As before, Cane waited exactly one minute before bringing them back.
The change was undeniable.
The shadow wolves were full-sized now, their dark coats sleek and powerful. The gryphons had darkened almost completely, feathers a near-black shimmer of muscle and motion.
But it was Sophie who stole his breath.
Clad in brown riding leathers, her hair tied back, and her brown eyes lit with hard-won confidence, she stood with one hand resting on the gryphon's feathered head. She looked at Cane—calm, poised—then broke into a smile and leapt into his arms.
"Oh my... three months was so long!" Sophie squeezed him tight, peppering his face with kisses.
Cane laughed. "Amazing. You look... completely different. Was it fun?"
Sophie didn't answer with words. She swung into the saddle and launched into the sky with a jubilant whoop. Tor followed a moment later, and the two took to the air in graceful synchrony, wheeling around the towers, dipping low over the courtyard in perfectly timed maneuvers.
They buzzed Seven Tower twice, Sophie whooping in delight the whole way.
That was when Telamon arrived—stepping from a folded seam in space, his eyes immediately locking on the shadow wolves and the sleek gryphons.
He watched for only a few seconds before turning to Cane.
"Can you get up to speed in two days?"
Cane understood. "Yes. I'll need my team—and a couple days off from class. I'd also like to bring another first-year team for opposition. Their captain is named Zen."
"No problem," Telamon replied. "I'll make the arrangements. You'll meet at the main gates."
Cane tapped his psi-rune.
Cane: We're excused from class for two days. Special training before the mission.
Fergis: YES!
Clara: Got it. I'll grab my gear.
Dhalia: One sec—still with a patient.
Sophie landed, practically glowing as she took Cane's hand.
"I'm coming," she said, beaming. "I'll fly above and keep watch."
Tor nodded from behind her. "From now on, they need flight time as often as possible. I'll follow with the other gryphon when it's ready."
While they waited for the team to gather, Fergis ducked away to grab a few items from his room. Sophie took the opportunity to fill Cane in on her training.
"Tor says I'm a natural rider," she said, brushing back a windblown strand of hair. "I've never been good at anything before."
Cane shook his head. "That's not true. You're good at plenty. You're kind, brave, steady. You make this place better."
Sophie blushed. "Charmer…"
"I missed you," Cane said. "And you did look awfully confident in that saddle. I'd have fallen off in five seconds."
She laughed. "Maybe you just need the right gryphon."
Cane shrugged. Between metallurgy, missions, and training, riding gryphon would have to wait.
An hour later, the team was ready.
Cane guided the wagon while the others rode behind or beside. Two gryphons circled overhead like sentinels, their shadows gliding silently across the road.
Zen rode alongside the front wheel, eyes still wide from the impromptu summons.
"I won't forget this, Cane. You could've asked a third-year team. But you picked us."
Cane smiled, relaxed on the seat. "I was curious about you guys—after our talk in class."
Zen grinned. "This is going to be great."
They returned to the bluff where they'd once fought Terror's Strix and set up camp quickly. As the sun dipped lower, both teams gathered around the fire for introductions and a little strategy.
Zen gestured to her group. "This is Beto—earth frontliner. Tanky and solid with his shields. Lume handles crowd control. She's air-based, good with slow effects. And Hondo's our healer. Wood element, though he's still working without a focal."
Cane nodded, listening carefully.
Zen glanced around. "We're definitely the weaker team. We'll take any advice you're willing to share."
"You need more damage dealers," Fergis said bluntly. "Either add a fifth person—or get creative."
"You're spreading yourself too thin," Dhalia added, nodding toward Hondo. "You don't need three heals that all do the same thing. Keep quick-mend, add a poison cleanse. If you want practical experience, I run a clinic in town. Come by and I'll put you to work."
Fergis: Shameless clinic plug.
Clara smiled, tapping her chin thoughtfully as Lume listed her current abilities.
