It pained Astrid to do so, but she and the party took another three hours on that same island to assist Skandr with the experimentation on his new spell. With his history as a Lightningmage, his inclination had always been to develop and experiment with spells that included lightning, but he'd been holding himself back for no reason. His two primary Skills for spellcasting remained Storm Magic and Storm Administration. Neither was limited only to lightning, and though his spellcasting before he evolved had been limited to lightning, these feathered serpents directly showed that he needed to broaden his study of magic since he was capable of it.
To Astrid's perspective, the most impressive displays of power from storms firstly came from impressive thunderstorms. Lightning curtaining across the sky and lighting a dark night had always seemed a nearly divine thing to her, and memories of sitting beside her parents on the porch as sheets of rain pounded the roof and lightning lit the streets filled her mind. In those memories, a storm also had rushing winds, and there was also falling snow, pounding rain, and more. Astrid had heard of storms that were common in the plains to the south, the sandstorms and tornadoes and, to the far south, where the Kin originated from, typhoons and monsoons and hurricanes. Until Skandr had begun experimenting with wind, Astrid never thought about how much broader her friend's current Class was than his previous one.
"I need you to actually commit to running without your mana," Skandr commanded with a shake of his head. "Astrid, tell Muti that I'm right."
"Leader, it is not my responsibility to limit myself when I do not need to," Muti disagreed. "When I am moving under the assistance of this spell, I will use my whole strength. There is no reason to hold back right now when I will not in the future."
Both of her allies were becoming more frustrated by the minute, and Astrid stepped between them. "Muti, you don't need to limit yourself when it comes to actually traversing between islands. It would be irresponsible of you to do so and I'm depending on you leading us to the safest paths available when the time comes. However, right now, Skandr's testing a spell to see how it influences the way that we can move between islands. You're the party member with the highest Alacrity, so you're the best option that we have with regards to being able to evaluate exactly what his spell is doing. Beyond that, out of the five of us, there is no discussion regarding who has the finest control over their body and the best physical training, myself included. So, for now, while we're experimenting with the spell, I need you to not draw on mana to strengthen yourself in any way shape or form so that, through your insight, we can see what this new spell does. Do you understand?"
Muti, finally understanding, nodded in agreement. She then went so far as to dismiss her armor, standing only in her bare feet and loose clothes while looking at Skandr expectantly. He started to relax, but Astrid turned to him and shook her head while wagging a finger in his face.
"Look, all I had to do was explain to her and she's happy to do exactly what you need. If you'd just told her at any point before now why you were working with her on this, you wouldn't have been in the situation."
Skandr sighed, pulling his hood back and running his hand through his hair. "You're right. Sorry, Muti."
With that brief conflict resolved, the experimentation passed quickly, and it wasn't too long before Skandr had figured out that spell and used it on Muti and Felix. Both rushed around on the island, taking care to push themselves to the limit. After maybe a minute, Skandr stopped channeling his Skill and the two slowed to a stop. Several seconds passed, and then his eyes widened, then he groaned out loud.
"What's wrong?" Astrid demanded. "Is there something else we need to do?"
"No, I'm just an idiot," he answered. "Felix, come here." With a curious look on his face, Felix stepped forward.
"Sit down, have your legs out flat on the ground."
Felix, obliged, and, with continuous grumbles to himself about how he had taken the stupid Skill, he needed to remember that he had it, Skandr enchanted Felix's boots. He drew his fingers around the boots in complicated forms, each movement leaving shimmering lines on the equipment to hold the enchantment. After about 10 minutes, Skandr was done with the enchantment and stood up, dusting his hands.
"Go ahead and try to run and jump. Tell me what's changed and how it's different from the spell."
Felix obliged, stepping forward lightly to see if there were any immediate changes.
"It feels the same, but subtler. Like, the wind was pushing me before, but now, the wind gets out of my way."
Skandr nodded and gestured for the Guardian to continue with his experimentation. With that further encouragement, he jogged forward and jumped over a waist high stone. That made change occur, and lightning flickered across his legs as wind cushioned his movement. Obviously familiar with his strength, Felix jumped easily over the stone, but on the other side, he was surprised by falling more slowly than he'd expected. The Guardian didn't stumble, instead stopping and perking up. After moving his legs in an investigative motion, he seemed to understand a little bit about how his legs and boots had changed.
"This is nifty," Felix said, turning and jumping back over the rock. On the other side, prepared to fall slower, Felix was moving exactly as he needed and rushed forward, running with greater grace.
