Unbound

“Die, heretic!”

The Priest thrust his hands outward, unleashing a cone of golden flames in Vess’ direction.

Fang of Havoc!

Draconic Stormfall!

She shot into the sky, arcing completely over the spell before coming back down, lightning and wind howling from the tip of her glaive. Too late, the Priest lifted his hands, redirecting his flames, but she cut through them all.

Her spear plunged through him, and the fire sputtered out.

“Lady Dayne!” Morag called out. The lieutenant was bleeding from several places, but he carried his spear easily. “We need to fall back to the city walls! There are too many!”

Vess ground her teeth. The battle was going badly, there was no denying that. Many of her allies were dead or dying and soon they simply wouldn’t have the numbers to contest the horde before them. Her only consolation was that the redcloaks had paid for their lives in kind. For every one she lost, five of the enemy had been felled. Thousands of Hierocratic zealots covered the ruptured fields now, but there was no end to them.

“Begin the second stage,” she ordered. “Fall back.”

His words were cut off by screeching steel and wet, snapping bones. Vess spun toward the lieutenant, only to find him crushed into the ground…and standing atop of his corpse was a giant of a woman, covered in armor and bristling with weaponry.

“Imara!” she yelled, rage mounting.

“Vessilia Dayne. The Pathless seeks your death.” She drew a wide sword from her back and twisted her hands upon its grip. The blade emitted a terrifying heat, and the metal turned red-hot. A frown marred her empty expression. “Do not fight this.”

Imara kicked off the earth, showering the Dragoons behind her with dirt and propelling herself forward at breakneck speed.

Vess was ready.

The Titan carried with her a glow like the sun, but Vess thrust through it, aiming for her neck before she even straightened herself. It sparked off her gorget and drew a splash of golden ichor in its wake.

Imara grunted. “Faster than I expected.”

Galebound Glory!

Twenty Spears shot for the Titan, but all of them were struck down, blasted into mist with a single stroke.

On The Wing!Galebound Glory!

Vess shot into range, her glaive thrust forward even as she manifested another set of Spears. They came at her again, moving in dizzying patterns that forced the woman to draw a second sword just to defend against them. Her primary weapon, however, was tied up with Vess directly.

Galebound Glory is level 96!

“Enough!” Imara flared with light and her Spears slowed as if traveling through water, and she cut through them all at once, even the phantom copies. “Die with honor, Dayne!”

The Titan swung for Vess, but another spear intercepted the blow, stabbing at the woman’s grip and forcing her to pull back. Her superheated blade missed Vess by less than a span, close enough that her skin ached as if burned.

“Do not touch my daughter!” her father yelled, and without warning, his own Spears struck at Imara from behind.

The Titan didn’t even look, but swung her arm behind her and intercepted them all…save for two. Phantom copies, these punched past her defenses an stabbed into her back one after the other.

Imara grunted, and golden ichor spattered onto the ground.

“Vessilia, are you alright?”

“I am fine, papa. You must flee!”

“No. Not while you remain in danger.” He lifted his spear. “We stand together.”

Vess firmed her jaw and nodded. “We stand together.”

They were not prepared for the Titan.

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She appeared before them like the specter of death, and brought her sword down onto the Duke. Her father blocked the strike with his spear…only to have it shear in half, and the superheated blade sliced down into where neck met shoulder. Armor parted like silk and he dropped to the earth.

“Papa!”

“Umbral Cascade!”

Darkness boiled across the land, enveloping Imara in a deluge of shadow. It lasted only a moment before the woman burst into radiance, burning through the black and surprising a swooping Yintarion.

The Titan spun, punching the Drake into the skull, sending him face first into the dirt. He tore a furrow in the earth, landing hard and not getting back up.

Imara glowered in the Drake’s direction, but left him alone. “I wasn’t sent to kill pets.” She snapped her hand out, deflecting Vess’ descending glaive. “Or fathers.”

On The Wing is level 100!

Master Tier!

You Gain:

+150 AGL

+150 STR

+100 DEX

Vess struck, flaring her Agility and Strength until her weapon was a blur even to her own senses—yet Imara met every stroke with her own, deflecting each strike with an ease that drove terror singing across her Spirit.

