Unbound-Chapter One Thousand – 1000

Within half an hour, Felix stood within the upper floors of the Temple, watching as the army assembled its last straggling pieces together. The soldiers were all organized down the long staircase in the Foot, the crowds sent back to the Scale marketplaces where their festivities continued, albeit with a far more tense air. The Temple was instead a staging ground for the supplies their people would need in the immediate future. Most were packed into rucksacks and large barrels or crates, each designed to fit onto every single soldier’s back no matter their size or shape. It was impressive, though scaled back to the bare essentials; the rest would be transmitted from Elderthrone to Hevaan via Beacon, where the army would take their resupply before venturing deeper into Jaast’s treacherous jungles.

“Thus far, the enemy has not made it to the gates of the Sword of the South,” Vess told him as she prowled the edges of the Temple floor. She carried a clipboard and inkwell that she furiously scribbled upon. “That is a mercy, though a monster wave has been spotted through the south.”

Felix frowned. “Think they got rattled by the Hierophant’s nonsense?”

“Undoubtedly. Knowledge told me he tracked several thousand Threats from the south. If only a portion of those entered our lands, then

She aggressively checked off another box on her clipboard. “If we move fast enough, we will not have to wonder.”

“Watch yourself, mortal!”

Vess groaned and Felix raised an eyebrow as Yin, in all his Wyrmly glory, scolded a Human Legionnaire standing near a massive floating platform.

“I wasn’t going to touch it—!”

“Don’t even look at it,” Yin hissed, coiling protectively across the platform’s side. The poor Legionnaire nodded rapidly and begged off, practically fleeing into a crowd that refused to look at the Wyrm.

“He’s in a mood.”

“Has been ever since, well, you know.” Vess sighed and scratched her cheek, leaving a smudge of dark ink along her jawline. “I cannot blame him, but he is growing tiresome. He refuses to let anyone approach the convoy, even to assist him.”

The convoy in question was a series of wide platforms, each twice the size of a standard merchant’s wagon. Devoid of wheels, they floated upon a complicated array of sigaldry that kept them aloft so long as the monster cores embedded in the frame held their charge. Once they had been spades, the siege-tower constructs they’d developed for Amaranth, but all the tower bits had been scraped clean. Instead, the sides were free save for a powerful obfuscation illusion. It blurred the area above the platforms, muting sound and redirecting the eye.

“Why didn’t he want sides built up?” Felix asked.

“He cares too much for their comfort.”

Felix had spent more time in the boughs of his Spirit Tree than anywhere else these last few hours. After hatching the Grove Wardens, they had given them a test run of sorts. Combat versus Yin…and Felix. The newly Evolved Wardens had jumped at the chance, their limbs all but aching to be used. The former Hatchlings had proven the quality of their new Bodies and their Skills. Felix had put them all through their paces, but he’d been surprised at their sheer Agility in flight as well as their ability to slip through the surface of Atlantes and emerge elsewhere in a blink. It was disorienting for sure, though not all their fights would be within the branches of a miles-wide Elder Spirit Tree—for those fights, they had Spirit Bloom and Chorus of the Wilds.

The first manifested vibrant blossoms all around their target which swiftly unfurled and exploded into storms of violent Mana. Felix had let himself get caught by one—and he didn’t care to repeat the experience. It was painful, blinding, and set a Status Condition of Paralyze. The last was a surprise, and it allowed the Wardens to land several claw attacks against him. Now, the Status Condition hadn’t held him for longer than a half second, but the fact that it had at all was encouraging. Chorus of the Wilds was different, as it summoned spectral animals to swarm him and Yin both. Mostly birds, though a few quadrupedal creatures showed up too, the translucent spirits clung to the both of them like velcro. Felix had been forced to shred them all in order to detach those that caught him. Their attacks weren’t anything to be concerned with, but it was the sheer volume of them that proved impressive. If they could gain a few more levels, then the Wardens would be quite dangerous on the field.

All in all, training had gone well. The problem was, at their low level the Grove Wardens tired swiftly. Not only that, but their Evolution had taken a great deal out of their personal reserves, even with Felix donating so much of himself to the cause. After thirty minutes of their bout, all ninety-nine of them had activated Cocoon Renewal before collapsing into a deep, untroubled sleep. Yin had worried himself near death, but there was nothing wrong with them. Atlantes even confirmed it, sending all three of them a vivid image of frigid spring rains and small green buds returned to slumber. The Wardens simply needed to recoup.

Yin had taken it upon himself to arrange for their transport despite their luminous cocoons. The array was apparently to keep prying eyes from the young beasts, but his attitude only kept people curious. Thankfully, curiosity only went so far when faced by an agitated Dawn Wyrm.

Felix carefully kept his voice low. “Will those things keep up with your pace?”

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“Yes. Yin will tether himself and drag them along, if need be.” A ghost of a smile dimpled her cheek.

Another song lifted through the open gates of the Temple, and this one Felix had heard before. It was a Henaari tune, sung for those who are about to go on a long journey. It was upbeat but also mournful, meant to comfort.

“That makes thirteen songs since my speech ended.”

