Unbound

Felix rushed to the shoreline, skipping over rocks and trees, all of them overturned, broken apart, and festooned with the gory remains of Jadorak. He was everywhere, and he would have thought it pretty gross if he'd have paid it any mind. Instead, Felix landed atop a thirty-foot tall stone split unevenly down the middle. He scanned the choppy surface of Haestus Lake, searching for his friends.

"C'mon," he muttered. "Pit? Can you—?"

A flash of light heralded Pit's emergence from Felix's Spirit, and the tenku soared off into the air above the lake. Felix's eyes could pick out details hundreds of yards away, but all he saw was whole lot of nothing. Water and torn up seaweed. Pit, however, cries out almost immediately.

There!

Pit pointed a clawed paw at a place further down the shoreline, and with a stone-shattering leap Felix was able to see it too. His friends and their Naga escorts were making landfall.

Adamant Discord!

Lightning burst around him, and Felix took off through the sky, quickly overtaking Pit. The tenku huffed in annoyance and flapped his wings harder, manipulating the air Mana around himself as best as he could. Still, Felix tore past him and landed in a shower of pebbles and outflung muck, just outside the hastily formed perimeter of Legionnaires. Muted shouts rang out, far too late, had Felix been a hostile force.

"Shut up! It's the Autarch," Darius shouted, his voice pitched quietly but just as imposing as if he'd shouted at the top of his lungs. "Felix. You're a sight. Is the other one dead?"

"Yeah," he said, frowning at his dishevelled Garment. He focused, and the material restored itself into a blue-grey tunic and dark black pants. "He didn't give me much choice."

Pit landed, and set a huge spray of swampy water in all directions. The Legionnaires cried out, the Sunken Ward had faded and now they were soaked to their skin. Felix shook his head. "Did we lose anyone?"

"No, thank the gods," Zara said, stomping her way toward them. "Our escorts were more than capable of outpacing them once we'd blunted their claws."

"Good." Felix walked past them both, finding the pale green form of Le'lani and mottled brown of Garox. The Naga were still in the water, though their heads all reached at least twenty feet high. Garox was contemplating the rolling waters.

"Jadorak perished, yes?" the Spirit Naga asked.

"He did. I tried to stop him, but—"

Garox nodded in grim acceptance. “He was a...driven warrior. The Fathom have pushed many of our young ones battle-mad, and Jadorak was no exception. His end was only ever to come in violence.”

Felix frowned at the snake-man, at his placid Spirit in the face of his people's deaths. "What of the others? I'm told most of them got away."

"Yes. But they cannot go far, not before I find them. I promise you, Returned God, they shall pay for this affront." This time Garox's Spirit flared bright and acidic, a song of wild dissonance and frantically plucked notes. "The others will be brought to you, so that you may pass your judgement."

"No! No," Felix said with a cough. "I'll leave that in the capable...coils of the Deepking."

"As you wish, my Lord." Garox bowed so low his upper, humanoid body ran almost parallel with the ground. "If you head further south, you shall find the town of Bogfeld. It is the nearest to this lake and to the southern Stormeater Peaks."

"Stormeater, huh?"

"I do not know where it is you are going, my Lord. Nor am I questioning it. But," and here Garox looked truly upset, his face matching the unease humming across his Spirit. "the dry lands beyond breed death. Fire and dust are all that lives within. A god does not need my warnings, but still, on behalf of my people: tread carefully."

"Oh, uh, sure," Felix said, unnerved by the Spirit Naga's intensity. "I appreciate it."

"We shall guard your Temple with our lives, and the room within," Garox promised. "None shall enter the sealed chamber while we still breathe."

"Right," Felix said. What better way to keep the Shadowgate safe? "I'll be back as soon as I'm able."

"It is as it must be." Garox bowed low again, pressing his smooth, scaled forehead into the dirt. Then, with a soft, sighing rustle he slipped back into the water. In moments, all the Naga were gone.

"Giant snakes," Felix muttered to himself. He turned back to his team. "What's next?"

It took a half hour to get everyone dried, organized and sorted out before they took off at a quick march. More of a trot, really, something that Harn and Darius agreed that the majority of the company would be able to maintain for several hours. For the leadership, it was nothing, and Felix it felt like he was walking when he should be running. A half-dozen times had him pushing harder and harder, with only the cautionary words of Vess or Zara to remind him to slow down.

It was difficult. His dreams of the Minotaur Unbound were etched in his brain, and the sense that the other man was riding the ragged edge remained strong in Felix's Mind. Every delay or break or conversation with snake kings meant they were one step closer to losing the guy, or so it felt.

Essence helped distract him. Processing the consumed pieces of the Sunken Ward took more time than Felix cared to admit—sifting through the power for its unique pattern was a challenge while jogging. Eventually, however, he was able to isolate it from the rest of the devoured Essence, which he sent streaming down to his eternally hungry abyss. The pattern, however, he pressed down into the gleaming, spinning rings of his cores.

New Skill!

Sunken Ward (Rare), Level 1!

A warding designed to protect a target from the hostile environment of the deepest of waters. Duration increases per level, Mana cost decreases per level, number of targets increases per level.

