Unbound

Alister was having a rough day.

It was an arduous trip across the Shadowgate where they faced more than a few Voidbeasts—weak things called Tenebrils—they finally breached the portal into Haestus Temple after several long glasses. In local time, however, his journey had taken less than one. Beaten and bruised, his soldiers had gone to rest, but Alister had not been so lucky.

The Deepking, Kar'casitrix of the Abyssal Shores, had requested a meeting.

While the king of the Nagafolk had a presence that could strangle the very air around them, Kar’casitrix remained relatively humble during their interaction. It seemed the Deepking was still quite sorrowful that he’d been tricked by the Fathom. If Felix had come to himself, Alister had no doubt the Abyssal Serpent would have groveled at his feet. Thankfully, it never came to that. Instead, Alister spent an inordinate amount of time in a meeting, calming tempers with the Deepking’s circle of warriors. All of them were still incensed that the surface-dwellers would capture their kin, let alone the warriors of the Returned God. Alister spoke at length, explaining what he was planning to do with each warrior, and even gained several levels in Diplomacy. By the end of it, after being up for over a day in relative time, Alister wanted nothing more than a meal and sleep. Naturally that was when they received a message from the surface.

The Knights Ghreldan demanded a meeting of their own.

How they were aware of Alister’s arrival was unknown, but it was clear they were, so there was little choice but to gather his people and set out for their first official meeting.

All of that led to him standing on the docks of a small town to the north of Temple Haestus. Alister wasn’t sure of its name, but it was quaint behind its tall, thick walls. The weather was perfect too. It was warm and breezy, with just enough humidity coming off the lakes to cut through the hot southern sun. Alister would have enjoyed himself were it not for the two hundred Knights Ghreldan and several dozen mages from the Gallant Lotus Society.

"Are you ready, sir?" the Claw Captain asked him. She was a burly Orc by the name of Nera, and she watched the forces before them with a cautious, calculating eye.

"I certainly better be," Alister said. At his back were his own Legionnaires and Nagafolk. A hundred of the former, and two hundred of the latter. The two sides were fairly equal, as far as Alister could tell. In Temper and Tier, they all hovered around the Journeyman range, with only a few pushing into Adept. Those few included Alister, and the Knight-Commander that faced him down.

Knight Commander Etriska Lavin. Alister recognized her from Bogfeld, when they had saved that half-sunken town. She stood at the bottom of a gangplank connected to a large ship that was anchored at the other side of the docks. Flags whipped off the masts and prow, displaying a sword and fish—the heraldry of Prince Tevin. The woman considered Alister, tilting her head in familiarity. "I recognize you, Alister Knacht, yes? Companion of the Autarch of Nagast."

"One of them, yes. I apologize that he could not be here himself, but the Autarch is otherwise occupied. I am authorized to act as an agent of the Autarch in his stead."

"Hm, very well. Prince Tevin is eager to speak with you. Come with me." She spun on her heel, clearly about to walk back up the gangplank.

Alister did not move. "What of my soldiers?"

Lavin glanced back at him and frowned. "They must remain behind.”

Nera drew up close with her hand on her weapon and the Legion followed suit. The Nagafolk, on loan from Haestus, were less subtle. They bared their fangs and hissed. The Knights aboard the ship shifted.

Alister simply smiled. "That would not be ideal."

The Knight-Commander scowled at his Legionnaires, but waved down her own Knights. The sound of weapons being resheathed filled the air for a half-moment. "There is no room on the ship for all of your people,” she said.

"We can make our own way."

As if his words were a summons, the water behind Alister burst apart. Kar'casitrix of the Abyssal Shores emerged from the depths, sending a small wave rushing over the docks. The Knights cried out in alarm, but no one activated a Skill. For that, Alister was grateful. He was barely holding on to the situation as it stood. If violence broke out, things would spiral quickly.

"The Deepking will assist us," Alister said.

The Knight-Commander blanched, but managed a tight nod. "Very well. Follow us."

For a time, they traveled with the Knight-Commander's ship leading the way. Alister and all of his Legionnaires rode atop the Deepking and his Nagafolk warriors, cutting through the ship’s wake with an ease that disturbed more than one Knight aboard. Inwardly, Alister was quite pleased with how much the Nagafolk upset the Prince’s men; it gave him an opening to leverage. Surely their people would not risk open war with a beast of such magnitude.