"Run like an antelope!" Muti commanded, but Felix just looked back and shrugged. They continued looking at each other for a few seconds, then Felix's eyes darted to the side. Then, Muti realized what he was communicating.
She shook her head in disappointment and turned to Skandr, "I need to have your enchantment. I will show the rest how one needs to run with it. I forget that you people have never seen any of the beautiful animals of my home."
"Now that I know what I'm doing, it will probably take me about eight minutes," Skandr explained, not sure how to respond to what Muti'd said. "And Felix's enchantment will only last about twenty minutes total. That means you'll have ten minutes to teach him how to run the way you want to, I guess."
"That will have to suffice. Seeing my movement will inspire, if nothing else."
With Muti's answer, Skandr shrugged and gestured for her to resummon her armor. She didn't delay, and Skandr began forming the enchantments on her boots up to her calves. The lightning flashed on her, and as he drew closer to completion, the Ambusher began almost twitching side to side in excitement. Even so, and despite her deliberate unfamiliarity with magic, she seemed to know exactly when the enchantment was complete, because she went from looking at her legs to staring into Skandr's eyes for confirmation.
"You're free to go."
No sooner than the words filled the air did she turn and leap to her feet with an overwhelming speed. Over the course of just a few seconds, each step grew more confident and comfortable with how her movement changed. Then, in less than a minute, she was jumping in strange, paired steps. Her left foot landed and her right foot immediately hit the ground after that, then she used both legs to jump in a surprising pattern. Despite the rhythm of steps being entirely different from how people walked and ran, Astrid saw how Muti effectively changed a person's gait into jumping from one place to the next without interrupting the fluid movement.
Felix, as the person in the party with the second highest Alacrity, watched Muti's movement for several moments before nodding to himself. Then, after just a few movements in experimentation, he quickly fell into the same jumping lope. Astrid couldn't help but smile watching the two most serious delvers in her party jumping around like a couple of children, experimenting with the enchantment on their legs, and enjoying every second of it. Muti went to a nearby craggy hill, the light gray stone making a nearly impassable wall, but jumping from one nearly invisible foothold to the next without using her hands at all. After several minutes, Muti turned to the rest of the party, the Wanderers, Astrid forced herself to think, and said, "This will help us to cross more quickly. Do you believe that you can make these enchantments while maintaining the other spell?"
"While that's a possibility," Skandr answered with a shrug, "it isn't going to be sustainable. The enchantments are pretty mana intensive by themselves, and is my other spell, even with my cloud helping out. The spell, as you know, is less effective, but is faster to set up while also affecting the entire party at the same time. So, in a pinch, it's good, but this is better, especially as I get better at doing the enchantments. Plus, I get more practice with the enchantments, which I've said I was going to do anyways."
"Sounds like a plan," Astrid agreed. "Skandr, we'll take another thirty minutes or so for you to recover your mana and to get ready to use your enchantments. Muti, Felix, you two are the ones who have the experience with the enchantment. Do you think that it will be better for Skandr to take the time to give Benedict and himself the enchantments as well, or better for them to be carried by one of you two? I would do it myself, but since both of you have higher Alacrity than I do, it'd be better if you can do so without my interference."
"Skandr, come here," Muti commanded without waiting. "I will test it."
The Wizard's face twisted up in reluctance, but he didn't argue. Instead, with a slight frown, he clambered onto her back. It wasn't the first time in the Trials that he'd done this, and each time he hadn't complained, but it was obvious that being treated almost like a child grated on the man. He clambered onto her back and wrapped his arms around her neck, nearly tight enough to choke her. Muti refused to have an insecure hold on him, and wrapped both arms under his legs while pulling him even tighter against her back. He grunted in surprise and Astrid couldn't help but laugh because, on the much taller woman's back, Skandr did look like a child.
"I don't wanna hear it."
Astrid didn't say anything, just held both hands up in surrender as Muti leapt into action. Astrid saw Skandr grit his teeth to keep from responding verbally to the sudden movement. In the beginning, Muti went slowly, but over the course of maybe two minutes, she got faster and faster, falling back into that quick lope as she jumped over obstacles. Finally, after maybe five minutes to familiarize herself with the enchantments effects, Muti obviously began drawing on Alacrity-aligned mana. More than making her faster, the improved coordination made it so she could, seemingly, reposition herself merely by putting a single toe on a solid surface.
After just one or two minutes of that, Skandr started smacking on Muti's head.
"I need to get down. I'm gonna be sick."
Muti obliged, but she laughed as she let him down from her back. As he stumbled, she shook her head, disapprovingly pointing in his face, "this is why you magic folks need to be treated so differently. So tender, so soft."
