Far above, a lithe form folded out of a reverse spin and snapped open its wings, the manoeuvre hidden behind thick clouds rolling in from the west. A few powerful strokes and it was speeding back the way it had come.

A relatively short while later, it steered upwards into a steep climb – neatly decelerating to a stop on the guardrail of the Muuori. Porimus gazed coolly at the militarised scout-variant Gearwing, which returned the gaze and spoke first. Its smooth voice had always seemed to be at odds with its obviously mechanical nature, the Lantharian officer had always thought.

“New report, officer. The target has completed the bulk of its repair efforts – it is thought that it is now capable of only half the speed it could achieve before sustaining damage.”
“Excellent. I suppose Gerard achieved his goal, however posthumous the achievement. You are dismissed, Gearwing. Report to the Wingmaster for retensioning.”

The mechanical bird dipped its head in acknowledgement and left.