"Can you stop a charging target?" Clara asked.
Lume, pale with sharp pink eyes and spiked white hair, hesitated. "No… I can slow them, but not stop."
"That's not fair," Beto said. "Stopping a charge is asking a lot."
"I suppose," Clara said with a shrug. She raised her hand and her focal flashed—thick vines burst from the ground, binding Beto in seconds. "I'll give you my blunderbuss if you get out in ten seconds."
Cane tried not to laugh. He remembered personally upgrading Clara and Dhalia's focals, adding their elemental rings before the trip to Hybacus. Those vines? No joke.
"They won't break," he added. "You'll need to cut through. Trust me—I tried."
Clara released the vines with a flick of her wrist, and the firelight glinted across amused faces. The teams began tossing ideas back and forth, brainstorming new techniques and combinations.
Cane watched quietly for a while before turning to Zen.
"What's your role in the team—besides captain? I've seen psi-users like Siya do some wild things, but I haven't seen you in action yet."
"Well? Let's see what you've got." Cane grinned. He'd only seen Zen do the standard psi drills during class—but even then, it was obvious she wasn't a beginner.
"Sure," Zen replied, "but then you owe us a demo too."
"I'm a metallurgist," Cane said with a shrug. "There's not much to see."
Zen rolled her eyes. "Let's start basic. If there's anything around I could use in a fight… I'll grab it."
She glanced at a head-sized boulder. It lifted cleanly and smashed against a larger stone, the echo still ringing when a half-dozen fist-sized rocks launched in rapid succession—slamming into the same target with bone-cracking force.
Cane clapped in appreciation. "Nicely done. Blunt force is smart—go for limbs, break bones. Way better than stabbing in a fight."
He pulled a pouch from his belt. "I made these for myself, but I'm not fully proficient with them yet. Give 'em a try."
He handed Zen four of the dozen slender blades—starmetal fused with aluminum.
"I'm calling them starstingers."
Zen snorted. "Starstingers?"
Cane raised an eyebrow. "What's funny?"
"You kind of have a reputation for putting star in everything," she teased, grinning. "No offense."
Cane chuckled. "You know why I do that?"
"You like stars?"
Her squad laughed.
"No, genius," Cane said, holding one up. "They're made from starmetal. Try them out on your boulder."
Zen twirled one in her hand. "These are cute... but you'll need to sharpen them if I do this."
"All yours," Cane said, arms crossed. "Let's see."
With a flick of her fingers, all four blades rose into the air—then streaked forward in a blur. They passed clean through the boulder. Silence followed, jaws slack.
"Still think they're cute?"
Zen summoned them back mid-air, catching one to inspect it. "Not even a scratch... Oh man. I am so jealous. How much would these cost?"
Cane shrugged. "No market, starmetal isn't sold anywhere. I made them for me."
She reluctantly handed them back, her eyes lingering on the ruined boulder. "Those are amazing."
Dhalia: She's a really strong psi-user.
Fergis: Yep.
Beto cleared his throat. "Alright then—let's see a demonstration from the frontliner."
Zen grinned. "Finally! Show us what the legendary first-year can do."
Cane laughed at the teasing tone. "Okay. But be careful what you ask for."
Starstrike appeared in his hand, its blade gleaming in the fading light.
Cane formed a quick union with his ringworld—then moved. One moment, he was beside the fire. The next, standing atop the boulder. He hadn't teleported, but it felt like it.
Zen's group blinked in confusion—until Cane blurred past each of them in sequence, tapping them lightly on the shoulder before vanishing again. Every time they turned, he was already gone.
Then, with one final leap, he came down hard—Starstrike cleaving into the same boulder. It split cleanly, both halves toppling away with a thunderous crack.
Zen blinked. "...Shit."
She turned to her team. "I thought his reputation was exaggerated, but it's the opposite. He's even better than the rumors."
Fergis laughed. "That was child's play. He was being nice."