Unbound

It was extremely dark within the capital building. Squinting in anticipation, Felix was forced to reactivate his Manasight, but instead of a wash of purple-white energy he saw the now routine glow of earth and shadow Mana. It was a balm to his senses, and Felix reveled in his restored capacity. He had felt almost crippled without the additional sense, one he easily considered his most useful Skill. The hallway they were now in was short and straight, only ten or fifteen feet long, and lined with the usual assortment of bas-relief murals and nature motifs. The exits consisted of the door they had entered and another metal portal leading out. Presumably into the central chambers they sought. Turning toward the others, Felix saw that almost everyone was grouped together in the dark, each of them with their eyes glowing a bright green.

"Wh-" He began to ask, but a hand clamped onto his shoulder and squeezed. Not very tightly, certainly not hard enough to hurt him, but it made Felix look; he could tell it was Vessilia somehow, though her body was only a vague outline in the dark filled with hints of green-gold life Mana and bare flashes of other colors. She raised a finger to her lips.

Right. The plan. Harn had already disappeared, no doubt poisoning the giant's food as they waited.

Two minutes passed before Harn returned, his armor moving near soundlessly, and two more minutes before the first groans could be heard. Felix felt his breath quicken and his palms dampen, usually flying by the seat of his pants, this careful patience reminding him uncomfortably of hiding from the Razorwing Skinks in the bushes near the coast. Or worse yet, of the Dread which lurked just beyond the shore, waiting and watching for Felix to dare return to the Bitter Sea.

Worst part of Keen Mind, hands down. Felix shook himself, trying to dislodge the perfect memory of orange eyes in brackish water and endless tentacles fitted with hooks and barbs. The memory was fixed though, at least for a few more weeks; even then, his chance of perfect recall was still higher than he appreciated. Felix wasn't sure why the thought of the Dread bothered him so, why it had been creeping back into his consciousness, and could only reassure himself that it was simple nerves.

The rustle of Guilder bodies pulled him from his dark reverie, the impression of barbed appendages fading into the vault of his mind once again. Felix's allies rushed forward down the short hall before bursting through the metal door, now a rectangle of brilliant light.

The groans and roars of the giants went from murmurs to a crashing wave of sound as Felix entered, the flurry of activity almost overwhelming even as his hands hissed with the unreleased might of his Skills. Four giants were on the ground, clutching their stomachs and voiding their poisoned meals, while two others were more or less standing. Harn and Magda darted out, axes and shields swinging as they engaged the standing warriors. Felix loosed his Acid Stream directly into the eyes and mouth of the closest crippled Risi, causing the giant to rear back in agony even as it wretched. Foul bile and blue blood poured from its face, disorienting it and leaving it open for a single Corrosive Strike to its melting nose.

You Have Killed An Unknown Risi Warrior!

You Have Gained XP!

Make An Entrance is level 4!

The giant's face pulped against Felix's hand, it's skull bursting like a rotted melon. It surprised Felix, not expecting such an easy kill; but he moved on, not willing to tempt fate by investigating quite yet. The next Risi Warrior was already dead, their body pierced through by a silver spear even as it burned with vivid orange flames. Nodding at Vessilia and Atar, Felix kept moving. Harn was trading blows with a Risi guard that apparently had barely partaken of the tainted food, his twin axes smashing against the crude might of the giant's club. That left two more. Felix spotted the next sickened guard and the giant cauldron, bubbling atop a bonfire made of icy white flames.

Relentless Charge!

Felix's body clenched as a powerful sensation of magic surrounded and enveloped him, even as he ran forward at a greater clip than he anticipated. His Agility stat made him fast, but with Relentless Charge Felix reached the giant before either of them were prepared, hurtling bodily into the Risi Warrior and smashing them into the white bonfire. The giant attempted to roar in pain, but only choked on the rising bile that spilled out of its mouth even as flames ate at its ice demon fur and beard. Felix grimaced in disgust.

Relentless Charge is level 2!

Dual Casting!

Acid Stream!

Pushing extra Mana into the spell, Felix sought to make a quick end. Twin jets of acid shot from Felix's hands like firehoses, quickly and easily coating the giant in his empowered acid magic. The fire went out. The guard's pained cry became a messy, sobbing gurgle before he saw another kill notification.

You Have Killed An Unknown Risi Warrior!

You Have Gained XP!

