Unbound

Ultimately, Lilian and Dabney left.

They let them go, though Evie took the time to watch them from atop the keep walls. She saw them move across the grassland and start to climb the cliffs toward the exit before she returned to them.

Felix was conflicted about just letting them go. Surely they'd cause trouble for them, right? Yet Harn insisted this was the lesser of two evils.

"If we'd forced them ta stay, they woulda betrayed us at the worst time. Can't force loyalty, kid." Harn adjusted his gauntlets, and Felix heard something click and shift beneath the metal. "They might bring Guilders down on us, or rat us out ta the redcloaks, but that harnoq's already outta the bag. 'Sides, we don't have time ta worry about it."

That was true enough. They had a little over three hours left on their wardstones, and Alister and Atar were worse off. Without protection, Felix was unsure how long before the Domain would begin to hurt them permanently. Already their exposed skin was red and flaky, despite their Health being at full.

However, both Atar and Alister had chosen to stay. Atar's choice hadn't surprised Felix; the man seemed to have changed during his time away from the group. It was also distinctly possible Felix had never truly gotten to know him. He had certainly seemed appalled at the idea of the Domain bursting.

Alister was another story. Felix barely knew the man, but he definitely gave off the air of a spoiled rich kid. Felix had expected him to join with Lilian and Dabney, the former being his cousin and all. He didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but his reasoning felt flimsy.

"It needs doing," he had said. That was it.

Atar seemed to trust Alister, and the others said the man had been quite capable in the previous fights, if a bit limited. Like Atar and fire, Alister seemed devoted to a single slice of the Mana spectrum. The noble used a similar kinetic Mana as Felix employed with Reign of Vellus...except his didn't discharge lightning everywhere. The Mana was almost the same color blue, however.

Reign of Vellus had evolved from Tides of Vellus, a Skill he'd stolen from the Wisps he'd fought back in the Foglands. It was how they attacked their prey. So were those Wisps connected to Vellus too? Felix hadn't heard many religious stories during his time in Haarwatch, though the Dusters weren't shy about swearing by the old gods.

It's probably illegal, telling stories about them. Heresy. Felix's lip curled at the word. He'd never involved himself with religion back home and was a self-professed atheist, albeit a quiet one. His thoughts drifted toward his encounter with the being he thought was Vellus and---

--Felix blinked, unsettled. He felt as if the ground had lurched beneath him and felt a little dizzy.

Dangerous memories. He distracted himself from them by opening up his notifications. They had been blinking like mad ever since he'd woken up.

Here we go.

Ravenous Tithe is level 23!

...

Ravenous Tithe is level 35!

Congratulations! You Have Reached Apprentice Tier with Ravenous Tithe!

You Gain:

+20 STR

+20 END

+20 VIT

Bloodline Progression is 80%

Oathbinding is level 10!

...

Oathbinding is level 15!

Manasight is level 44!

Manasight is level 45!

Mana Manipulation is level 24!

Bastion of Will is level 47!

Deep Mind is level 40!

Make An Entrance is level 20!

...

Make An Entrance is level 22!

Corrosive Strike is level 33!

...

Corrosive Strike is level 35!

Unarmed Mastery is level 34!

...

Unarmed Mastery is level 38!

The Song of Absolution is level 39!

The Song of Absolution is level 40!

Reign of Vellus is level 41!

...

Reign of Vellus is level 45!

Fire Within is level 46!

...

Fire Within is level 49!

Etheric Concordance is level 43!

Felix had expected a large amount of increases, but it was always surprising to see them scroll by his eyes. He'd even managed to Tier up another Skill...but that was a mixed blessing. While Ravenous Tithe added a significant boost to his physical stats, he couldn't help but notice its other effect.

Bloodline Progression is 80%

It's still rising. Just like I feared. He still had touches of the Maw within him, and likely always would. Ravenous Tithe, Voracious Eye, and What Dwells Beneath. Unless...unless he wanted to sunder those Skills; he'd managed to do it with the Larval Ravager's essence, perhaps--

No.

