Unbound

The rebel army swept through the middle halls of the Citadel like a cleansing wave. Though Felix’s Abyssal Skein had faded, that did not stop them now. Priests and Paladins emerged from adjoining chambers and were instantly mowed down by spear, chain, or axe.

“Cut them off!” Patrim commanded, jabbing his swords at a distant clutch of Paladins. Before the army could attack, however, they took off.

“Got ‘em!” Evie shouted, already hurling herself in a spinning twist above the army. She landed lightly upon bloodstained carpets and shot off again, her mass shifted into her leading chain as it whipped her forward at blinding speeds.

The redcloaks stood no chance.

She landed among them as they reached a wide four-way intersection, and her chain reaped them without mercy. By the time the others caught up, she’d already stowed her chains.

“Don’t got runnin’ ahead, kid,” Harn snapped as he came to a strangely fluid stop. “Too many twists an’ turns in this place. You’re not so strong that you can’t die.”

You Have Gained A Level!

You Are Now Level 82!

"Dunno about that. Besides, this feels damn good," Evie said, flexing her hands. System energy poured through her core space and invigorated her after their bloody march. "Any more?"

Evie spun, along with half the army, just in time to witness dozens of Paladins and Priests appear out of thin air. Their arms glowed with some spooky bad magic that hurt her eyes, but it was clear they’d done something to sneak up on all of them like this.

“Bleedin’ ash,” Evie swore, unspooling her chains. “Where’d in damnation did you come from?”

As one, every single Paladin shouted, and a set of translucent golden armor made entirely of Mana crackled over their bodies. Together, they unsheathed massive swords made of gleaming light.

“Form up!” Verona boomed, her voice blasting tapestries off the walls. “Forward spears!”

Before the Dragoons could move, the Priests lifted their hands. Sigils ignited the air and then cascaded onto the ground in a tidal wave of fire.

The last orichalcum bar dropped, separated from its others by her sparking glaive. A hole was left behind, small but large enough for egress. They’d done it. “Archie, you beautiful man.”

“It worked?” the thief looked blearily at the prison cell and blinked rapidly. “God, my guts feel like they’ve been through a blender.”

“Sit. Rest,” she said, before focusing on the man beyond the cage. “Papa. Let me help you.”

Her father stepped through with less trouble than she feared, though that was only because he was far thinner than she ever remembered. It was his collar that was most troublesome, but they managed.

"I cannot believe it is you," her father whispered as he emerged. He wasted no time in embracing her, and Vess couldn’t help the tears that burned behind her eyes. Then he went tense. "Dragon..."

"Be calm, papa. He is our ally." Vess pushed her father to arm’s length.

"Our ally?" he looked at her with confusion and disbelief beneath his wild hair and beard. "That cannot be true."

“Believe it,” Yin growled. “New days are coming.”

The emaciated man opened his mouth, perhaps to argue, but was cut off by a familiar shout.

"Gah! We've got company!" Beef hollered.

Vess looked over the edge of the prison platform just in time to see dozens of Oathbound Dragoons sweep up the two staircases, their spears flashing with potent Skills. Beef threw up a wall of chitin, blunting their first attacks but not stopping them.

Chaos ensued.

We swept through nearly every room in this tower. Where did they come from? "We don't have time to argue, papa."

Her father grimaced. “No, we do not. Run Vessilia. I will not let them capture you as well.”

“Running solves nothing. We face them, together.”

A song kickstarted in her father's Spirit. It rose on a glissando of notes, filled with hope...and pride. “You’re more like your mother every day. Very well. Together.”

Pit was lost.

“Where are we going, Lord Pit?” Telys asked as she thudded behind him.

“These corridors are all so complicated!” Pit spun, then chose a hall leading in the general direction he needed. “This way!”

Pit ran and the Eidolons followed just as quickly—only to be brought up short.

What the—?

Emerging out of nowhere, at least twenty Paladins lifted burning swords toward him…and more emerged from adjoining chambers, weapons raised. Golden shields of solid Mana formed across their bodies, filling the halls with a gleaming illumination.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Stand down, monsters, or be slain by the righteous."

"Dead?" Felix laughed as the High Guard approached him. Across his core space, his Links sang. "You don't know my friends that well, do you?"

"Oh good," Pit said, relief flooding him. "I need directions."

"...What?"

Mantle of the Stormlord!

Riposte already in his mouth, Pit shot forward as it grew. Blade and lightning smashed into the Paladins an instant before the Eidolons punched them all in the face.

Solid surfaces of golden Mana shattered into a thousand pieces.

Chains of the Protector is level 94!

The fire crashed into Evie's oversized shield, heating it up molten red, but the wave of Mana split around the army and into the walls, setting them aflame. None of that touched the soldiers either, instead sparking against the rainbow sheen of Laur's wards.

"Potent," the Elf Chanter muttered.

"Potent?" she mocked, before grinning. "My turn!"

Her shield exploded, turning into countless chains that ripped outward and tangled among the limbs of the golden-armored Paladins. They shouted, many slashing at her chains with their crystalline blades.