The Ghreldan Hills were beautiful country, a fact that Alister hadn’t quite been able to appreciate the last time he was there. He wasn’t exactly primed to take it in now either, but at least the warm wind in his hair was enjoyable. The lakes were dark and deep—more so now that much of the land had been flooded due to Ahkestria’s sudden sea. Some of that had leveled out, but Alister could still spot the remains of trees that had been completely submerged. Despite it all, the shoreline, which they never quite left, was green and full of wildlife. Insects buzzed in the air, and it truly felt like late spring.

Blind gods, but I am tired.

After perhaps a glass and a half, the ship began to slow and their destination appeared beyond the bend of the lake shore. A sprawling palace, festooned with blue and green banners featuring the sword and fish as well as the symbols of an open lily in green and gold. The First Redoubt of the Knights Ghreldan.

As they drew nearer, Alistair could tell that despite its sprawling size and expansive grounds, the place was in a state of disrepair. The walls were sturdy and well-maintained, but the buildings they could see, the tips of towers and the inner manor, looked distressed and weathered. From the flash of detailed sigaldry atop the crenelations, Alister could tell the place was shielded, much as Bogfeld had been. That seemed like the extent of its sophistication, however.

Behind a protective jetty—littered with more sigaldry—were the overbuilt docks, and it was here that the Knight-Commander’s ship weighed anchor. Alister and his people settled on the opposite side of the wide dock, and the Deep King pulled them up to the very edge before raising his body so Alistair and others could dismount in comfort.

“Thank you, Kar'casitrix,” Alister said, bowing low. “You have honored us with your assistance.”

The Deepking growled affably, but Alister did not mistake the sheer power in his voice alone. As the knights and mages disembarked their ship, the gargantuan Abyssal Serpent leaned his ship-sized head down, until it was level with Alister. "I will be waiting here in the water for your safe return."

Alistair could feel the Spirits of the knights growl and shiver at that pronouncement, and even he couldn't help getting goosebumps from the naked threat in the Abyssal Serpent's tone.

Not bad. Alistair was impressed by the move. It wasn’t subtle, but it would go a long way toward reminding the Knights and Gallants of who exactly had the power in the waters of Ghreldan.

“Sir?” Knight-Commander Lavin stood a short distance away, staring pointedly at him. “When you are ready.”

Alister put on his widest smile as the Deepking loudly retreated into the depths. "Lead the way, Knight-Commander."

The Knight-Commander led Alister and his legion across the long, reinforced docks and onto a pier that soon resolved into a series of low, fortified buildings. These buildings were closed up, the windows boarded, and there wasn't a soul in sight.

Alister had to assume they were part of some market that had dried up a long time ago. The lack of people might have been due to the monsters, but based on the weathering on the buildings around him, Alister was fairly certain the root cause was economic. Trade dried up? I’ve heard that the princes are constantly warring, and with Tevin trapped between its neighbors with only Ahkestria to the south, they might have been unable to trade. That had changed, now that Ahkestria was flooded and Felix had taken control of the Territory, but the wheels of commerce were often slow to spin.

The knights led them down a short, potholed road to the tall gates of the Redoubt. The gates opened as they approached, a portcullis lifting slowly by hand winch, and beyond that, a thick wooden door reinforced with high steel was pulled creakingly open to reveal an inner courtyard lush with gardens.

A wall of sensation hit Alister as he entered. First were the vibrant scents of ripe fruits and flowers, followed closely by the buzzing of insects and the soft chittering of small, furry creatures that crept among the branches, hidden by emerald leaves. Within the garden there were groves where stones were laid in curious circles and plants grew in riots of color around them. A pair of streams came through the grounds, appearing out of the ground near the north and south ends before lazily coursing through the entire garden. River-smooth stones turned their expanse into a babbling brook, setting a soft, beautiful murmuring throughout the place.

The Knights and Gallants split off, many of them departing down separate paths through the garden and into distant buildings. Nera watched them intently. “I don’t trust this, sir.”

“Stay on your toes,” Alister suggested. “We are guests—”

“Until we aren’t,” Nera finished with a nod. She gave a few handsigned instructions to her lieutenants and the Legionnaires shifted their formation slightly.

The Knight-Commander, now stripped of most of her escort, led Alister and his people into the very center of the garden. There was a grove there, open to the sunlit morning sky above and surrounded by pale white trees with fluttering, green-gold leaves. That brook snaked through the center, but two delicately designed bridges spanned the modest gap, and large flat stones provided multiple pathways through and out of the garden.

