Touchstone 1 - Stray

worked with. I think because they all treated me like a visiting consultant or something. Like I understood what was going on.
    Nils from Second Squad showed up while we were still testing the ‘elemental talents’. I still haven’t decided how serious the thing is between Nils and Zee. Or what I think about Nils, who does a good impression of a walking sex-god. While the last of the elemental testing was going on he kept leaning down and telling me completely innocuous things in this incredibly husky voice, totally doing it to see if he could make me blush. I don’t think I’ll ever be gladder that Ruuel seems to think that one minute is the maximum time needed to master any new skill, and that he soon sent Nils over to one side to summon illusions for Fourth Squad to chase.
    Having Ferus cart me about with Telekinesis is not at all the same as Ketzaren doing it, and I probably would have been more embarrassed about that if I wasn’t so relieved not to be at Nils’ mercy any more. Ruuel took more time and was far more exacting about getting everyone used to working with me and the rotations of enhancement in combat, but he still decided we were ready to go into the Ena in under an hour. By then I wasn’t nervous about it. It was obvious they were as totally professional as First Squad, and that Ruuel hadn’t allotted himself enough time to study me for signs of awkward lust.
    We kitted up at Red Lock. Getting ready to go into the Ena involves grabbing a little food and drink, a tiny med-kit, and one of the breathers in case of water-logged spaces. And going to the loo. I have no idea whether it’s considered a bad idea to go in the spaces, but given the mission log I’m sure everyone wants to avoid the need, so it’s part of the ritual of ‘gearing up’.
    “We will be mapping the gates off the new High Forest space,” Ruuel said, once everyone was ready. “Additionally, we will see whether Devlin’s enhancements will bring us any closer to relocating Columns, or a reliable path to Hasata. This is still a test situation. Do not push limits.”
    High Forest space is beautiful. Really. Tall, slender trunks, branches soaring far overhead, silvery leaves drifting down to form a shushing carpet. And, although I suppose someone might have killed them earlier, it doesn’t seem like it’s inhabited by any Ionoth. There’s a ton of gates leading off it, and I think the idea was supposed to be that we document where each of them led, but Auron, who is the strongest Path Sight talent in Fourth Squad, said he had a suspicion of a short line to Unara, and so we went off through a very low gate onto a rocky path winding up a hill (my aching legs!). Just like with First Squad, Ruuel and Sonn go through the gate first as a pair, and the rest of us can’t go through until they’ve signalled us. With the hill space, Ruuel signalled us through straight away. There were things there a lot like wargs, six of them in all, and they looked strong, but they weren’t nearly fast enough. Fourth Squad seems to prefer using close-combat methods.
    After Auron found the next gate he was looking for, Fourth paused to survey the hill space and the other gates leading out of it, and Sonn used Ena Manipulation to ensure the gate we’d passed through and the one we were going to pass through were absolutely solid. The next space was a cliff-top beside an angry ocean, and full of weather, grey and pounding wet. That was a quick signal through and then a slog through damp bushes. There were Ionoth there, misty grey horses which ran off as we approached, but though Fourth Squad were very alert, there was nothing that they seemed inclined to slaughter.
    The gate Auron took us to was a new type for me. It was as vague and unreal as the horses and you couldn’t really see through it, except in occasional flickers showing the outline of buildings.
    “Phasic,” Auron said. “I’ve never managed to track through one before.” And he gave me this solemn sort of nod which was more successful at making me go red than all Nils’ teasing.
    Then it was Sonn’s turn, enhancing and frowning at the gate. Phasic gates aren’t steadily aligned, and thus are only open in short bursts. Sonn frowned at it for a short age, nearly collapsing in the process, but looked pleased with herself when she was rewarded with a clear view into Unara’s near-space. Ruuel had Ferus pair with him to go through since Sonn was so clearly drained, and then