Grunting with the effort, Felix cut off his streams, shaking out his hands as if that could alleviate the sharp pain he felt in his channels. Was that too much magic at once? Did I not shape it correctly? The excess Mana in his attack felt like sandpaper on his insides for a moment at the end, which wasn't something he'd experienced often. Why--?

"Felix! Behind you!" Vessilia cried.

Throwing himself forward into a roll, Felix still felt something clip his back as he tumbled to his feet. The nearest giant had disengaged with Evie and had whipped a long dagger in his direction. Felix snapped his head along the blade's path, seeing it shear into the ice on the far side of the room, sending an explosive cascade of crystalline shards raining down upon Vessilia and Atar. Perception screaming at him, Felix turned and flared his second most useful Skill.

Reign of Vellus!

Lightning exploded around Felix as the Risi Warrior's lunge was halted moments before connecting with its massive club. Pushing with all his magical might, Felix hurled the giant backwards, sending it careening into the warrior Harn was battling. With a series of rapid slashes, Harn finished both giants.

You Have Killed An Unknown Risi Warrior!

You Have Gained XP!

You Have Gained A Level!

You are now Level 20!

+3 to WIL! +2 to INT! +4 to DEX! +1 to END! +2 to PER! +2 to VIT! +4 to AGL!

You Have 5 Unused Stat Points!

Finally!

The rush of earned stats and experience flooded Felix's senses for a moment, feeling as if his body and mind were buoyed up on a thrilling raft of light as orchestral music blared a heavenly crescendo. When he came back down, the fight was over. Panting, flesh tingling pleasantly, Felix turned toward the others who had slowly gathered closer.

"Hah, hey," Felix nodded at Vessilia and Atar. "You both ok?"

Atar nodded, flexing his hands and rubbing them together. "The falling ice wasn't too bad, didn't have enough to bury us or cut into us, but this cold is getting awful."

"You are right about that," Vessilia agreed, tucking her spear under her arm as she brushed some frost and ice chips from her armored side. "But had that blade been an inch closer...It almost clove into me as it was."

Evie hopped over, chain whipping around her shoulder to store itself. "Vess! You ok? Can't believe that bastard got a cheap shot like that in! I--"

"Evie! I am fine. The blade barely nicked my belt." Vessilia held out her hands in a supplicating gesture toward Evie, staving off her guilt. Felix's quick glance took in some of the thin steel plates of her armor had been dented and a nice notch had been gouged from her thick leather belt.

She's right. Any closer and that would have gutted her. Felix swallowed and glanced around the chamber. We got all of em, right? Wait, who..?

The sound of metal on metal still crashed around the chamber. Across the room eight foot tall metal doors had been thrown open, and a gaggle of beleaguered and injured people had stumbled inside. Magda had thrown up one of her yellow force bubbles and was trading blows with one of the survivors.

"The prisoners," Vessilia whispered. "Why is Magda fighting them?"

The giant had barely hit the ground when Callie's eyes met with the tall, gore covered warrior just beyond it. She didn't move, just stood there and stared.

"Ma'am? W-who is that?" Bodie asked her, his adam's apple bobbing nervously. "What's going on?"

"That's the Shieldwitch!" Someone cried behind Callie, Vivianne probably. Still, their leader stood stock still, unwilling to move.

This isn't real. It can't be. She was still in the Labyrinth. They had never gotten out. An agonized moan of mounting horror crept from her lips, even as her face creased into a snarl. Not this. I will not fall for this trick again, Geist!

So caught up was Callie in her internal struggle that she couldn't react in time to the cage of steel that clamped around her body, pinning her to the monster before them.

"GERROFF!" Callie twisted her body, attempted to slip the fearsome grapple, but the creature's powerful limbs only clamped harder. "I know your tricks, you rat! ACK!"

"Shh, calm down Callie. It's ok. I'm here." The familiar voice battered against her senses, pushing her mind to accepting what was clearly another illusion. Callie reared back before slamming the thickest part of her skull directly into the creature's fake face, causing the monster to snap its head up in reaction.

Fluid Shift!

The arms, loosened incrementally, slipped from around Callie as if she were made of water, and the treasure hunter dropped into a wide split before kicking into a backwards roll. Flipping back to her feet, she took a run at the automaton wearing her ex's face, long daggers summoned to her hand with a brief pulse of her Mana.

"Callie! Stop!"

He deadly strikes only found air, sparking flying as they clashed against a yellow haze of power. "Copy her voice, her face, her abilities all you want Geist! I'll still best you!" She dove to the side, flickering out of phase with the physical for a single brief second before coming up on the other side of the force wall. "Who do you think she trained this power with? Hm!?"