No they had to kill the Domain Core next. How could he manage to sunder not one but three different Skills without dying and dooming the entire city? Which meant he had to risk his Bloodline Progression reaching 100%. And whatever might come after that.

Felix watched the others talk and begin tweaking their own interfaces. Vess had hit level 35 and Evie had made it to 38, somehow. He had been surprised to hear they had battled their way across the Revenant horde, carrying Pit, trying to reach him after he'd been assaulted by Okar. Their advancement even impressed Atar, who was still sitting at level 34. The lowest leveled among them, aside from Pit at 29, was Alister at level 31. All of them had enjoyed a significant bump in their Skill levels as well.

War was good for them, screwed up as Felix found the sentiment.

The conversation among them was subdued and quiet, but Felix was happy to hear some jokes out of Evie. So was Vess, who snorted at a particularly ribald one Felix only half heard. It'd been rough, what they'd just endured, and regardless of its benefits, a battle like that could really mess someone up. Felix himself felt stretched thin. The fight against the Spawn and Revenants had lasted so long, and then he had taken on the Larval Ravager itself. Alone.

"You have ten minutes. Then we move," Harn said from the battlement nearby. He was watching the way they had come; where Lilian and Dabney had gone.

Felix roused himself from his thoughts. They had fought, he had survived. That was all there was to it.

Status.

Health:

984/1150

Body: Seed of the Unchained Mountain

Mind: Godeater

Spirit: Dawnwalker

Stamina:

1155/1155

Mana:

3843/3843

STR:

200

PER:

205

VIT:

240

END:

227

INT:

336

WIL:

604 (755)

AGL:

188

DEX:

190

Harmonic Stats

RES:

122

INE:

237

AFI:

90

REI:

92

ALA:

178 (210)

His stats had reached new highs, despite the hit they'd just taken due to his evolved Skills and lost Formation. His Willpower was especially ridiculous. It had jumped nearly three hundred points! His others were far behind, the two next closest being his Intelligence and Vitality.

His two new Titles went a long way toward boosting his capability. What would happen if all of his Primary Stats were over two hundred? He had passed the First Threshold back when he hit 100 in all his Primary Stats before level 50. Would that happen again? Would he hit the Second Threshold, whatever that was?

One way to find out. Felix took his remaining twenty bonus points and divided them up among his two lowest stats: Agility and Dexterity. Both shot up to two hundred, and another rush of System power flowed into his core fire and back out to his Body...but there was nothing else.

Two hundred isn't the magic number then. Probably...five hundred? Felix sighed. Got a ways to go until that.

Climbing to his feet, Felix gave up on staring at his stats and Skills. He was tired. His Stamina was full, as it almost always was, but still he felt worn out. He walked over to a section of the courtyard that wasn't completely torn apart. Pit was prancing about, flapping his wings so hard he nearly lifted himself off the ground.

"What're you doing, bud?" Felix asked, but Pit didn't answer, only tried again. And again. And again. Each time it seemed like he was lifiting just a touch further, almost as if--

Pit Has Learned A New Skill!

Really? That was the tenku's first naturally learned Skill in a long while. Almost all the rest had been from elemental cores.

Flight (Rare), Level 1!

Tenku are born with the ability to glide. It is not until they are older and more experienced that they progress into true flight. Speed, maneuverability, and carrying capacity depend on AGL, DEX, END, and STR. Each increases with Skill Level.

Holy shit. Felix was stunned, but that was nothing compared to the elation that surged through their bond. Pit bugled in ecstatic glee and began to bound around the courtyard. He picked up speed as he ran, until the tenku's wings snapped out and began to pump. This time, though it took several seconds, Pit took off.

He was airborne.

"Pit can fly?!" Evie gasped, and Vess clapped her hands in delight.

"Now he can," Felix said, unable and unwilling to wipe a wide grin from his face. For a moment, they were all silent as the chimera carved circles into the air above them. Pit cut around the broken tower, looping it in a spiral pattern until he shot off even further into the sky. Barrel rolls, spins, flips, the tenku did them all in an aerial ballet of unrestrained joy. Pit's emotions resonanted so strongly across their bond that Felix's grin was threatening to become a permanent fixture.

