Shawn spent the next day firmly recovering, and not doing any heavy lifting. Not because Chakra told him to, but because the next day, every ache, strained muscle, and bruise made itself readily apparent. Waking up made him wonder if getting eaten by bears mutated by magical crystals, would have been the kinder alternative.

  He doubted it.

  He was visited by a roster of people throughout the day. They recounted their tale, while others quickly rallied to talk to the neighboring towns, asking for volunteers for mining and logistics.

  Telga had found her voice again and was giving firm instructions, too. She had to leave intermittently to talk to the town council, but she wasn’t gone for more than a couple hours at a time. He thought he’d get some downtime to practice with his gestalts, but Chakra gave him a smack on the wing when he saw what he was attempting.

  “Your core grew Shawn. You need to be careful testing your limits,” he warned him. But, his stern face softened when his wife gazed at him with a subtle shake of her head, feathers fluttering gently.

  “And no one has ever documented the Radiants and their powers?” Shawn asked quietly. “Other than trial-and-error, and what Telga can tell me, are there any periodicals that discuss the gestalts and the Etteria in our body? Anything that can help expin this stuff would be beneficial to me.”

  Something changed in Chakra’s expression, and his stern expression melted to one of curiosity. He let out a calm breath, before walking to a nearby, well-organized bookcase of dark hardwood construction. He thumbed through his small bookcase and handed Shawn a hide-bound book, with crisp white pages. “I think you should read some of my observations first.”

  “What is this?” he asked.

  “My notes on gestalts. Even with everyone having one–or, almost everyone–there is much we do not fully know about them. And I know of the Radiants, even less, and how their powers differ in functionality and scale. Or, what the Etteria does to their body and how it might react differently.” Shawn thumbed over the text with one cw. The text read like a medical journal, with occasional sketches, both of humanoids and some of the Etteria-infused creatures of the region.

  He tapped the page gently, pondering the number of uses for this information. “This is detailed. Why is knowledge like this–with something so integral to the world, not better researched in rge academic journals?”

  Chakra gestured to the room, and the recovering Raine and Trask. “This research is…sensitive. As you might be aware, the fractured state of the world leads to literal pnetary isnds of different mindsets. Some believe my work is controversial. They think our powers are the gift of the divine, and not meant to be fully understood. Those who try to attain beyond their power, bring ruin.”

  Shawn raised a feathery eyebrow at that–it sounded simir to those who had oppressed and suppressed academics from Earth, for centuries. “Knowledge by itself does not bring ruin, Chakra. Only action does. Actions from men and women, as imperfect as we are.”

  It did little to settle his internal concerns about bringing modern firearms and tech to this pce of magic and monsters. But he also knew that knowledge would always bring more good, than harm, in the long run. He read through some of the summaries–about Chakra's theories on the Etteria, and even a mention of the material accumuting in the body through the food chain. Though, his field results were in alignment with what Shawn had been told: the Etteria degraded rapidly once the being was deceased.

  He found a quick section on Etteria development and dog-eared it. “Thank you, Chakra. But…do you think that I could be a Radiant now?”

  “As you are? No. Possibly in the future, yes. But there are distinct differences. You did not see Telga at her peak.” his tone was lone, indicating a level of confidentiality here. “The Radiants are truly powerful. Did you observe Revarik and his power?”

  “He used some kind of...possession gestalt, now that I’ve had time to think about it. Which is extremely unsettling.” He hoped Revarik couldn’t ooze out of anyone and command them to do awful things to themselves or others, just with a mere thought.

  “He is not easily killed, nor are the other Radiants. They also gain some unusual physical changes as they reach their peak. I can only specute in your case, as I have only been able to observe children of Radiants, and even then, not in great detail. Telga has also been reluctant to share, but she does give me insights. I believe there will be something to learn from you if you are willing.”

  Shawn interpreted that as ‘I’m using you for science, you utter madman.’

  “I’m gonna be pretty busy, Chakra. But, yes, if it’s important, I’ll help out.” He felt the warm embrace of Halsey in his head, indicating her silent approval of this. “I need to know more about these creatures with unusual Etteria cores. I’m worried about something. Revarik could grow stronger if he knows about these. And I don’t know how widespread this knowledge is.”

  “I did not know this one before Telga discussed it st night,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned in at the desk. “Know this when I say, I understand the danger of knowledge in the wrong hands. Much harder to put it in the right hands, no?”

  Shawn dipped his head softly. “Yeah. It always is. As an engineer, I always tried to think of the end use of what I made. Or what it could be modified into, without my knowledge, or going against my intentions. But you can’t predict every outcome.”

  “Then, you and I are more alike than I thought.” Chakra smiled faintly at this. “Perhaps this knowledge will help you become more of what you want to be.”

  “More like, what I need to be,” Shawn answered abstractly. He wanted to avoid earning another bruised wing and started to read through the book.

  More people came and went through the day. Regia dropped by with a bountiful meal from the garrison and spent the evening chatting with him, Telga, and the others. While their spirits were higher, Shawn knew that this moment of calm wouldn’t st forever.

