Unbound

“This is the place?” Archie asked, his thick eyebrows lifted to the brim of his cap. “Swanky.”

“Mm,” Felix grunted. “Cost an arm and a leg too.”

“Oh? So you’re rich, huh?”

Felix just smiled and gestured across the courtyard, leading his shaky ally onto the wide steps of the Torrent’s Rest.

Getting Archibald—he preferred Archie—back to the inn hadn’t been easy. Felix had been quizzed by the Gnome repeatedly on Earth-based trivia, pummelled with question after question about where he came from. It was harmless, and it apparently put the guy at ease, so Felix answered as best he could. Whenever the guy dipped into pop culture though, Felix could only vaguely guess. He’d never paid enough attention to all that stuff.

In contrast, Archie answered very little. Other than operating in some sort of vaguely criminal capacity and running from the Titan, he didn’t go into his life on the Continent or back on Earth.

All Felix really learned was the guy’s appearance. He was short, a hair over three feet tall, with a build that was lean rather than portly like many Gnomes Felix had encountered. He had a curly gray mop of hair beneath a floppy sort of newsboy cap, pulled low so that it practically met his eyebrows. His square face was dominated by a bulbous nose and a pair of thick, heavily tinted goggles, while his jawline was framed by a neatly groomed black beard. Handsome, in a Gnomish sort of way.

Other than a set of flexible leathers that were steeped in earth Mana, he wasn’t carrying anything particularly powerful on his person either. Pouches at his waist were full of thin rods and hooks—thieves tools, if Felix had to guess—and a smattering of silver coins. There were also the dark goggles he never removed, but they weren’t enchanted—Felix could tell that much even without using his Voracious Eye. And he wasn’t going to, at least not yet. Light as his Analyze Skill was, his consideration could be felt. Archie was skittish enough already, he didn’t want to chase the guy off. It was easier and more polite to just talk, for now.

They entered the inn to the sound of a rowdy song being belted at the top of powerful lungs. It was a wall of pure noise, clad in only the barest veneer of melody. The crowd of patrons singing were still primarily wealthy merchants, but they were supplemented by a core of cloaked figures bearing a burning eye upon their backs. At the center, however, perched atop the bar and howling with every ounce of their souls, were three very familiar faces.

Felix groaned. Evie, Beef, and Pit crooned to the dulcet tones of a Hobgoblin bard near the fireplace, their singing almost a crime against the very concept of sound. The crowd was not much better.

Beef met his eyes first, flicked to the side, and his giant mouth abruptly snapped shut. He fumbled, smacking into Evie with a meaty fist, which caused her to almost tumble off the top of the bar. She shouted something inaudible over the racket, but Beef grabbed her cheeks and pointed her face at Felix and Archie. She cursed.

Felix could almost hear the words. Noctis’ tits.

Pit was the last to know, and he kept howling even after Evie picked him up and carried him with her across the tavern. The Claw and other patrons slowed for a moment, but then the bard struck up a new song, this one faster and wilder than the last. Cheers and clinking mugs filled the air, and no one bothered to look toward Felix and his guest.

“Friends of yours?” Archie asked, as the three neared.

“Yes.” Felix started up the stairs. “Come on. My rooms are on the top floor.”

Archie followed, eyes almost boring into Felix’s back, but he hustled a bit when Beef and Evie brought up the rear. After a single flight, the sound below was muffled to a dull roar, and afte the second it had vanished completely.

“Out for some night huntin’?” Evie asked. Pit wriggled out of her grasp, landed heavily on the ground and ran to Felix’s feet.

“Had a lead. Took a chance,” Felix said with a shrug. “Evie, Beef, Pit. Meet Archie.”

The Gnome raised his eyebrows at the introduction, perhaps at being introduced to a Dire Hound, but pivoted smoothly. “Charmed. Enchanted, even. Evie. That is a beautiful name to fit a beautiful woman.”

Evie snorted. “He’s got a mouth.”

“More than that, sweetheart. They call me Silvertongue for a reason.”

Evie produced a dagger from somewhere, letting it dance across her knuckles. “Wanna lose it?”

Archie blanched, but his Spirit remained undaunted. Intrigued, even. Felix rolled his eyes and resumed walking upstairs.

“This the guy?” Beef asked.

“This is the guy,” Felix confirmed. “No more questions until we’re in my room.”

Wait up! These stairs are hard in this form, Pit complained.