Pit's Flight is level 2!

Pit's Flight is level 3!

"Good. That might be useful later," Harn said as he landed with a thump. He nodded at Pit. "Get em down though. Somethin' might see em."

Felix sighed and pulsed the thought toward his Companion. Pit let out a low, pitiful whine, but quickly descended.

Pit's Flight is level 4!

"Sorry bud. Gotta be careful. We'll get more chances to fly soon, yeah?" Felix gave Pit some consolation scratches, though the tenku huffed his breath and turned away. Felix kept scratching just below his ears.

The chimera's fit lasted all of ten seconds before he leaned into Felix's fingers. A surprisingly sad warble came from the pony-sized Companion, and a hazy impression drifted across their bond. Fuzzed by the distance of the memory, it was more colors and sensation than true visual cues. Felix could easily sense that Pit was very young, and that he was flying, coddled atop his mother. He felt warmth and safety and a slight rush at the dips and sharp turning the older tenku was doing. It was a good memory, if tinged by sadness.

Felix laid against Pit's neck, his arm around his chest.

"Finish up whatever yer doin' and meet up by the tower," Harn touched Felix's shoulder as he started moving, holding him back. "Felix, we gotta talk first."

Felix looked at the others. Atar and Alister were having a quiet conversation, but Evie and Vess both gave him a questioning look. He waved them off before turning back toward Harn. Pit settled in beside him.

"What's going on, Harn?" he asked.

"Just where'd you get it into yer head that running off in a battle was a good plan?" Harn's face was hidden by his helmet, but his tone was harsh. "And then you took on the Sub-Core, alone? What were you thinkin'?"

"I-" Felix wasn't sure how to respond. Part of it was that he hadn't been thinking, just reacting. Okar came at him and their fight moved them away from the group. He explained as much to the warrior.

"Then maneuver him back! What you did was dangerous, and not just fer you," Harn said and pointed at their retreating allies. "Those two rushed after ya, despite what I told em. They coulda got killed if that horde got their claws in em. You understand?"

Harn exhaled hard enough for it to whistle against his armor. "Felix, yer strong and fast and smart, but you don't think enough. Or ya think too much. I'm not sure."

"Probably both, if I'm being honest," Felix said.

"Listen, you've got potential. I've told ya that before. But yer not usin' yer Skills to their best effect." Harn gestured to the broken tower ahead of them. "We're gonna head into that tunnel soon, and we gotta keep our formation tight, understand? You an me? We're the vanguard. Take the first hits before anyone else. The others can use ranged Skills or precision strikes neither of us are as good at. You disagree?"

Felix didn't. "I've always had to fight on my own, and despite our few bouts Harn I don't have any proper training."

"I know, kid, I know. Been meanin' to rectify that but time's against us." Harn looked back toward the others a moment longer. "Felix."

"Hm?"

"If we're gonna do this, risk our lives against this Ravager King, then I gotta know," Harn took a deep breath before continuing. "The Primordial."

Shit. "What about it?"

"I've heard of em before. Stories mostly, tall tales, things you can't believe, even on the Continent." Harn tapped a metal-shod finger against the head of his axe. "A long time ago I met some merchants. This was farther east, outside the Heirocracy. My uncle owned an inn, and he'd let me sweep the floors fer some spending money. It weren't much. Barely a stone a day. But I got ta see the new visitors and, sometimes, if I were lucky, I'd hear some stories. These merchants were pale, far more so than you or me. Sickly lookin', I thought. They said a beast made of nightmares attacked their ships, out on the Endless Sea. It had a weird name, one I barely remembered in the rush of hearin' the tale. One of em even showed me a scar where the thing's glistenin' spines had scratched em."

Harn shook his head. "It was a small thing, barely a nick. But to an impressionable kid huntin' fer adventure it was a glorious battle wound."

Felix just listened, unsure where Harn was going. He wanted to keep moving, but this...Felix felt this conversation was a long time coming. Harn kept talking.