  Regia waved a hunk of meat in front of him, practically falling off the bone, and broke his focus. “I’m not going to starve, you know.” He set the Chakra’s journal down, having been absorbed in the details of the composition of Etteria–what little was known. Regia dropped into the seat next to him, still wagging the hunk of meat and slicing off a small piece with her cws on her free hand. He couldn’t help but appreciate the subtle sharpness of them

  “Shawn, no offense, but I can’t leave you alone for five minutes before things start going sideways. If I walk away long enough, you could starve.” She took the small slice of meat, gulped it down, and let out a sound of pleasure. “Damn, Briggs seasoned this one well! Courtesy razor rat meat! Trask wasn’t full of himself this time!”

  “When have I ever been?” Trask was holding his side gently, and attempting to eat as well. Though, he just tore through the meat, the salty juices dripping down his muzzle, and his teeth were sharp enough to slice through it effortlessly. “See, I told you! You need to add a little garlic, salt, and that spice rock, and then, the magic is in the rosemary! It works like a charm!”

  “They have rosemary?” Shawn echoed. “This world has random imports from Earth.”

  “Oh, a slice of home?’ Regia cooed and sliced off a small piece. “Here, try a bite.”

  Not one to back down from a challenge, Shawn gulped the piece down, much to his delight. It was juicy, tender, and seasoned well. “Wow. what’ll it cost me for the rest of that?”

  “Not getting your sorry arse killed, for one,” she retorted and handed him the bone-in piece, to which he used a fork and knife arrayed on the table. “I mean that, by the way. Not even because there’s a…little bit of a plus one situation,” she added with a subtle tap to the side of her head. “Maybe it’s more because, despite your attraction to danger–or being a danger magnet–you’re a decent person. We don’t have a lot of those around here on Remaria.”

  “Why’s that?” he tried to py dumb.

  “Well, you know, only the good die young. Or, something one of the summoned said, a guy another Radiant brought a while ago. That guy was a total weirdo, he wouldn’t shut up about his powers and how he would change the world.” She scooched the chair closer. “Spoilers, he didn’t, now he’s a slightly eccentric idiot with a vil and a small private company in Valtiria that prototypes stuff he remembered from Earth.”

  “Charming,” Shawn replied dryly. “Do they all end up like that?”

  “Eaten by predators, vaporized by an irritated Radiant, or, they fade to obscurity. Yeah, the track record isn’t great. Imported solutions don’t solve a lot,” she compined but softened her tone when he gnced her way skeptically. “Well, except maybe you, because you have real stakes at py, too.”

  If you don’t ask her out, I’ll sing the Spongebob Squarepants theme song until you go insane. I like her, and I know the thoughts you can’t say aloud.

  He nearly choked at that mention and coughed violently while Regia ughed heartily. “Oh, she spoke up! Must’ve been something fttering about me!”

  “Nope.” he coughed loudly and patted his chest gently. “Food went down the wrong way.”

  Hang on, let me get warmed up. Who lives in a pineapple, under the sea…

  This is forbidden knowledge, Halsey! It’s psychological warfare! He finally stopped coughing, and Regia leaned in, looking curious. “Oh, I know a tell when I see one! Except Garrett’s way better at it when we py cards every couple of weeks. So what’s she saying?”

  “Without getting into specifics? Future prospects.” He trailed off as he said that. Just give me a few days, Halsey. I want to get some work underway.

  Live for the moment, live for the people.

  Something in the way Halsey said it, gave him pause. “Regia, I have a sort of idea. I saw you using your hydrokinesis to create focused water jets that cut through the ursina’s hide. What’s the limit of that?”

  She shrugged. “Dunno. Depends on how much water I can conjure up. It also helps if I have a reservoir to draw from.”

  “And you can also have the water hold shape, without a physical vessel.” She tilted her head, her eyes brightening. “So, I’d like to test those abilities. Within the bounds of a controlled b. Currently, Varrick’s smithy.”

  “Is this the part where you ask for my help, for once? Or, is this something Halsey’s thinking?

  “Let’s call it a mix of both.” He grabbed his notebook and started sketching something out. “We have metal to process. But, I also ck the capability to do some things when we do get it made into usable form. I want to test something. See these?”

  “Yeah?”’

  “I want to make them, using what Varrick has left in his supplies. before we get to melting down new ore for test sampling. We’re gonna experiment.”

  She let out a cry of delight and hugged him. “Oh, a partnership, then!”

  Distantly, he heard Cire ughing, and Track was pointing at him and grinning evilly. He might live to regret this if Regia didn’t crush the life out of him with her healthy hugs.

  Meanwhile, the sketch of involute tooth profiles stood out from the page and loomed up from the notebook, pns for rapid development just within his grasp. “Let’s call it an endeavor in the name of science and industry,” he wheezed through her strong embrace. “Partnership is a bit too strong a phrase for my liking at this junction of time.”