A Human man was there, wearing golden robes belted with a jewel-studded silver band. He appeared older than Alister by at least a few decades, but he had a slenderness that suggested a proper diet, combat training, and a solid Temper. His gray-flecked brown hair was long, hanging about his shoulders, but he pushed it back behind a single ear as he spotted their company enter.

“Ah, Knight-Commander. You have returned quite swiftly.” He smiled an easy grin, showing off perfectly shaped teeth and a nest of wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. For all his apparent age, he exuded a youthful excitement. “Ah! And you have brought with you a prize!”

The man strode forward, crossing one of the bridges rapidly. As he did so the golden robes split, revealing an ornately designed breastplate and military style trousers and boots. The breastplate was even decorated with medals and ribbons. Too many, as if the prince were playing the part of a general or a war leader.

"Welcome, welcome! I do believe we have not been introduced. I am Prince Tevin of the Ghrelden Hills, third prince of the Splintered Kingdom."

Alister inclined his head. "It is my pleasure to meet you."

"I’m sure it is!” The prince laughed. “It is fine to meet you as well. I am quite eager to speak with a true representative of the Fiend himself—” His smile vanished, suddenly replaced by concern. “Oh, where are my manners? Do your men require refreshment? Imagine it has been a grueling journey, and I understand that you only arrived within the day.”

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“I think—” Alister started, but the prince kept talking.

“They are welcome to take their leisure here in the gardens.” He craned his neck as if to address the Legionnaires. “Feel free to eat any creatures you can catch, or the fruit on the trees. That's all for the picking. Everything is edible. I designed it that way.”

“That would be appreciated—”

“I do plan on having an afternoon repast shortly, but our men would likely find it frightfully boring. And in a few glasses I will be providing a magnificent dinner for all of your men. And women, of course, and women."

Alister cleared his throat. "That is very generous of you, Prince Tevin. Before any of that, however, I would like to speak with you about the reason we are here—"

"Of course, of course, yes,” the prince said, once again running right over Alister’s words. That boyish charm and excitement seemed to infect the man’s conversational skills. “Let us walk, shall we?”

Allowing himself to be led forward, Alister and Nera walked alongside the prince and Knight-Commander. Tevin led them down another garden path and the colors of the trees changed, until they were walking beneath a purpled canopy. The prince did not stop talking even once.

“Yes, I truly wanted the Autarch himself to attend, but I understand if he is busy. We rulers, well, we have a lot on our plates, don't we?”

“Indeed.”

“I am only sorry that I missed him when he passed through my Territory a few months ago. I'm very impressed with the way Nagast has thrown off Hierocratic rule. Inspired, even.” Tevin let out a deep sigh. “It is an achievement I find myself quite envious of, in fact.”

“The weight of the Hierocracy is great,” Alister said. He didn’t know what the prince was angling for, but he was curious to find out. “The benefits of their rule are many, for those at the top.”

“Indeed, but only those at the top. All others are considered little more than inconveniences. The provinces of the Shattered Kingdom are arranged in a similar manner. Though the Hierocracy rules us, it only truly benefits Prince Garin’s province. All the rest of us must fight over the scraps he sees fit to leave behind.” For once, the prince’s tone hardened, but it passed like a cloud over the sun. “Your Autarch has the right idea.”

“It was not one he made lightly,” Alister said. “It was forced upon us, more than anything.”

Tevin nodded wisely. “Such is the way of things, is it not? Change is never voluntary. It must be seized. I would do the same, but my province is without a true army like your Legion.”

“What of the Knights Ghreldan?”

“My province has the smallest portion of Knights in all the Shattered Kingdom. My cousins bear their own Knights, and their own versions of my Gallant Lotus Society too. Apart from a matter of equal arms, the Knights refuse to fight one another. Isn’t that right, Lavin?”

The Knight-Commander dipped her chin, though Alister noticed her jaw was clenched tightly. “We shall never raise our weapons against our own order, or our sister orders.”

“You see?” Tevin gestured to her as if complaining about a recalcitrant child. “Intractable. So, all conflicts between my cousins and I are forced to be resolved by third parties.”

“Mercenaries,” Alister translated.

“Precisely. And to fight the Hierocracy? I would require unimaginably deep pockets to secure a strong enough army.”

“Can the other princes not band together to drive the Hierocracy out of the Territory?"

"Let me answer that with another question,” Tevin said. “In the event that we won, who would gain Authority over the Territory?"

Alister frowned. "I see."

"Yes, I believe you do. The nine of us jockey for power with every waking breath. That struggle was fed to us with our mother's milk. It is all we know. All we can hope to be. But with the Fiend as my backer, I could unite these people. I know it.”

