Unbound

“Aw man, I’m stuck.” Chitin groaned, buckling under the weight of Pit’s huge new Body. “Why’d they make these doors so narrow?”

Felix shrugged. “I told you. Want me to break it?”

“Ah, hold on! I made that when you were a LOT smaller,” Beef said, lifting his hands. Brown-green Mana flowed from his palms and into the hut. It softened and shifted, folding over itself until the doorway was big enough for Pit to squeeze through.

He stepped out and stretched. Four wings shot out for the first time, unveiling their absolutely massive size. It was like a shadow had crossed over the three moons in the sky, darkening the camp and all the people in it.

“Shit. You’re a tank,” Beef said, eyes wide and mouth open. “Your wingspan’s gotta be like fifty feet.”

“They are beautiful,” Vess said. “Those colors running through your plumage are so vivid.”

Evie crouched low to inspect Pit’s feet. “Look at those paws! You look like you could take on a whole army by yourself.”

Pit preened under the attention and Felix indulged in a proud smile. He’d worked hard for that Evolution and earned every bit of his reward.

Felix walked over to Laur and Tzfell, who were standing further back than the others. “Chanters.”

“Mhm. Finally got a weight off my chest.” Felix noticed that many of their injuries were gone or significantly smaller. “How long was I out?”

“Two days,” Laur said.

Felix ran his hand through his hair. “No sign of pursuit?”

“From the Master Tier monsters, the Dwarves, or the armies of the Pathless?” Tzfell asked.

“Surprise me.”

“No signs on any front. Yintarion and Evie have been regularly scouting the area, and Chanter Laur’s wards have kept us hidden. We are safe.”

Felix grunted. “For now. Personally I’ll feel better when we get moving.” A glimmer of gold caught Felix’s eye as Yin flew by, straight toward Pit.

“You have grown mighty, young one.” Yintarion swam through the air, his long golden body undulating as if through water. He eyed Pit up and down, lingering on his wings. “A powerful Body to suit a powerful new Evolution. What is it called?”

Pit pushed out his chest. “Primordial Storm Tyrant.”

“Primordial, of course. You and your Companion both carry their lineage. Tyrant, though, is not a term I have heard since losing my kin. I once knew a Dragon that had taken an Evolution to become a Flame Tyrant. She was incredibly powerful.”

“Wait til you see what I can do.”

“Oh?”

“Watch this. Mantle of the Stormlord!” Pit’s huge body was once again covered in that swirling blue-green light, but now it arced dangerously between his spread wings. Felix was surprised to find that the flicker of it was soothing to him; like white noise, or whale sounds. Pit waggled his feathered brows, his crest rising. “Eh? What do ya think?”

Evie applauded and Vess smiled wide. Even Yintarion gave an appreciative growl.

“That’s so cool!” Beef said. “Can I touch it?”

“Beef, stop!” Hallow warned him, seconds before Felix could. The Homunculus unwrapped from Beef’s chest to stare at the Minotaur. “Don’t touch the glowing Chimera.”

“That sound…ugh.” Archie held his head, pressing his fingers to his temples. “Just looking at it is giving me a headache.”

Felix hadn’t even noticed the small man’s approach. Or had he been there the whole time?

“He’s sheathed in water, air, ice, and lightning Mana. Maybe others. Not touching him when he has his Mantle on is a smart move,” Felix explained. “Cut if off for now, bud.”

“Aw.” Pit’s shoulder’s slumped, but he listened.

The glow vanished, but so did the ephemeral sense of comfort Felix had felt. Strange.

“So are you this big all the time?” Evie asked. She poked at his bushy tail. “I mean, you’re so soft, but I dunno that you’re gonna fit around our campfire.”

“Hah! Easy fix,” Pit said, voice warbling in genuine amusement. “I just gotta…Oh. Oh no, Felix. My barding is gone!”

Before Pit could panic though, Vess cleared her throat. “We have it, Pit. We took it off of you after you emerged from Felix’s Spirit. It was…smoking.”

She gestured to a pile near the glowing boulder that was the Superior Elemental’s core. Pit shuffled closer, dragging bits of the armor out. “It’s broken. That thing was Master Tier.”

“I’m surprised it lasted so long against the things we fight,” Felix admitted. He pulled the pieces of barding apart, separating them into sections. The helmet had split and the leg armor was almost completely blackened as if from an intense heat. It had been crafted of the same metal the Archon had used to forge his mightiest servants, but Felix supposed it couldn’t have lasted forever. The Archon certainly hadn’t.

“Your new Evolution should be armor enough for now,” Vess said. “Once we have reached Scalebreaker Citadel, I can have new arms and armor made for all of us.”

Pit gave a whistling sigh. “I just feel a little naked without it.”

Felix pulled a chunk of the breastplate free of the pile and dusted it off. The straps were still fixed properly and the central portion had retained its shape. That was the part that bore a glyph molded into the center: three separate sigils—fire, eye, and lightning—deformed and altered to depict the image of a burning eye and surmounted by a nine-pronged crown. In the center of the eye, where the pupil would be, was a blue-green stone the size of Felix’s thumbnail. “Aha. This part is still good. C’mere buddy.”

Pit knelt down, folding his legs beneath his bulk, as Felix got to work looping leather straps and buckles across neck and chest. Once tightened, the half-breastplate stood out against the black and russet red of his fur and feathers, a slightly charred silver and the gemstone.

The Stone of Alloyed Refrain. It granted several benefits, including upgrading any weapon or armor to Master Tier. It also allowed Pit to Mask himself as a Dire Hound puppy. “Hopefully this will be enough. Try it out.”

