrical. Then? What became of this Artificer, the only one in the region, was something they could only guess at once he retreated into his lair. In the intervening time, most of the important figures of the Thormundz had visited at least once. Daniel had seen people pause outside his window on occasion but hadn’t taken the weight of this until now.

Hunter, I think I’m a celebrity, Daniel thought in a spaced out way as he walked to the front of the line. People were thanking him, some reaching as they did so. Hunter didn’t receive the same kind of attention but wasn’t feared by the crowd he passed.

What? Hunter probably didn’t know what that word meant. Daniel hadn’t used it in all his time here, and definitely not in relation to himself.

I… He didn’t like this. It took him up until this point to reaffirm how stifling public attention was. This wasn’t as bad as his presentation a week ago which had tripped his claustrophobia to a small degree. Now, it was more awkward. Murdon, Gadriel, or Lograve should be getting this kind of praise, not him. He’d just sat in a room while the heliorite did all the work.

At the same time, if he didn’t move ahead of everyone, he’d be stuck with them and their misplaced gratitude. They were all just normal people.

“I-I’ve got your food, sir. Thank you.” A young avianoid pushed a food tray onto the table. Steam was coming off what was not a single portion. It’d been delivered too soon, probably pulled off from what had been cooked while the rest was being finished. “Is there anything else you need?” she asked nervously when Daniel frowned.

“Oh, uh.” The problem was he didn’t have anything for Thomas. People did get food for others, and Daniel suspected some might lie about that. He wouldn’t be lying, but she would probably give him another larger portion. The background hunger that had been awoken by the smell of the steam made him consider, just for a moment, asking anyway. “Could I get another tray? Just a tray, no food.”

“Right, of course!” the woman exclaimed, looking at Hunter. “I can get you more food if-”

“Just a tray,” Daniel said awkwardly, stacking the second under the first when it was brought and quickly departing. They fit together perfectly, as identical to each other as the others Daniel had eaten off of. One person had to have made these and with a power. Did they get to cut in line too? No, he had to be honest with his humility, magical items trumped food trays, but that was still too much deference.

It means I’m famous. Daniel finally explained to Hunter.

…

“Guy!” Thomas exclaimed as they ran into each other near the medical tents. “Shouldn’t you be tinkering with that magic rock?”

“I’ve made almost everything, even the stuff for the rods.” Daniel extended one of the trays towards the Cleric.

“Ah, nice!” He looked up to the sky and scrunched his eyebrows. “You got here fast. How long were you waiting?”

“Well, I do owe you for the past few days. Now that my job’s pretty much done I have time to repay the favor.”

“Thanks, Guy.” Thomas held the tray one handed and picked up the fruit. He frowned, seeing it was cut in half, but took a bite anyway. “They’re getting stingier, but I know they have to. We need to get out of here before this goes to an every other day meal. Who’d you talk to?”

“I didn’t get their name. She was an avianoid?”

“Ah, young one or the one with a patch of missing feathers on the neck?”

“The first one,” Daniel said askance. Did Thomas know everyone in the village?

“Shiara! Guy, she’s single, and not too bad if you’re looking for a rebound. Unless Tlara’s ruined avianoids for you.” The way he said it so casually stunned Daniel. He’d been there for what happened with Claire, and he worked where she was being cared for by Quala. “Guy?”

“I’m also here to see Tak,” Daniel said, steadying the hand that had shook just a little. “He’s not near Claire, is he?”

“Oh shit, sorry Guy. No, Quala’s got her in her own, mhmm,” Thomas put a hand over his half-full mouth. “Can’t talk about that. Honestly, he’s fine by now, Quala just wanted to give him another day so he’ll think before he gets his leg torn off again. The only really hurt people we have are Sigron, of course, and the couple that were blasted when Tlara’s wyvern buzzed them. Can’t believe her. Anyways,” Thomas continued, hardly pausing to chew his food, “Khare came by the other day, and with that weird lady that talks to plants. Have they been staying with you? They’re never around when I’m there.”

Daniel latched onto that last question in the whirlwind lest his mind scatter trying to address each point. Khare hadn’t stayed in the building and Daniel had rarely seen them over the week, usually to give them more daggers on a whim. He could knock out a throwing dagger in ten minutes and occasionally did it just for the rush of finishing an enchantment. The presentation was the longest they’d been together, and he told Thomas as much. “Honestly, I don’t know where they’ve been. Underground maybe? I think that’s how gestalt advance and they’ve been doing that a lot.”

“Huh.”

“What?” Daniel asked when Thomas fell uncharacteristically silent.

“Can’t talk about it,” he replied through a mouthful. “So, why Tak?”

“Hunter has a question for him,” Daniel said plainly. At his side, Hunter looked to Thomas with a silent threat to ensure his silence.

“But how will, oh.” Thomas made the connection. “Can I ask him a question, Guy?”

I don’t see why not, Daniel thought to Hunter, keeping that communication private even if he didn’t need to. Hunter just nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on Thomas. “Sure.”

It took the Cleric a few seconds to put his thoughts together. “Why’d you go for my arm? You could’ve torn it off!”

I could not carry another way, Hunter thought, and Daniel forwarded it verbatim.

“So just nudge me then or something. I could’ve run with you!”

You told me to take him.

Daniel grimaced, an expression that wasn’t missed by the Cleric. “Guy?”

“This might be my fault. Kinda.” Daniel winced as Thomas’ gaze shifted. “When I was trying to get everyone clear after the lightning I pretty much told Hunter to, uh, get you out of danger. I think he took that as ‘by any means necessary’.”

“Huh. Well, alright then. Better word choice might have saved me some pain but I guess it’s fine.” Thomas was trying to project sudden nonchalance, though at least some of it was feigned. “Can I ask another question?”

Daniel and Hunter looked at each other, and then Daniel shrugged. “Sure.”

“How’d I taste?”