Then change back.

Not enough room. Oh! Idea.

Pit suddenly scrabbled past them all, and Felix felt a curious echo in his gut.

“What the shit is that?” Archie all but screamed, shoving a glowing hand toward Pit.

Felix grasped his arm, lifting it up. “That is my friend. Don’t hurt him.”

“That—that isn’t a friend,” the Gnome hissed, unable to take his eyes off the Chimera. “That’s a nightmare.”

“What?” Pit asked, looking down at himself. He resembled nothing so much as a dog crossed with a cursed insect. He’d used Sovereign of Flesh to fashion strange, temporary limbs that looked an awful lot like Felix’s scaled arms. “This is faster, and I’m still small. Win, win.”

“It can talk?!”

Claw members peeked out of their rooms, eyes widening at the procession. A few saluted as Felix passed, but most were watching the Gnome, and their Spirits soared with confusion, alarm, and, eventually, triumph.

“Enough. Into my rooms, everyone.”

Felix ushered them across the fourth floor and into the wide door to his suite. He breathed easier once it clicked shut behind him. He looked to Pit, who had returned to his normal Dire Hound form.

What was that? I thought you couldn’t use my Sovereign of Flesh well?

Been practicing. Pit let out a little whine, his golden eyes half closing. Hurts though. Can’t shake the wounds, even with your Skill.

That soured the excitement Felix felt, but only a bit. Well it’s good news anyway. You—Did you use my stockpile of Essence?

Pit just gave him a wide, doggy grin.

“Are you going to introduce us to your new friend?” Vess asked.

Felix wiped the frown from his face and focused on everyone else in the room. Archie was standing only a few feet from him, trapped between the door and an array of strangers. Aside from Pit, Evie, and Beef who had spread to either side, Harn, Vess, and Laur had stepped away from a low table near the fireplace. Vess was still wearing only her gambeson, but her fingers twitched uneasily and Harn’s scowl was loud enough to wake the dead. Laur, on the other hand, looked elated.

“Everyone, this is Archie. Archie, everyone.”

The Gnome gave a small, humorless grin. “Lotta people in here.”

“Big rooms,” Evie quipped.

“Is he—?”

“He is, Laur,” Felix answered quickly. “Archie is the Unbound we’ve been looking for.”

Harn grunted. “That was stone simple. You trip over him on your walk?”

“Is that a jab at my height, ugly?” Archie shot back. “Or—no. Face that busted up means you’re real familiar with tripping, I’d guess.”

“Hah,” Harn barked. “If you’re going for a dig, best bring a shovel kid. Or else I’ll bury ya.”

The Gnome snorted, letting the comment slide. “So you’re the heroes set against the mighty Hierocracy?”

“I never called us heroes,” Felix said. “Just people trying to do the right thing.”

“And that means fight the big bad fascist theocracy?”

“Yeah. It does.”

Archie scoffed. “Right. Well, anyone willing to shield me from the Titan is worth giving a chance.”

“A chance?” Vess asked. “Felix?”

“We’ve talked. Archie is interested in hearing us out before he makes any large, life-altering decisions.”

“That is…fair.” She regarded the Unbound with her gold-flecked eyes. “What do you need to know?”

Felix stood a bit apart from the group as Archie spoke with each of them in turn, learning more about Nagast with every question. The night had still been young when they’d arrived, but now it stretched closer and closer to midnight. The Gnome was sitting close to Evie and Vess, with Laur practically hovering over him. If that made Archie uncomfortable Felix couldn’t tell, but what was clear was his nervousness around Pit. The guy kept his distance from the russet-furred pup, his goggled-eyes twitching toward Pit every few minutes. Pit thought it was funny.

Next to Felix, Harn stood and regarded their new arrival, his eyes hooded and a finger to his lips. “I don’t like him.”

“I gathered as much. Why?”

Harn grunted, letting his hand drop to his side. “He’s shifty. Nervous.”

“I’d be too, with what he’s been through.”

“It’s more than that. He’s workin’ an angle.”

Felix frowned. “What angle? He either comes with us or he doesn’t. That’s pretty cut and dry.”

“To you, maybe. But I’ve seen folks like him before. He’s cornered, and he knows it.” Harn picked up a drumstick of some monstrous bird, long gone cold, and bit into it. “He’s eyed the windows and door sixteen times in the last quarter glass.”