The treasure hunter was on the monster in moments, her long daggers slashing and stabbing in a flurry of attacks that flowed seamlessly into one another. But still, she found no purchase, no flesh to rend on her opponent. And Callie was tired. They had been in the Labyrinth for sixteen hours...her reserves were already dangerously low, and if this fight was to be one of attrition, she would not make it. Desperate, she called out to her allies, those few Guilders who still survived.

"Bodie! Vivianne! Karp! Flanking manuevers!" She spun on her heel, delivering a solid roundhouse kick that was stopped by a immovable kite shield on the creature's arm. Long moments passed, a handful of seconds, but Callie felt zero movement from her team. "What are you--?"

She spared a glance backward, but all of them, all of her fellow prisoners, were stock still and staring; some had hands over their mouths and shook their heads in disbelief, and others had smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Vivianne met her gaze and shouted something. It took a moment to work its way into the shield, muffled as they were, but Callie heard it clear as day.

"Stop fighting, Cal!"

They're mad. They've all succumbed! Callie's heart quailed for a desperate instant before resolving harder than ever. But I won't. I keep my tally, Geist and Giant! I WILL NOT BREAK.

She returned her attention to her enemy, diverted for only a second, but a second is all you need to turn a battle.

She taught me that.

Then a wall of steel crashed into her, and Callie was swept into darkness.

Felix watched in awe as Callie fought like a demon against Magda's impenetrable defense. She flowed like mercury, weighted but unable to be pinned or stopped. Until she was. The final shield bash seemed to be a mercy, as far as Felix could tell. Her estranged friend seemed more interested in gutting Magda than greeting her.

That's a rough reunion. Felix saw that the other prisoners watched apprehensively after Callie went down, clearly unsure what was going to happen next. Luckily Vessilia hopped forward and began speaking, as it seemed she had a knack for it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for any confusion! We are from the Guild, and we are here to rescue you! Please, please come into the chamber so we can begin." She radiated such warmth and honesty that many of the former prisoners shook loose of their ennui and stumbled forward, moving closer to the group of adventurers that had clearly just killed their guards.

Felix stared at them all as they came forward, a slow moving flood of people that he quickly counted. There's only thirty here...so many have been lost in two days? He felt a brief pulse of regret for their delay, necessary as it may have been. He shook it off though; regret was useless and guilt, in this case, just selfish.

There was work to be done.

With a nod from Harn, Felix found a set of stairs and climbed up to a balcony, one with a window facing the rest of the Risi encampment. He peered through the window, keeping his body to the side and keeping his Stealth active. Outside the building the dark was just barely lightening with false dawn, but the moons were bright and the stars a shimmering sea in the sky, providing more than enough light for him to see. Clumps of various Risi moved about, but only a few; most appeared to be sleeping, if the multiple gatherings of large, shadowy lumps were anything to guess by. He saw no evidence of any giants coming their way, and no sign of their leader or his witches.

The warm bundle of emotions in his chest flared with a query, a simple question. Felix smiled and replied back, pushing his emotions and thoughts along their connection. I'm fine, Pit. Keep an eye out. Let me know if you see danger coming. He received back a blooming warmth, affirmation and confirmation both.

Best dog I've ever had, Felix grinned to himself, before his current situation wore the expression away. He squinted as he flared his Manasight, scouring the square outside for any evidence of strange magics. Who knows what those witches can do. The Circle sounds ominous, and the fact that their leader is both a giant twenty-five foot tall warrior and a spellcaster? Makes me nervous. But there's nothing here. Just those banked wards and all that ice Mana around the rest of the camp.

The purple-white wards were subdued, waiting for something before they sprang back up and over the capital building. Just what that was, Felix wasn't sure. He was certain that no giant watched them, no witch waited to recast the wardings. They were simply on standby. Waiting for a trigger?

Then he saw something, glinting near the peak of the ceiling, along the arc of the dome. It shone with a bright purple-white shimmer, but felt curiously inert.

What's that?

Dressed in rags or the damaged detritus of once useful armor, the Humans, Dwarves, and Elves all looked haggard at best. A few, like Callie apparently, had to be coaxed along; they seemed sure that the team was no more than an illusion. Magda, who had carried the unconscious form of Callie over to the central area, had quashed that notion before it went wild.