A euphoric smile spread across the prince’s face, but his Spirit was a riot of anger and eagerness that almost turned Alister’s stomach. “I could bring true prosperity back to our Territory and reforge ourselves into the kingdom we once were."

"You expect the Autarch to back your claim for the Shattered Kingdom?"

"That is what I wish," Prince Tevin said. "It is why I was eager to negotiate with him, or," he said, gesturing to Alister, "his representative. I'm sure we can come to some agreement."

Alister had been prepared for that eventuality. They had known Prince Tevin wished to form an alliance, including that he’d want backing against the other provinces. He had come prepared. "What exactly would you require from Nagast?”

“Arms, armor, and alchemical support. I have heard from my men that your potions are quite potent, as well as available in large quantities. Very useful.” Tevin tapped his lips. “But most of all, we need soldiers. My cousins have grown avaricious in light of the floods that damaged my lands, and already camps of mercenaries harry the edges of my province. The Knights hold them at bay, but they are not enough."

Alister hesitated, thinking things through. He wasn't keen on committing his friend's fledgling nation to fight the Hierocracy on yet another front. They had quite a bit to deal with on their own, not to mention whatever Felix was doing now, far from their borders. “Arms and armor are something we can trade to you, certainly. As are potions. Combatants, however, are in short supply all over the Continent.”

“If I were supplied with enough men, I could do without all the rest,” Tevin insisted. “I would require at least five thousand soldiers, Journeyman Tier or above, in order to stand a chance against the might of my cousins, let alone the Hierocracy.”

“That…that number is unrealistic,” Alister said carefully. They had several thousand Legionnaires, and the number grew daily, but five thousand would rob Elderthrone of more than half its army. “I cannot commit to it.”

“I see. I have heard a great deal about the Blue Eyed Fiend, Lord Knacht. That he defied entire armies of Paladins and Inquisitors. That he defeated monsters the likes of which even the Hierocracy would struggle against. How could Nagast have achieved such things if you did not have forces beyond measure? Or were those all lies? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“You have heard correctly, Prince Tevin. But while our Legion is powerful, the Autarch and his inner council often lead from the front, and they are incredibly strong. Alone, I do not doubt he would demolish anything the other princes might throw at him. Without him, however, we are left to handle things a bit more conservatively.”

“Then bring him here. Or does he not care about his people?”

Alister frowned. “It is not a matter of care. I assure you he cares deeply about the well-being of everyone under his protection. He is unable to make the journey here, and that is the end of it.”

Tevin pursed his lips. “I require more from you. I cannot do this alone.”

"We do oppose the Hierocracy, you are correct there. We have fought them, and we have kept them from our Territory. But what you are speaking of is the wholesale destruction of your neighbors. Your cousins, as you have said. Is there truly no way to find peace among your family?"

Prince Tevin shook his head. "There is no peace. For any of us to bend the knee to the other—it is impossible. The only option is to crush my kin, take what is rightfully mine, and then take back the Territory and Authority from the Hierophant's hands. Is that not something that the Fiend would be interested in?"

“He would be, but we cannot offer you what you want.”

The prince's affable face flattened, his expression becoming almost neutral. "I see. Come with me. Lord Knacht, I wish to show you something."

Prince Tevin and the Knight-Commander led Alister and Nera through the halls of the Redoubt. He walked with a purpose, a swiftness that betrayed a sort of eagerness in the prince that Alister found upsetting. The interior of the palace of the Redoubt was truly palatial, especially compared to the worn walls and roofs. They passed through chamber after chamber, each covered in ornate rugs, tapestries, and furniture hewn from beautiful woods and stone. Mana crystal sculptures dotted the hallways, each one designed to resemble some heroic human figure, and miniature gardens appeared between rooms like tiny woodland paradises.

Finally, though, the prince led them through an open-air passage—a bridge with arches allowing views onto the grounds below. The prince paused here, and Alister looked out over what appeared to be a small quarry within the Redoubt itself.

"Before we go to our refreshments, I wanted to show you this," the prince said. He gestured for Alister to step closer to the edge, and cautiously the mage did so. Below, he saw what he expected. A quarry, one that was mining some sort of high-tier stone. Yet it was the people that worked the quarry that captured his attention.

All wore a familiar blue coat, each marked with the crowned eye of Nagast.

They struggled, using picks and tools to break the stone and shoving it into carts, which others then pulled across the quarry to some sort of lift operated by the Knights Ghreldan. Worst of all, every single one of them was wearing an elission collar, a device meant to block their access to their Skills.