Useful, he mused, taking the marshy path at a steady clip. I'll need to find the time to level this one. Not really sure how often I'll get to use it in the desert, though.

Felix briefly considered leveling it by diving into one of the many pools of swampy water in the surrounding terrain, but the crust of algae and fetid stench put him right off that idea. Sure, maybe the ward would protect him from all that, but at such a low level did he want to risk it? He'd grown far too used to being clean in the last half year, there was little chance of Felix returning to his earliest grimiest days on the Continent. Indeed, just marching through the Ghreldan Hills was proving to be gross enough. The Hills were forested and wet, the very definition of a swamp between the humps of the hills themselves. Paths existed, but they were narrow things stretched between long-standing pools of slimed trees and mossed-over stones the size of pickup trucks. More than once, Felix had heard folks call it the "boglands," which was admittedly pretty funny.

After the second hour at march, Zara approached him, her steps as steady and sure as any among their party. Felix was surprised in part because he couldn't sense that fragility that had dominated her person in recent days. She seemed to have rallied and healed since her arrival in the Foglands, which was for the better.

"Zara."

"Felix."

They ran on a bit longer, both of their Perceptions sweeping the wet, wooded terrain for evidence of threat or civilization. Eventually, Felix cleared his throat. "You said we Unbound were summoned. Right?"

"...Yes," she answered, her voice lingering as if unsure of where he was going with his question. "The Hierophant in Amaranth performed the ritual summoning."

"How was it done?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You plan to bring more Unbound into the Continent?"

"What? No. I'm just trying to get a sense of things. Were there requirements for the ritual? Most I've seen now needed a bunch of monster cores as fuel, but I would think a summoning from across the...galaxy? Universe? I assume it would take a lot more power."

"It would, and did." Zara looked up at the sky, contemplating the darkening clouds. Rain was on the way. "It is one of the reasons why the ritual was discarded in Ages past. The cost was too much for any mortal to bear."

"Any...mortal? So you're saying—"

"The Hierophant tapped into her patron god's divine power in order to fuel the ritual," Zara shook her head. "It is not an option for the rest of us. Only the Pathless remains of the divine pantheon, and he does not grace any but his chosen with power."

"Divine power," Felix muttered. He huffed a breath through his nose. "It keeps coming back to the gods. How'd you stop it then? You said you disrupted the ritual."

"I did not. My...colleague did. Another Chanter spent his life to stop the final portion of the array."

Felix glanced at the Naiad from the corner of his eye. Her face was drawn and her Spirit quiet, but he saw sadness in cast of her eyes and tilt of her head. It wasn't his Affinity or anything supernatural, just a feeling. "He was a friend?"

"He was," she said, and this time yes her eyes were a touch brighter than normal. "But he knew what he was doing. The summoning wasn't stopped, just diverted so that the Hierophant couldn't get their hands on you all."

"Because you need us," Felix said quietly. "For the Ruin."

Zara watched him, he felt it on the side of his face. "Yes."

They ran in silence after that.

The ground rose and fell frequently, the Hills living up to their name, but mostly the land consisted of the flat valleys between such rises where water pooled and flowed, often playing host to any number of monstrous creatures. Most of such creatures ran at his company's approach, though more than a few decided to attack them. The Legions, Warriors, and Dawnguard proved more than a match for any of them, though their organization left something to be desired. The giants were dour, solitary combatants for the most part while the Legions did not work very well among one another, Blade and Fist and Bone and Arclight all having their own way of doing things. The only exception were the Henaari, who quickly became the company's scouts as the hours turned to days among the Hills.

Moods were souring as their march pushed into its third day, the fighters tiring of the wet, humid air and the wet, muddy ground. The weather was warmer there, presumably because they were closer to the equator of the planet, but Felix had yet to see a map of the Continent that encompassed more than a small section. Buzzing insects hovered around them, at least until Vess and Darius started circulating flows of air Mana around the group, forcing them away. The bugs and most of the smaller critters around them were lower in level, barely pushing beyond level twenty, but every once in a while they'd encounter something bigger. A crocodile-thing the size of a minivan slithered through one waterway, and a moss-covered simian as big as a giant swung through the upper branches. Neither bothered to even glance at their group, which was a relief. As much as Felix could handle a giant, magic crocodile, he'd much rather run on uninterrupted.

Eventually, however, the Dawnguard approached him.

"My Lord, there is a town ahead," one murmured, low enough that only he would have heard it.

"Bogfeld?"

"So the signs declare, my Lord," another scout said.

Felix felt a slow tempo thrum from their Spirits. Caution, maybe. "What's wrong?"

"The Paladins, my Lord. They're here."

"Show me."

Bogfeld, despite its humble name, was a fairly bustling town. Situated on a hill that had its top chopped off and built all around with tall, wooden walls, the town was a fortress that few monsters could properly assault. Though it was clear many had tried. Large ditches surrounded the hill, easily twenty feet deep and filled with water and sharpened logs, and Felix could spot thirty or more monstrous corpses impaled on their defenses. Black smoke rose like a pyres all around the town's edges...and from inside.