"Fire!" Patrim shouted.

Conscripts all launched their Skills, firing a salvo of stone and water at the redcloaks. The chained Paladins endured it—the Skills were too weak to be anything more than an annoyance.

"Forward, Dragoons!" Verona commanded as she leaped forward, followed by every single Dragoon with them. "Spear of Tribulation!"

The vaulted ceiling darkened with the manifestation of hundreds of silver and gold Spears...before they came crashing down upon the Hierocratic line.

You Have Killed A Paladin Of The Pathless (x3)!

XP Earned!

“Magnetic Strike!” Tzfell called out, her musical voice now thunderous. A series of geometric shapes burst from her, each a distinct color, shape, and pitch as they hurtled toward the enemy. With a hiss they smashed into the Paladins, searing themselves into their gleaming Mana armor. Immediately, the Skills shot off by the conscripts were turned, redirected mid-air to slam into the geometric targets.

Paladin armor cracked, and the battle was joined.

Swords met flesh, dropping soldiers by the dozen, but not before Spears and Skills shattered golden Mana armor in a thousand places. Evie smashed through those weakened plates, wrapping up crimson-armored limbs in her chains before they chewed through metal and flesh and bone. They fell, their magic armor flickering and failing, only to be pounced upon by hundreds of soaring Spears.

You Have Killed A Paladin Of The Pathless (x5)!

XP Earned!

Evie swept through them, leaping over the golden knights and into the ranks of the white-robed Priests. They oriented on her quickly, but her chain swept across their golden shields with enough power to bowl them over. Evie landed in a clear space among the enemy, and her power surged.

Grim Fervor is level 97!

A Crisis of Faith Is In Effect!

Reduce Willpower Of All Enemies In Range By 20% (Max 50)

Harrowing Thews Is In Effect!

Increases Your Strength By 1% Per Enemy In Range (Max 50)

Shields splintered beneath her whirling chains, their blades scoring deep furrows that dribbled liquid light onto the carpeting floor. Whips of fire manifested in the Priest’s hands and clashed against her own.

“Really? Is that all the Priests of the Pathless can conjure?” Evie hurled her blue-gray chain into the air and poured her Mana into it. “Breaking Wheel!”

Her chain connected to itself and went rigid, forming a massive wheel in the air above the enemy…before crashing down with a catastrophic boom.

You Have Killed A Priest Of The Pathless (x13)!

XP Earned!

Breaking Wheel is level 81!

Reap the Maelstrom is level 94!

“Begone from us, wretch!”

Before Evie could dodge, a hand the size of her torso slammed into her, hurling her back into the spears of her allies. She twisted in mid-air, altering her mass and hurling her chain back into the stone floor where it pierced the ground like an anchor. Evie landed, blood running from her mouth and ribs sore, just in time to see a High Adept Paladin replete with massive golden Mana armor race across the battlefield.

“Pathless’ balls, but you’re big!” She danced aside, dodging the Paladin’s oversized mitts. She tucked and bent, just narrowly avoiding the three-stride wide sword of golden light that came after. Instead it hewed through her allies, and Laur’s wards only partially blunted the blow. Dragoons and conscripts alike went flying.

“Do invoke Him in vain, Fiend follower!” the gargantuan warrior cried, slamming his weapon down again. He missed her, but not because of any fancy dodging—but because his sword was caught.

“Speak no ill of the Colossus,” Orun rumbled, his cloak thrown off his shoulders by the impact. His two stone hands gripped the Paladin’s mighty sword and twisted. “Or I will have to seek redress.”

“Your leader is an impure heretic, Golem!”

At his last word, the Paladin within the huge suit of Mana armor released another Skill, igniting a second blade in his off-hand—which was promptly caught by a second Eidolon.

"You are not enough," Iiana intoned.

"So die!" Orun roared.

As one, the two Eidolons thrust a jab into the Paladin’s faux chest and utterly shattered the golden plates of Mana inward, spearing through platemail and flesh in a shower of crimson mist.

Already the fight is engaged, her Dragoons against the Oathbound. Beef was trying his best to keep each of them shielded from one another. His chitin was not enough. Blood was already spilled, and the song of battle was begun.

She leaped from Yin’s back, ignoring her father’s protests, and soared the remaining hundred strides to the tower floor. It cannot end this way.

She would not let it.

"Draconic Stormfall!"

She hit the earth hard, glaive shattering the stone flooring and sending a chaotic explosion of lightning and air Mana in all directions. Oathbound were hurled back, their armor charred and teeth rattled.

"Enough!" she cried out. "We do not seek your end! But I will finish this fight!"

"A Dragon!"

"...Dawn Drake..."

"Anathema..."

"You invaded this tower. You took the Duke from his cell," an older Dragoon said, pushing to the fore. "Daughter or not, that is a death sentence. Our Oaths offer no quarter or mercy."

"I know," Vess said, lifting her glaive. "Then let it just be us. Champion against champion."

"A duel?" The grizzled veteran stroked his chin, and the ghost of a smile crawled across his face. "Aye. We can arrange that."

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