Huh. Felix wasn’t exactly ready to trust the Gnome with his life, but he’d felt the man was fairly straightforward. Cautious, certainly, but that was reasonable. On top of that, the Gnome’s Spirit had remained steady all evening, with only the faintest of notes to indicate curiosity, annoyance, and amusement. He seemed more or less at ease.

Across the room, Laur leaned over the Gnome, his wide Elven eyes intense. “You are remarkably in tune with the song around you, Archibald. Are you using a Skill right now?”

“...No.”

“Fascinating.”

> Vess signed to Felix.

Felix narrowed his eyes. Archie, however, continued to speak. “I noticed your map, there. You all got plans for Birchstone?”

A map of the city was laid out on one of the low tables, and impromptu wooden markers—chipped off pieces of firewood—were set around it.

“Just plottin’ out a nice stroll,” Evie said.

“Planning on walking into the mountain?” The Gnome picked up one of the wood chips, which was situated at the apex of the city. “Sad to say, they’ve gotten real tight on security there. Won’t let just anybody in. Though…you’re a king, right?”

“Territorial Lord,” Felix corrected.

Archie waved his hand dismissively. “Sure, that. Gotta believe the Highbloods wouldn’t wanna turn you away.”

“Could be.”

“They’d be dumb if they didn’t. Felix is like, mega important,” Beef added. “We might be strong, but he’s doing straight-up endgame content.”

Archie gave the Minotaur a tight smile, and Felix could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. “Endgame, huh? So you’re after something in the Clan Hold?”

Beef opened his mouth to answer, but Felix cut him off. “That’s not important right now.”

“Sounds important to me. And considering the protection you’re promising me, I think that means I should at least have an inkling. Right?”

“It’s unrelated to you or the woman hunting you,” Felix insisted, firmly. He was fine with Archie asking questions, but until he joined up with them, Felix wasn’t in a hurry to share everything.

Archie raised his hands, reading the mood. “Answer me this, at least: how’d you find me? I put a lot of effort in staying out of sight. Maybe that’ll answer how that enormous bitch keeps tracking me down too.”

“We’re connected,” Felix said.

Archie raised an eyebrow. “Like…our horoscopes? Sorry, but I don’t believe in that shit.”

“Believe or not, there are things here that don’t have much in the way of Earthly explanations. I found your general location through our connection. If Imara is as capable as I believe, she might have a similar ability.”

“Wonderful,” Archie said, dryly. “I spent a fistful of crowns on enchantments to keep me hidden. Glad to know I wasted my money.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Felix said, new details slotting into his understanding. “Our connection is fuzzy and dim, like a bad phone call. So they’re doing something.”

“That’s…comforting, I suppose. But that means the Titan could find me at any moment, right?”

“I doubt it, or else she would have already,” Vess said.

“Hasn’t she burned down like a grip of towns? She ain’t subtle.”

“As subtle as a hurricane,” Archie agreed, somewhat grimly. “So she’ll find me, sooner or later. Cart me off to the Hierophant and whatever bullshit they want.”

“Not if I can help it,” Felix said, stepping closer. Archie flinched ever so slightly, eyes turning toward the fireplace. “We’re fighting against the Hierophant and all of her plans. That’s what we’ve been doing for months.”

Beef puffed up his chest. “We save people.”

Felix nodded. “If you agree, we’ll bring you with us.”

“To Nagast. This magical safehaven.” Archie’s eyes widened and he snapped his fingers. “That’s where I know your name. I saw that notification when you claimed it.”

“That’s me, yeah.”

“How safe is this Territory?” the Gnome asked.

“Safest place around,” Evie confirmed. “Hierophant is pissing her robes thinkin’ about attacking us again.”

“An exaggeration, but not without merit,” Vess said. “The protections of Nagast are many, not the least of which is a powerful and growing army.”

“And some sorta Unbound powerhouse, eh?” Archie said, eyeing Felix.

“Two,” Beef said, chest still puffed out.

The Gnome looked at the Minotaur. “Huh. You…?”

Beef flexed, his shoulders and biceps bigger than Felix’s head. “Oh yeah.”

“Shit. I knew I shoulda picked a brawnier Race. Instead I got this,” Archie said, holding his arms out as if to display his small form.

Harn grunted. “What’s wrong with bein’ a Gnome? Smart, clever with magic, and fast too. Coulda gotten a lot worse.”

Archie frowned. “I’m not a Gnome.”

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