"Yes, and my magic making you capable of this has nothing to do with anything," Skandr retorted. "Maybe I should do what Benedict's going to do, remind you of what it was like before you had allies who cared about you and were powerful enough to help you."
Muti smiled, but the teasing look was gone from her eyes. Instead, it was a sweet smile as she bowed her head to Skandr. "You are right. You are a constant friend, and I appreciate you. As much as it is painful to admit it," she said while looking over at Benedict, "I am beyond fortunate to have the allies that I do, and your assistance is invaluable. I will remain teasing you, as it is something that I enjoy doing, and Humans seem to enjoy doing as a manifestation of the closeness of their relationships, but do know that I see and respect your power for what it is."
The party all seemed to laugh a little at that, and Muti squinted at the rest. After thinking for several seconds, she said, "It would appear that there is something that I have misunderstood. Perhaps Skandr's response was not one indicating true frustration?"
The rest of the party nodded in acknowledgment of her, correct assumption. She nodded several times and then, as she looked at the rest of the party said, "Perhaps I should instead have my teasing become training. That way, I can show my superiority without any difficulty in communication, as I know I am adept in training."
"You know what, I'm only two levels away from having a 100 in Fortitude, you can do whatever you want while you're carrying me," Skandr immediately backtracked with a laugh. "I underestimated you, and nothing needs to be forgiven."
Muti squinted and leaned down towards Skandr, who smiled and laughed a little. Astrid stepped forward and gathered the party together.
"As I said, a half hour's rest, maybe a draught or some more meat to up your recovery? Then we're on our way."
"Yes, ma'am," Skandr joked, and Astrid shook her head.
"Alright, then. Wanderers, get the last of the rest you can for now. We'll get moving soon, and, ideally, we'll not stop until we've reached the guardian. Clear?"
Astrid's commands were answered with approval, and she settled down to finish off the steaks. After all, she might even have time to make a couple more before she got moving.
***
"There is a second serpent following us."
"Thanks, Muti," Astrid answered. "We're almost there."
"I am aware. And, on the island, there is a third."
Astrid grunted her response, pushing down the laugh that threatened to bubble up in her throat. Instead of panicking when feathered serpents appeared in the air while they crossed, the party now just took note of their presence and prepared to fight them once they got to solid land. If there were more than two, it could become an issue, but with Benedict using Song of Vindication with Hasty Rebuke instead of doubly layering Hasty Rebuke, the serpents' defenses were heavily impacted. The party hadn't had to deal with that in the past, but now, they fought against monsters that could stand up against their attacks without issue, and Astrid wished they had different spells that could stun the monsters.
All of the feathered serpents' attributes were tied up in their three physical attributes and Magical Potency. As such, their mental resistance was negligible, which only meant that whenever Felix taunted them, they immediately fell for it. If only there had been a better opportunity for the party to capitalize on the monsters' weakness, but for now, they couldn't. Instead, the party continued on their rush to an even battleground where they could fight the serpents while taking from the monsters their deadliest attack. Other than their half meter long fangs and several tons of weight.
Once they stood on the ground past the deadly passage, the Wanderers got into position. Benedict and Skandr both hopped away from their noble steeds, Benedict managing to do so without stopping using his flute. Skandr sent his cloud above the party, winds whipping wildly while the serpents were forced to the ground, losing a large part of their strength. Then, grounded, Astrid, Muti, and Felix each could confront one of the monsters alone. Since Song of Vindication enfeebled the monsters' defenses, a single Spectre Burst could slay Astrid's target. Its brains plastered the ground as she turned her attention to Felix's enemy. He was the only one of the three that lacked a Skill allowing him to strike through the feathered serpents' thick defenses, and Astrid's assistance allowed the fight to be finished in a quick moment.
When three corpses lay on the ground, Astrid looked at Skandr and Benedict. Both men had been almost constantly using their Skills and spells, but they also were able to use the fact that all their mental attributes were over 100 to recover their mana particularly quickly. Both also, however, looked a little green from all the movement. They each had consumed at least a kilo of feathered serpent flesh in the past hours to help hasten their mana recovery.
"We can take a little break now," Astrid said, looking at the rest of the Wanderers. "The next island is where the guardian resides, so we need to be sure we're ready to face it before we go."
"Yes," Skandr groaned as he struggled down another bite of steak, "I need to be ready to face it. After all, it's a wyvern."
The rest of the party nodded their heads, and allowed themselves to recover. After all, they would soon be facing what was, more than a drake, a lesser dragon.