"I woulda listened fer hours, but they were tired. Long journey, I imagine. We weren't anywhere close to the Sea. Plus, a few of them looked sick, feverish even. Before they left for bed, I even heard one of em mention that they had finally escaped their city lord. The relief in his voice, Felix, it weren't nothin' I ever heard before," Harn said. "Can't remembering thinkin' much of it at the time. It was excitin' though, and I planned to ask em many more questions in the mornin'.

'Cept, when my aunt went to wake em, she found em all dead. Drowned in their beds, their throats and lungs filled with acidic brine, more'n a thousand leages from the Sea. I was able ta see em before my uncle had em carted out. It was like their insides had turned to seawater. I ain't never seen nothin' like it before or since. And the man? The one with the scratch? It had spread, splitting the merchant's arm entirely in two. Like he'd been cursed...or corrupted."

The name of the beast what attacked em, Felix. Took me a long time to remember it. They called it a Primordial."

Felix swallowed, his throat dry. There's more of them?

"Now yer sayin' you saw one. In the center of the Labyrinth, where you said you were sealed in after Magda died, yeah?" Harn turned to him, and through the helmet Felix could see a glint of light reflecting against the man's eyes.

"...Yeah."

"Were ya hurt? Scratched? Infected like these people out here? If we're gonna be fightin' this thing, I gotta know. I've seen too much to let this go, Felix."

"Harn," Felix took a deep, steadying breath. It was time. Beyond time, honestly. He was tired of hiding things anyway. "The Primordial's name is the Unending Maw...."

"Quick march, Acolytes!"

A chorus of grunts met the command, and the loud tromp of booted feet became thunderous. Rafny held tight to the brick facade of a burned out bakery and held her hand low. The eight that followed her all held their breath.

The city had been overrun by the Inquisition these last few hours. Fights between them and the Guild had broken out all across the Quarters, and more than a few fires had resulted, gutting homes and businesses. Rafny had worried they would rage unchecked, but, surprisingly, the Inquisition had gone about extinguishing them rapidly. Now they were focused on rounding up Guilders and moving them all to the city center.

To the Eyrie, she was told.

Shortly after they had left the sewers, the majority of the freed prisoners had followed The Onslaught's advice. They found their way to his warehouse, where Calesca Boscal had been waiting. They'd taken the group in without complaint, offering food and a place to hide. It was a welcome relief.

After a brief rehashing Rafny had been all too willing to provide, Calesca had filled them in on further details. By that point, fights were already breaking out all over, and the treasure hunter had sent out scouts to check the lay of the land. She wasn't sure why all the Guilders were being herded into the Eyrie, but she doubted the redcloaks had good intentions.

Bastards, she thought with venom. Part of her wanted to attack them now, when they least expected it. Extract her pound of flesh for what they'd done to her and others. With an effort of Will, she held herself back. Now wasn't the time.

They had glasses before the Domain shell broke, at best. How Calesca knew that, Rafny wasn't sure. The Dwarf had seen the back entrance to the Domain herself, but other than that damn kid's word, she hadn't noticed anything wrong with it. Yet he'd seemed so certain, and with the treasure hunter confirming the kid's statements it made her course of action clear.

She just hoped she wasn't too late.

Don't think about that. Just keep moving. Just wait for these Night cursed zealots to get out of the way and keep moving.

Heva reached out her crimson hand and grasped the Dwarf's own. "Hold fast, Rafny. We'll make it back in time. The gods are with us. They sent us the Fiend, after all."

Gods haven't done much for us yet, Heva. And I doubt that kid was sent by anyone, much less the gods. Rafny didn't voice her opinions though, merely gripped the Hobgoblin's hand instead. Heva had insisted on coming with her, though she wasn't as strong as some of the other Dusters that offered their help. "Thank you for coming, Heva."

The old Hobgoblin merely smiled and squeezed her hand once more before letting go.

Oveh was back at the warehouse, helping Bodie and the others. Thank the gods, Rafny thought without irony. She couldn't have dealt with two of them. Though perhaps the distraction would have helped. Bellyaching was easier than admitting to herself the actual reason for her anxiety. That might make it real.