Pit closed his enormous eyes and concentrated. There was a slightly spark from the armor, but then everything folded in on itself. Light bloomed, not from the process but from the sudden lack of Chimera blocking the moons. In his place, a Dire Hound puppy sat with a happy grin on his face.

“It worked!” Pit cheered, and immediately ran off toward the food. “And I’m still hungry. Got any leftovers?”The others moved away, chatting among themselves and settling back into their places around the campfire. The remains of two other beasts they’d caught and cooked still hung on spits, set off from the fire so they didn’t burn, and Pit sat impatiently next to them while Beef carved off several thick slices. Evie told Vess a joke that made the woman laugh, and Yin flew off her shoulder to alight back on his core.

Felix hung back, watching them all. With Pit finally through his Evolution, he felt something sort of like peace seep into his soul. He breathed deep, tasting spice and woodsmoke. Listened to the relieved laughter of his friends…and the slight grinding of stone on stone.

“Eidolons,” he said into the night.

“Lord Colossus,” the four Eidolons said in near-unison. The web of sigaldry on their chests glowed brightly in the dark.

Eagin stepped around one of the thick trees at the edge of their clearing. “My Lord. You are unharmed from your ordeal?”

“More or less. It was a bit harder on Pit, though.”

“He seems to have emerged stronger.”

Felix grinned. “That’s what we do.”

“I see. Do you have instructions for us, my Lord?”

“Wh—no. Just enjoy yourselves, I guess. Relax. I’ll keep an eye on the camp tonight.”

Eagin traded looks with Orun and the others. It was hard to read their stony expressions, their faces carved from immobile rock, but their Spirits hummed a curious tune. “As you wish, Lord Colossus.”

Felix walked the circumference of their little camp site, keeping his Perception spread in order to spot any threats coming at them from the night. They had traveled a ways down the mountain at some point, but Felix didn’t have a good reference for how far they’d made it while lugging him and Pit. He guessed it wasn’t far at all.

The distance still showed him several other peaks of the Rimefang Mountains, and if he strained himself he could make out clumps of trees in the low valleys and foothills beyond. Mostly he was concerned with the sky; if there were monsters about, they’d likely be flying beasts.

He saw nothing but wind and rustling pines.

What he did find was Archie, sitting atop a large boulder, watching everyone else. His arm was back in a sling and his face was covered in bruises, but his injuries didn’t stop him from tumbling a dagger across the knuckles of his good hand.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you before,” Felix said, causing the Delven to nearly drop his knife.

“Christ, Felix,” he said, clutching at his chest. That turned into a pained wince as the movement pulled at his shoulder. “Someone your size shouldn’t move so quiet. Maybe start wearing a bell.”

“And miss out on all the great reactions?”

“Ha-ha. Yes.” Archie fixed his jacket needlessly, straightening the collar. “Thank you for what?”

“Hm? Oh, for keeping the Dire Bethir off me. Vess told me what you did. Jumping on a monster that strong was very dumb and very brave. So, thank you.”

Archie fiddled with the brass buttons on his coat. “You’re ah, you’re welcome. I guess.”

Felix frowned, staring at the guy’s bandaged shoulder. A faint golden glow pulsed from beneath. “That still hurts right?”

“My wound from that bitch’s knife? It does. I mean, it’s not anything I can’t handle, but your Dwarf friend can’t heal it.” Archie shrugged, his attempt at nonchalance ruined by a grimace of pain. “Just living with it now.”

“Maybe I can fix that,” Felix said. “You mind?”

Archie watched him nervously as Felix dragged his claw across Archie’s bandage. The dressing split, cut easily by his talons, and revealed an inflamed wound covered in glowing lines of golden light. A magical infection. Same as Harn.

“Uh, what’re you gonna do?”

“I should be able to take away the Pathless’ influence. Those lines of gold, there. Hopefully it’ll let it heal normally after that.”

“In that case, go ahead. I haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep since that fight.”

Hunger? You up for eating some Pathless magic?

Yes.

Chthonic Tribute!

Since digesting the Superior Elemental’s power, Hunger’s capacity had returned with a vengeance. She’d proven that in Pit’s core space. Avet couldn’t stop them from eating pieces of his power, and neither would the Coward in White.

A stubborn Will opposed Felix for a moment, but he tore right through it before it could muster up a significant challenge. The golden light in Archie’s flesh streamed out of him, spiraling into Felix’s open mouth and vanishing. It was over in seconds, and the Delven thief was left with a simple, half-healed wound without a trace of inflammation.

“Whoa. You ate it.” Archie tested his arm. He winced, but seemed to be surprised. “It barely hurts at all. You did it.”

“I did. Looks like without the Pathless’ influence, your wound is gonna heal up just fine…but you should go talk to Tzfell, just to be sure.”

“Not a bad idea,” Archie begrudgingly agreed. “Though I gotta admit, I’m not a fan of Dwarves after all my time here. Buncha backstabbin’ cheats.”

“Tzfell is trustworthy.”

“That’s what everyone says, before they’re betrayed.”

With a faint buzzing sound, Archie fell through the boulder and emerged down at ground level. Offering Felix a cocky smirk, he waltzed off, heading toward the Chanters.

Mm. Delicious.

“Save room for dessert.” He flared his Perception, flagging the location of all his friends until he found the one he was looking for. He was asleep, bundled up in a separate chitin hut of his own. “We’ve got one more task tonight.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!