Vess’ smile bloomed into full. “They sing for their loved ones soon to depart. It is a bittersweet tribute, but one I appreciate greatly.”

Felix couldn’t argue with that. He knew that if he walked down those steps he’d find, beyond the orderly lines of Legionnaires, hundreds of townsfolk continuing with their festivities. Making flower crowns that they passed onto nervous warriors and eager mages. Handing out free skewers of meat and bowls of stew, made by dozens of restaurants around the Scale. His people, offering comfort in any way they could.

It wasn’t just for the Legionnaires, either. The Lucent Tower mages, led by Vilas Tern, were regaled with treats as they clustered in their fine robes and enchanted armors. The Risi stood atop ice chariots pulled by Hoarhounds, Warrior and Witch both eager to leave as they joked and jostled with the local smiths. Sylphaen, Korvaa, and the Chimera, led by Ondine, gathered on rooftops as they awaited the command to march, but soot-stained urchins asked them a ceaseless stream of questions.

Of the Legionnaires, nearly every member was present in the streets below—including the Fiend’s Claw and Shadows, neither of which Felix had any use for on his trip. The Dragoons stood by them, led by Roland Dayne, replete with stunning armor from Pax’Vrell and set next to the Knights Ghreldon, the Gallant Lotus Society, and the Menders of the Blessed Fen, led by the joint command of the Prioress Kartez and Lady Etriska Lavin of Gharion.

Perhaps the strangest of all there were the Yttin, who stood tall and powerful with their natural crustacean-like armor and hulking Bodies beside the sleek grace of the Nagafolk. All of them mingled with a ragtag company of mercenaries that called themselves the Miner’s League, led by Fiametta the Faun, former devotee of the Highest Flame, now a guild leader in her own right. Her people were drawn from the miners below Ahkestria, freed from their debt slavery and turned into a warrior order.

Karys stepped away from a throng of messengers and busybodies and into the silence that surrounded Felix and Vess. The crowd stopped, suddenly eager to be elsewhere. Those that wished to bug the Chancellor of Elderthrone clearly hadn’t enough spine to face them. "You've packed all you need, my Lord?”

"And then some." Felix had some supplies on his person, but most of their gear was stored away in Pit's barding, which was zipped away in the tenku's Spirit, since he was still wearing his Dire Hound Mask. "Any advice before I leave?"

"Only to seek out stronger foes. It is known that Etrionn invited challenge to its might, and if it still lives, I doubt that has changed.”

"I'll keep that in mind.”

Harn, dressed now in red-gold orichalcum armor, stepped up, giving Felix a firm handshake. "See you on the other side, kid."

"Save some enemies for me," Felix said with a grin.

"Take that up with Evie, she's set to slaughter the whole Territory.”

Felix glanced aside, spying Evie with a few of the Battlelords and Witches. She had gathered them all around her, gesticulating violently as she described what he could only assume was a battle, or perhaps a very fierce meal. He smiled. They'd be in good hands.

The others had all come and said their goodbyes right after his speech. Most farewells were simple, if nervous. Beef had gone a little misty, but he held it together in front of his dad. Archie had done little more than grunt in his general direction, and the Kobolds were little better. Ondine had waved from across a rooftop, and Gabby had just hugged him, though he’d heard the tightness in her throat and felt the tremble in her Spirit. Elowen had reminded him to look for any interesting artifacts on his journey. He’d promised the Theran mage he’d keep an eye out.

Harn left, his new orichalcum legs clanking against the star-tiles of the Temple, pulling Karys along with him. It left him and Vess alone.

Felix tried to enjoy it. "Are you ready for this?"

"No. Of course I'm not. Anyone who says otherwise in such times is either a liar or simply mad. What of yourself?"

"Oh yeah, I'm ready," Felix said with a grin.

"You better be," she replied, adjusting the collar of his jacket. "You will return to me." Her voice was tight, and her face as still as she could make it, but there was a twitch in her jaw.

Felix smiled, brushing the stray hair from her face. "Sounds like I don't have a choice." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Of course you do. Make the right one."

That almost made him laugh. The emotion faded fast beneath the weight of…everything. Vess' eyes were bright, and it wasn't magic lingering in her irises.

He took her hand in his. "I will come back. I promise."

There was little else to say after that.

Vess moved on with her organization, calming Yin down a second time before adjusting some numbers with one of her aides. Pit soon left the side of the Chimeras, but most notably Scylla. The pale tenku gave Felix a surprisingly cordial bob of her head. Pit approached, his gait distinctly…floaty.

Ah yes. Felix recognized the emotion held tight against his Companion's Spirit, and glanced towards Vess again. “I'm glad you found her.”

"Who? Oh uh—um, what are you—I don't—"

"Relax, bud. Scylla's nice."

The tenku's crest flattened. "She is.”

"Come.” Felix ruffled his friend’s head, his Dire Hound ears flopping. “Let’s go fuck shit up. For them.”

Felix flexed his Authority and far below, in the Heart of Darkness, a Shadowgate activated—waiting for them to step through.

Pit lifted his head. “Yeah. For them.”