'Psions work like that; they have a certain number of powers they know, and using those powers draws from a pool. Sorcerers also have spells they know, and they can cast those in a specific power category a certain number of times per day. Most divine spellcasters, like my companions, are granted the spells they pray for or meditate upon at the start of each day.'

So God is real after all? Hmmm.

What does the rest of today look like? We can fly and make good scouts, I'd think, are you looking for anything in particular? Do you know about bullets and bombs? Those are our weapons, but if you can't make more we should use them sparingly. What about food and water?

'We're trying to find the center of the Blight. Likely, it'll be a profane temple of some sort. Currently we're traveling towards the area likely to contain the center; we're still a good ways away - about two thousand miles at least. We have means of rapid travel, but they don't allow us to scout, and they're imprecise. How quickly can you fly? And we have both of those things, though they're incredibly rare, especially with the Blight having wiped out most of the manufacturing centers, and ours might not be the same sort as yours. For food and water, we have both a cleric and a druid, who're each capable of conjuring enough for the group.'

Well, I'll have to give the other two a chance to duck out, but I think we can volunteer to help out with the Blight. Nobody likes world-level threats. On our 'wings we can sustain about ninety miles an hour - when they start breaking down because there's no maintenance yard here we might have to fashion some brooms from tree limbs or something, and it'll be more like forty.

'If your 'wings aren't magical, Emes and Tess can both make minor repairs to objects. If they are magical, it would depend on the type of magic. Emes has a spell that lets herself and three others travel at sixty miles an hour, albeit with poor maneuverability, for eleven hours at a stretch, and could cast it twice if need be. And any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated; the Crown will be sure to see you compensated for your efforts.'

They're not magical, but are complicated. We can carry one person each and some cargo, witches are couriers sometimes - we probably can't fly for eleven hours a day without running dangerously low on mana. Also we don't know the threats here, which could cause problems. We're skilled and experienced specifically at fighting Neuroi. Also, Sparky - the blonde one - wants to join the conversation but doesn't know how to.

'I can include her, and act as a relay for all messages,' Raena sends to both. 'I can attempt to explain the threats properly; Tess and I worked as border guards for a while, so have seen a variety of the threats.'

Understanding the threats, your capabilities, and you knowing ours is probably the most important thing we could possibly do today. Knowledge is power.

'...It is difficult to summarize our abilities for someone unfamiliar with our magic. Lirhan can fight, more strongly against evil creatures, and heal to some extent, as well as ward people and places from evil, is immune to fear and magical charm, and can grant resistance to those within ten feet of him. I am, beyond the telepathy, primarily a fighter. Emes can heal very well, do damage directly to undead, improve the power of allies, use some divination, dispel magic, travel to other planes given a special object attuned to said plane, and a number of other spells. Tess can control the forces of nature - plants, animals, weather, stone - within limits.'

Elanor asks about the particulars - and explains her team's abilities (All three can fly, project wide but flat shields, and project blasts - Grendyne can feel and with effort copy other witches' magic and maybe get enough detail to mimic some of the local magic. But it would be a mimic, not a copy, and still cost her mana. Elanor can shoot lightning. Simple, but more efficient and powerful than the standard blasts. Sandra can turn herself, her equipment, one other and their equipment invisible for as long as she focuses.

The three Witches land, as long as they're not going anywhere for now. Might as well save mana.

The team makes room for them, and Raena communicates that it's currently late enough in the day that they'd decided to make camp - it's dangerous to travel around nighttime, and they knew a good camping place was here from old maps. Do the witches want to be included in the watch schedule? The chance of something happening this close to the border is relatively low, but there's still a risk.

Also, does the invisibility break if you attack someone?

The invisibility breaks if you attack with anything louder or more direct than a bow and arrow, though Ghost can re-establish it fairly quickly.

The witches will take turns on watch, fair is fair.

Good to know.

'Lirhan will be on first watch, myself and Tess on second, and Emes on third. The second watch is the more dangerous one usually.'

Is it better to have extra people on watch and more chances to see something off, or for us to be overall more rested?

'More people on watch tends to be safer, but isn't technically necessary if you can wake up quickly. It will likely become advisable as we move further into the Blight, though. Tess and Emes are very difficult to get things past, Lirhan is less perceptive, so it might be efficient to have only one person join him.'

We can wake up quickly. Most of the time we spend on alert - ready to respond in case of a sudden Neuroi incursion. I could watch with Lirhan and let my subordinates rest, if nobody objects.

'That works for us.'

The three witches arrange bedrolls from their emergency supplies. They didn't bring tents, and 'Ghost' sets hers up a ways away from all the others.

Lirhan settles in for the first watch, apparently taking the time to do basic maintenance on his gear while frequently glancing around.

As night falls - fairly quickly, out here, the sun winks out behind the mountains with barely any proper sunset - the unfamiliar stars come out. They're brighter, somehow, and there's a hint of color to the night sky. The edges of an aurora can be glimpsed to the north.

Grendyne is quiet and watchful, waving to Lirhan but not even bothering trying to talk. She also has a pair of binoculars, though those are less useful at night.

The watch goes easily enough, in silence, as do the next two.

The next morning, Emes chants something under her breath, moving her hands in complex patterns. A page of parchment upon which she's written something crumples to dust in her hands, she goes around tapping the witches - and then suddenly three new languages insert themselves into the three's heads. Two are spoken; one is a sign language.

"You should now understand the trade tongue, Ticceosian, and Ticceosian sign," she says.

"Now that I can finally say it properly, I'd like to welcome you to our plane. I apologize for the dreary scenery."

"Seen worse. Neuroi don't leave anything higher than a weed, some places."

"Thanks for the welcome. And that whole thing just goes again to show how different your magic is. For us, we just do it. No chanting or paper or anything."