"There was a monster attack?" he asked the scout.

"So it appears," the scout said, a woman named Krys. "You can see their guards still standing there and there. The battle was only in the last glass."

Felix followed the scout's finger and saw men in dark, burnished armor standing atop the walls. Knights, according to his Voracious Eye. They held very long spears, designed to stab from the top of the wall, and all of them were smoking as monster blood boiled off of them. "Where are the Paladins?"

"There."

In order to get a good vantage, the two of them had climbed a tall tree at least a mile from Bogfeld, but the scout's sight was good enough to make out basic details. Felix's own Perception was a good bit higher, so he could clearly see the men and women in dark red armor, strutting around the town's streets as if they owned the place. His Voracious Eye confirmed their allegiance.

"Forty or fifty have been spotted, and they are quartered near the far gates, where the fortified path leads to the Stormeater Peaks." Krys pointed them out. The wooden walls were built up and around a solitary path up and into the foothills that backed the town. Beyond that, the Stormeater Peaks dominated the southern horizon, so big that it was hard to tell its true size. It just looked like a wall at the edge of the world, miles high and miles wide. Somewhere, among the thick forests and guarded pathways, the Caleph Pass existed.

"Can we get around it? Bypass the town entirely?" he asked.

"It is possible, my Lord. My men have not completed their mapping mission yet, so I can tell you more by midday when they return," Krys said.

"Sounds good. Thank you, Krys."

"Of course, my Lord."

Felix nodded and jumped down out of the tree. He fell, heedless of the distance, until he hit the mossy earth below with a dull thump. A slight flex of his knees was all he needed to absorb the impact, and his Health didn't even flicker.

High Endurance and Vitality is so very cool, he thought.

The rest of the company were settled further back, in a hollow between two larger hills where their forces would remain invisible to even the keenest of eyes in Bogfeld. Felix approached them and quickly gathered up Zara and the others, leaving the Legion, giants, and Henaari to finish enjoying their rest. He quickly explained the situation.

"Circumventing the town seems the wisest course of action," Vess agreed. "Though the Pass is likely well guarded. It is one of the few ways through the Stormeaters and trade with the desert cities is very profitable."

"Avoiding Paladins. I'm not keen on that idea," Evie said. "How'll I kill em if I have to keep hiding?"

"The point isn't to fight them, Aren. We're here to find the...other, and get out," Alister said.

"The Paladins are a plague, but I agree that engaging them here is not the wisest course of action," Zara said. "My main concern, however, are our supplies. The food and fresh water are running low after our trek. It seems Frost Giants require a great deal of both throughout the day."

"Hm. Bogfeld looks prosperous. Should we send someone into town to resupply?" Felix asked.

"That is up to you, Autarch," the Naiad replied with a smirk that quickly faded. "It would be unwise to enter the Scorched Expanse without adequate water, at the very least."

"A death sentence," Atar said. "I also don't like the idea that the Paladins are controlling the Caleph Pass. Those Knights...they would have to work for one of the Princes. Why are they not contesting the Hierocracy's presence?"

"Not sure on the politics, but sounds like there's a mite few more holy idiots than Knights," Harn said. Felix nodded.

"Scouts have counted at least forty Paladins, and I clocked like barely half that of Knights. Could be more in the town, but there's likely more Paladins too."

"The Thousand Princes of Ghreldan are weak," Vess pointed out as Alister nodded. "If they could actually band together, they could amount to something. As it is, they remain fractious enough that they barely hold onto their capital cities and surrounding farm lands."

"Meaning those Knights are on their own," Alister said. "They'll likely be strong—Journeyman Tier at least—but without the threat of a proper backing, they'll not stand up against the Hierocracy's thugs."

Felix tapped his lips, thinking. "Then we have to go into Bogfeld, a few of us at least."

"Several teams would be best," Zara pointed out. "We cannot be seen collecting too many supplies at once. They will assume we're making for the Pass, but that is easier to pass off if we are a small group."

"Smart lady," Harn grunted. "I'll take a few in, get the water we need. Evie? Can you behave yourself?"

Evie blinked her big, green eyes at the grizzled veteran. "No promises."

Harn grunted.

"Right, then a couple more for food, and...we need information." Felix met Atar's eyes. "I need to know what the Paladins are planning. This many for one person? Something else is up."

"Perhaps. But do not miscount your value, Felix. Or our bullish friend's. Nations would move mountains to secure one such as yourselves," Zara said.

"Your code needs work, Zara," Darius said. He had been there the whole time and was most of the reason they had avoided using the word "Unbound." "Who is it we are chasing? And why would the Hierocracy be interested in them, to this extent?"

"I'll tell you once we're in the desert," Felix said. "I promise." Darius frowned, but nodded anyway. "For now, let's rest and wait on the Dawnguards' return. After that, to Bogfeld."

"I love a shopping trip," Evie said, but her eyes were staring intensely into the distance, as if she could bore a hole through the hills, straight to the town. Her fingers caressed the edge of her bladed chain.

Felix swallowed. It'll be fine. Probably.

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