"This is real. We're here to help and bring you back out of the Foglands." She fished her silver plate from around her neck, flashing it for everyone to see it. "I promise you. Everything is gonna be fine."

That did a world of good, far as Evie could tell. Everyone started moving more freely, a few securing temporary weapons from the corpses of the giants, though most already had some (shoddy though they were). A few of them stared at the mushy remnants of one of the creatures, clearly disgusted yet appearing triumphant. She couldn't agree more; Felix had done a number on that one. Melted their damn faces off, euugh. Ain't like they deserved better though.

Evie watched as Vess spoke to the former prisoners, using her fancy diplomatic training, no doubt. The people were quickly organized into six groups of five, one for each of them to lead so that they could move quickly out of the encampment. Vess smiled an easy, caring smile at a female Dwarf then shook their hand firmly, probably bonding easily with her charges.

"Um, kid? How're we doin' this?"

Evie snapped her head toward the man speaking, a Human with a scraggly red beard, bald head, and stooping posture. "We're gathering everyone together uh..."

"Karp," the man offered.

"Karp. Karp? Ok. We're splitting up into groups, Karp. Keeps us speedy, ya know?" Evie pointed at herself and then the rest of the team around the area. "One of us is gonna lead you out of here, starting with Vess over there, then Atar," she nodded at the blonde mage, speaking to his own group of prisoners. "Then me. Once we're outside the walls, we'll split up and reconvene at our hidey-hole. Got it?"

Karp nodded, his smile wide and even beneath his wild beard. "Honestly, I'm just thrilled someone is here. That the Guild finally sent aid," his eyes seemed brighter as unshed tears gathered. "It's been so long."

Noctis' tits, what do I do? Evie wasn't as good with soothing people as Vess was, the woman now offering hugs for Siva's sake, all smiles and easy grace. She reached out and thumped the man on his back, earning a surprised look and relieved smile.

"It'll be alright," she managed, smiling widely. "Sides, if more giants come, we'll thrash em, yeah?"

Karp bobbed his head, his teeth white against his red hair. Then he paused, looking up.

"Who is that?"

"Hm?" Evie glanced up, noticing for the first time that Felix was...climbing up the dome of the building, for some reason. "Oh...that's Felix. He's the lookout. Focus on me, though. When I say to--"

"What's he doin?" asked another of her group, this one a woman with dark brown hair and amber eyes, dark smooth skin only broken by two scars across the bridge of her nose. "Why's he climbin up there?"

"I don't know. Lookout stuff. C'mon, our turn is next." Evie motioned them to follow her, and slowly they did, gathering toward the exit. "Harn left first to scout the way, his senses're better than most. Then our mage Atar left. We'll follow them up, crossing between this building and another nearby; it's empty so we can gather from there. Understand?" They nodded, focusing back on her.

Hey, not too hard. I can do this people thing.

"C'mon then. Time to move."

"Hey, Cal. Time to wake up now."

A deluge of near-frozen water made the treasure hunter lurch up, gasping for breath and reaching for weapons that were no longer at her waist.

"Where-!?" She tried to get to her feet, but her head felt fuzzy and floaty, her concentration disrupted.

"Take it easy. I had to go harder than I wanted," a familiar voice said, and Callie had to close her eyes to ease the disorientation as well as the string of painful memories that danced across her mind.

"You're not real," she whispered. She couldn't be. Not if this was a fair world. Don't let her have been captured too.

"Oh I'm very real, and if you ever come at me like that again I'll beat your ass with my barn door here." The voice cracked near the end, but Callie could tell without looking that she was smiling. She cautiously cracked her eyelid, taking in the powerful woman crouching next to her wearing a set of worn and battered armor. Kite shields were strapped to her arms, smaller than Callie remembered but well made, certainly in better condition than the rest of her armor. Maggie's face was the same as ever, her sandy hair cut shoulder length and tied back, her strong nose and dark eyes. Her mouth, usually wide with a smile, was fixed in a grim line.

"Barn door is the only way you could've hit me, Mags," Callie breathed, her heart thudding in her chest as she considered the mad possibility. "Your aim sucks."

"Well, if I can't hit the broad side of a barn, just hit a broad with the barn, eh?" Magda said, a familiar rhythm to her speech, this joke shared a thousand thousand times.

"Oh gods wept, Maggie. You're real." She set her hand on Maggie's, tattered leather glove tightening on her metal gauntlet before she was pulled into a tight hug.

"Yeah. I'm here," Magda choked out before pulling Callie even closer. "I'm here."

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