“I had her... I had her!” Windburst snarled, wincing. Lieutenant Keris sat behind him, patching up his first degree burns. “She was in my sights, Commander! I... I didn't take the shot b-because I was afraid of inflicting a mortal wound if I wasn't careful enough.” His beak clattered as he gazed across the charred gates to the north end of Kunmane. Stallions wandered the ashen debris, gathering water in buckets as they put out the last few embers. “Our mission is to bring the rainbow bastard to the Council of Verlaxion alive, is it not?”
“A wise precaution, Sergeant,” Seraphimus said, pacing. “What matters to me is that you're still in one piece. That was quite a fright we all suffered.”
“What I wanna know is how did she commandeer a friggin' firework launcher?!” Raptr exclaimed.
“She didn't,” Keris droned, wrapping bandages around Windburst's feline haunches. “We saw her. She was in the streets. At ground level. She never reached the rooftops.”
Seraphimus looked over at Starstorm. “Sergeant? Your report?”
Starstorm gulped. “The pyrotechnicians on the rooftops mention nothing about a pegasus mare attacking them or stealing their launcher.” Her feathery brow furrowed in the starlight. “However... the ones who dropped the launcher that fired at Windburst claim that a set of rooftop shingles... slid out from underneath them.”
“What do you mean 'slid out?'” Raptr blinked. “As if it was an accident?!”
Starstorm explained, “They say that a rusted rain spout fell over, causing a chain reaction.” She looked at the other members of the Talon. “According to eye witnesses, a fleeing figure kicked a metal bucket into the rain spout—which led to the calamity.”
“I don't believe this...” Raptr plopped back on his haunches, beak agape. “Are we expected to believe that the Rainbow Rogue can just... b-bend reality to her will?!” He tossed his talons. “That she can just wave a hoof and then stuff will explode into our faces for no reason?!”
“Get ahold of yourself, Sergeant,” Seraphimus growled. “What occurred was nothing more than coincidental circumstances.”
Keris calmly looked up. “Commander—” He breathed.
“Nothing more!” Seraphimus shouted, her voice echoing across the mountainous slopes. A few nervous citizens glanced over from afar. “This beastly vagrant is capable of sly and unorthodox tactics, yes, but she is no damned wizard!” She seethed. “We've hunted down miscreants ten times more powerful and resourceful than the Rainbow Rogue. So far, she has proven to be agile and lucky. Nothing more!”
“Commander...” Keris gazed at her.
Her claws scraped the ground. “I will not let exhaustion and paranoia trick us into confusing fortune with finesse! Now she is no longer masked by a crowd. She's alone in the Mist Cliffs with very few supplies and resources. If there was any opportunity for us to nab her, now is that time!”
Keris frowned. Taking a breath, he boldly said, “I only mean to say that Windburst needs to rest. His injuries are easily recoverable, but not if we work him to the bone.”
Seraphimus hung her head, sighing. “Yes, Lieutenant.” She gulped, her fury draining with each breath. “Your advice is... sound and wise.” She looked up again. “Sergeant, remain here in Kunmane. Hydrate yourself and catch some sleep.”
“Not necessary, Commander.” Wincing, Windburst struggled to stand up. “I need to pull my own weight after that disastrous show—”
“I need you at full health,” Seraphimus insisted.
“You're going into those mountains to find her and I'm your best eye in the sky!”
“Which is why I'll need you if worse comes to worst,” the Commander retorted. “You are to stay in Kunmane with the Lieutenant until sunrise. And that's an order.”
With a sigh, Windburst nodded. “Yes, Commander.
Keris—in the meantime—blinked curiously. “You... wish for me to stay?”
“The Sergeant isn't the only one injured and in need of recovery.” Seraphimus pointed a talon at Keris' sling. “You've flown long enough with that being punished by the winds. I want you to rest as well.”
“But Commander... you'll need me in the mountains.”
“So long as the Rogue's flightless, she doesn't stand a chance against three airborne members of the Talon,” Seraphimus said. “Nothing that's grounded in the Mist Cliffs can outrun us. Those mountain paths are like self-devouring snakes. We'll be onto her in no time.”
Keris took a deep breath. “I wasn't speaking about the Rainbow Rogue...”
Starstorm and Raptr fidgeted. They looked from the Lieutenant to their Commander.
Seraphimus glared at Keris. “You have my word—as your leader and as a sworn guardian of Verlaxion—I will bring in the Rainbow Rogue alive.” Her charcoal eyes narrowed. “I saw her with my own eyes, Keris. We stared at each other in the streets of Kunmane. This 'Rainbow Dash' is small... fragile... pathetic. A perfectly helpless vagabond, if I ever saw one. I frankly can't see what could have made her so strong back at Red Barge.”
Keris gulped. “That's precisely what I'm afraid of.”
Windburst winced.
Seraphimus' beak nostrils flared. She turned around while icily slipping on her helmet. “Raptr... Starstorm...”
The two Sergeants joined her side.
“We have a lot of ground to cover... both vertically and horizontally.”
“Aye, Commander.”
“Yes ma'am.”
Seraphimus looked over her shoulder. “Lieutenant?”
Keris stood up. “Yes?”
“At sunrise, take Windburst and fly ahead to Ivory Prefecture. No mortal could have traversed the Mist Cliffs in that same time span. If we haven't found the Rainbow Rogue yet, then that means we'll still be combing the mountain paths for her.”
He nodded. “I understand. You wish for us to stand guard?”
Seraphimus nodded back. “Keep an eye out for all souls entering the province. Ask the townsfolk of Braum to put their best guards on alert. I get the strong suspicion that the Rogue will be heading for that village. It's the only real establishment north of the Mist Cliffs.”
“Very well, Commander. We will meet you there.”
“Verlaxion willing, we won't arrive empty handed.” Seraphimus let out a whistle, and she shot up into the starlight, accompanied by her wingmates.
Keris and Windburst stood in place, watching the rest of the Talon fly off.
Gripping his burnt arm, Windburst shuffled over to the Lieutenant's side. “So... uh...” He gulped. “These 'ghost friends' of the Rogue's...”
“Hmmm?” Keris' beak tightened. “What about them, Sergeant?”
“Can they manipulate fireworks and explosions?”
Silence.
Keris muttered, “Rainbow Dash is gifted. But we are even more so.” He sighed. “Try not to pay too much heed to my warnings. It's best to have faith in the Commander. We are her claws, after all.”
“Still...” Windburst looked at him. “You're worried. I can tell.”
Keris nodded. “Indeed I am. But for another reason.”
“What's that?”
“Braum isn't too far away from Steamfall.”
Windburst's eyes narrowed. “You mean the transit hub for the Shoreline Consortium?”
“Indeed.”
“How... does that fit into all of this?”
“Namely that if we can't catch up to Rainbow Dash first, it's very likely that somebody else will...” Keris exhaled icily as he marched back into the heart of town. “And I doubt it's a party that will benefit any of Rohbredden whatsoever.”
Windburst looked after him. Shifting his bandaged limbs, he cast another worried look into the misty mountains due north.