She'd been leaving anyway on her task, but Calesca wanted her to help in another way too. Weapons and armor for her people. For their people, really. After this, they were all in it together. The Dwarven weaponsmith was more than happy to agree; the blades at her forge were aching for redcloak blood in any case.

Finally, the Inquisitor grunts turned the corner. Rafny whispered to the others. "Come, quickly."

Moving far quietly than eight people had any right to do so, Rafny and the others crossed the thoroughfare and passed into another twisting alley. Luckily it hadn't rained in days, and the hot summer sun had baked even these secluded side streets dry. Instead thick layers of dirt kicked up into a light dust as they moved to the edge of the alley. Another open road spread before them, Wending Street, brightly lit by the mid-afternoon sun.

We're close. It's just around the corner!

Heva's crimson arm grabbed the back of her gambeson and pulled her short just as the sound of clanking mail reached the Dwarf's ears. Everyone froze, still in the shadows between buildings. Carefully, Rafny peeked out.

A lone Initiate walked down the street, peering into houses as he went. He was big, for a Human, over twice again Rafny's own size and she was not slightly built. The man seemed to be still searching for stragglers.

C'mon, just keep moving.

The man stopped and turned, while a dart of fear shot up her spine. At first she thought the redcloak had heard her somehow, but her fear settled into cold dread as Rafny realized where he was looking.

Directly at the Coldfire Forge.

The Initiate quickly marched inside, bashing apart the door.

"No," Rafny whispered. Without turning to the others, she rushed forward. If Elle was still in there, if she was still alive...

The sounds of battle crashed against her senses before the weaponsmith made it to the halfway point. Metal screeched and clanged, grunts and shouts rang out, and the distinct tang of light Mana positively poured from the broken doorway. Rafny sped up, not caring if her people were behind her or not. They weren't Tempered, as she was.

Someone screamed.

Rafny burst through the entryway in time to see an armored figure collapse to the ground, seeming suddenly small as they curled over a fatal chest wound. The Initiate. Dead.

With disbelieving eyes, Rafny looked up and saw a vision in green platemail, an Adeptwork armor if she'd ever seen one. It was wrapped about a stocky, significantly curvy form, no taller than she, and the warrior yanked her short sword from the Initiate's chest with a feminine grunt.

"Elle?"

The armorsmith looked up in surprise, and her free hand lifted a visor on her peaked helmet. "Raffy? Oh, Noctis wept, you're alive!"

The two clutched at one another while the rest of her team arrived behind her, filtering into the smithy as surreptitiously as they could manage. Rafny could sense Heva holding them back a bit, murmuring something.

"Give them a moment, please."

Rafny took it, but released her wife after a few seconds longer. She stared into Elle's eyes, finding them wet and red-rimmed. How long had she been defending this place?

"Whatever's happening, it isn't going to end well, is it Raffy?" she asked.

"It's goin' south fast, Elle. They're...I can explain more when we get back. For now, we gotta pick up everything we can and bring it with us."

"Everything?"

"Whatever isn't nailed down an' we can carry, yeah," Rafny grimaced. "Weapons and armor are the priority. We might...we'll have to leave the forge."

"No," Elle said, resolute.

"Elle, please understand," Rafny pleaded. "Something bad is gonna happen. Worse than the Inquisition takin' over the town. We'll need what we can carry, and I don't have enough arms to bring the forge--"

Elle put a steel hand over Rafny's lips, gently. For some reason, the Veridian Steel felt warm. "Just listen, you hammer-headed fool. Everyone? You can come out now. It's safe."

With a murmur and shuffling, a few folks emerged from the back rooms. Then a few more. And more. And...

"Twins' breath, how many?" Rafny asked, looking over them all. She spotted a number of their apprentices and more than a couple neighbors.

"Seventy-eight, all told. Everyone I could get my hands on." Elle grinned and nudged her wife. "More than a enough arms, eh?"

Rafny couldn't help but smile. Elle always had that effect on her, even in the middle of all this.

"Everyone, come with us," Heva had stepped up and addressed the crowd. Rafny looked at her in surprise. "Grab everything you can carry."

"Where?" Someone asked.

"Somewhere safe," she said with a glance at Rafny. "Where we can make a stand."

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