Alister clenched his jaw, unable to find the right words.

"It is quite fortunate to find a repository of such high-Tier stone within the Redoubt," the prince said. "Your associates have been quite helpful in extracting it for us."

Alister swallowed, careful to hold his hands down to his sides. If he lifted them, he was unsure what he would do. “You’ve collared my people and put them to work? I thought you had simply detained them.”

“Your anger is misplaced, Lord Knacht. The collars are security measures and common across the Continent. They’re properly fed and treated for any injuries they accrue. I am not a monster.”

"And what of the cages?"

"Ah, for the snakes, you mean." Tevin waved a hand carelessly toward a collection of them at the far end of the quarry. Alister had spotted the Nagafolk coiled up within them, three or four crowded into a single space too small by half. "It is for their own protection. The monsters kept trying to bite my men."

Alister sent his Analyze Skill weaving across the men and women and naga folk, hoping to find all of them well. From this distance he couldn't quite capture all of their statuses, none seemed more harmed than a few superficial bruises and incredibly low stamina. All of them were clearly exhausted. A few looked up, spotting him on the bridge and pausing in their duties, which only led to the knights guarding them to step in, hands on their weapons. The captured soldiers flinched before they continued working. Alister's stomach twisted.

"Why have you done this?" he asked.

"They were on my lands without my permission. I have the Authority here, not a monster in the depths. And not an Autarch a thousand leagues away."

"Is this how you would rule, were Nagast to aid you?" Alister asked. "With enslavement?"

"Whatever it takes," the prince said, the boyish gleam in his eye taking on a darker glint. "One cannot have a conscience when defending one's people. The Shattered Kingdom is hurting due to the conflicts between my cousins while the Hierocracy bleeds us dry with its tithes. I cannot rule my province like this any longer. Bold action must be taken, Lord Knacht."

"Bold action," Alister repeated. "Do you truly expect our cooperation after showing me this?"

"No, I knew I had lost you already. This is but a taste," Tevin said, gesturing at the far doors. They opened with a resounding crash. "This, however, is the full meal."

Despite himself, Alister was drawn to look into the chamber beyond the covered walkway. It was a set of circular walls around yet another small garden, though this one was ringed with guards. A strange silver root protruded up through the ground, and sigils marred the soft earth like jagged wounds.

Alister stepped closer. A trio of rods were thrust through the root, each one made up of pure orichalcum. The guards bore armor with the symbol of a green gold lotus on the chest, and they watched Alister with calm, calculating eyes.

"What is this?" he asked. He couldn't make out all of the array carved into the earth, but it was clearly a method of binding.

"Summon him," Tevin ordered.

The thirteen Gallants brought their Mana to bear on the rods, and they lit up with liquid light. The rods vibrated in the root, each length shaking so hard that Alister thought they would tear themselves free. Instead, a sound like a buzzing crash emitted from them and the array. A cacophony of awful, shearing noise sliced at the very air to reveal vision into a dark, watery place. The image soon vanished, however, and in its place was a very tall, dark-skinned man hovering above the silver root. He wore strangely woven robes that were tight about his torso and loose below the hips, but his scholarly hands clutched tightly against glowing, ephemeral chains that criss crossed his body.

The chains were attached to the rods themselves.

Alister recognized him, though he'd never met the spirit. Paxus.

“Release me, humans." Paxus, the Spirit of a Nymean scholar, bound Companion of the Abundance Anima, stared daggers at the prince and Alister both. "You will not gain anything from my continued capture."

"Silent spirit, your betters are talking." The array flared, and Paxus writhed in sudden pain. Tevin looked at the spirit proudly, like a man at a piece of prized furniture. "It was quite a thing, manifesting this spirit here, but once we learned of why these roots were migrating around my Territory, I had to put a stop to it. This is foreign interference, after all, and I understand the Autarch is the one who set it in motion, is he not?"

Alister said nothing.

"The way I see it, Lord Knacht, is that your Autarch has as much to answer for in my Territory. From this to the flooding of Ahkestria, he is responsible for the death of thousands and the destruction of a vast quantity of property. My property." Tevin glared at Alister, and the facade of the cheerful man finally vanished entirely. "I would see it repaid. With interest."

Without a hitch, the man's affable mask returned. "I shall let you think on your decision," the prince said lightly. "Come, a fine meal will do us both a good turn. I hear the fish they've prepared is excellent." The prince walked out to rejoined his Knight-Commander.

Alister could do little else but follow.

For now.

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