Galebound Glory is level 97!

Galebound Glory is level 98!

Imara caught her glaive and kicked out, catching Vess in the chest and sending her flying dozens of strides away.

Status Condition: Broken Ribs (Moderate)

Vess groaned, her Health dropped well below half and watched dully as Imara hurled her glaive away and stalked closer.

Vess was dizzy and her weapon was gone, but she refused to back down. Her father was bleeding into the mud and her Companion was unconscious and vulnerable. They could be killed. Would be killed. The Titan—

No. Vess coughed. Not the Titan.

“I know who you are,” Vess said, spitting out blood. She stood, holding tight to her stomach. Her armor was deformed and stabbing at her injured ribs. “Gabrielle.”

Imara paused, that frown returning to her neutral face. “You—How do you know that name?”

“I’ve–ugh—” She stepped forward. “I know your brother.”

“My brother?” Imara blinked, brow furrowing. Confusion sang across her Spirit which even now began to spread out around her like a cloud. “Who—”

“Felix Nevarre.”

No.

Imara gasped as a beam of liquid gold slammed down onto her from above and blasted the earth around her for twenty strides. Vess was blown back, landing on her rear but able to see the faint, gleaming hand that emerged from the sky. It was golden and malformed, with too many fingers and too many joints…but it was the light that concerned her the most. It poured into Imara like rain into parched soil, soaked up without a trace in an instant.

The beam faded, as did the unsettling hand.

“Gabrielle?” Vess asked, struggling back to her feet. “Are you—”

She lifted her gaze and Vess started. The Titan’s eyes gleamed with molten light. Vess shivered. There was no humanity there…only Divine Will.

“Felix Nevarre must die…but you shall fall first.” Imara drew a second blade and both filled the air with wavy distortion as their blades heated to white. “An example must be made for those that defy Him.”

The Titan moved so fast that Vess couldn’t track her, vanishing before instantly appearing before her with swords raised to strike. On The Wing flared within her chest, but for the first time she knew it was too slow. The swords descended—

A concussive wave ripped across the battlefield.

Vess was thrown forward, as was every Dragoon and ally behind her…but the redcloaks fared far worse.

They were blasted back, the wave tearing off helmets and flinging swords, pikes, and axes into the air. Paladins, Inquisitors, and Priests were catapulted dozens of strides back…and Imara was hurled away, swords lost, and tore a trench into the earth as she landed and slid for hundreds of strides.

A System notification appeared before her and everyone else, appearing made out of platinum and covered in scrolling filigree.

All Is Not Lost!

Felix Nevarre Has Reclaimed The Seat And Seal Of Pax'Vrell!

"What?” Vess' father gasped in terror from the ground, and she hurried to his side. He gripped her arms. “I have lost my Authority! Vessilia! What has he done?"

Vess pulled a Healing Elixir from her pack and poured it over her father’s wound, stopping the bleeding. She helped him up. "I am sure it is all a misunderstanding."

All Hail The Inheritor!

All Hail The King of Pax'Vrell!

All Hail Felix Nevarre!

"Vessilia!"

The shout was like thunder at the end of the world. It split the air with its fury and sent a terrible thrill down Vess’ spine.

The walls of Pax’Vrell gleamed in the near distance before they split open. No less than fifty hatches disgorged creatures the size of Pit, made of roots and stone, which leaped from the wall and began charging across the field.

“Janus Hydras,” Vess said in a soft whisper.

They hit the Hierocratic line like nothing she’d ever seen before. A tide of killing constructs, their scythes and clubs demolishing entire squads in a single strike. Fire, sword, and light struck back, tearing off legs and gouging their bodies…only to have them regrow in moments.

Felix burst out of the Citadel in a blast of lightning, sword in hand and trailing a streamer of cosmic flame. He shot through the sky, and his voice thundered. “Pathless! Your fight is with me!”

Her father squinted toward Felix as he blew past them and landed amid the heaviest part of the battle. Priests, Paladins, and Inquisitors went flying. "I believe...I may forgive your suitor.”

"Ah," Vess said, breathing heavily. "Good.”

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