Unbound

Chapter Seven Hundred And Eighty Seven – 787

A storm crackled overhead as their ships anchored against its terror. All nine Manaships were lashed together in the aftermath of the Twilit Apes' attack. The wounded were laid out on the decks, wrapped in bandages to staunch the worst of their injuries. Soldiers were busy doling out potions, but there were too many wounded to handle separately.

Pit needed them close.

Mercy of the Thorn!

He loosed his Skill, letting the power surge from his channels and into the world. Unlike Breath of the Wild, Mercy had a dual edge. By sacrificing a piece of his Health and Stamina, he could greatly increase the regeneration of all targets within range. Pit grunted as everything but Mana took a hit, reduced by another ten percent as luminous winds rippled through the reclining crowd. It was a lesser casting, but it eased the pains of many nearby.

The decks creaked, but they remained steady. Wind pressed all nine Manaships, but they did not so much as budge from their tight grouping, thanks to the strange powers of the adamant anchor they loosed. The thing was remarkable, allowing their ships to remain at a standstill in the middle of the sky through some strange connection between anchor and air. As far as Pit understood it, it relied on each ship's Authority to bind them fast to the connection between them and the sky itself, much like Felix's similarly named Skill.

Pit shook his head. He was starting to get woozy—his thoughts wandered when that happened. He needed another break. It had been several hours of constant regeneration boosting, flaring his Skill over and over in order to save the soldiers. The Ape and its spawn had done a number on everyone, inflicting lacerations that still wept a dark ichor. Each hit of his Skill had pushed them a bit closer to full Health. Bit by bit, they made progress.

The Chanters were helping, as were a few others with medicinal training or limited healing Skills, and of course, their potions were a huge benefit to the worst wounds. The true threat, however, were the Status Conditions that kept cropping up. Yin was helping, his Luminous Tide clearing the great majority of Conditions, but his Skill couldn’t get all of them. Nightfall's Air, Moonmad, and Bloodseize were the worst and most insidious of them, lingering well after the others.

Pit was exhausted. He could taste the soldiers' panic on the wind. Some were thrashing against their restraints, Moonmad adding confused rage to the panicked song of their hearts.

Be still. I'll take it from all of you. Pit called out, a harmonic trill that rippled through the storm winds. Mercy of the Thorn!

This time he flared the Skill, pressing it to its limit, and his Health and Stamina dropped by a whopping fifty percent. His shoulders sagged, the impact dragging at him like the raking claws of an enemy—but the army around him swirled with golden green light. Minor wounds stitched themselves closed while major ones ceased their bleeding.

Most importantly, a blackened green shadow fled from each affected soldier, returning to Pit like a necrotic boomerang before sinking into his broad back. He grunted, clamping his beak tight to prevent from crying out.

Status Conditions Removed From All Targets In Range!

Status Conditions Absorbed!

Status Condition: Nightfall's Air!

A foulness has nestled inside of you, twisting the very air you breathe into a weapon. Each breath stabs at you, reducing your Vitality and Health.

Status Condition: Moonmad!

A giddy fury has gripped you! Your Mind rebels, unable to distinguish truth from lies as reality twists against you. Perception is greatly reduced.

Status Condition: Bloodseize!

Your blood thickens and boils, driving a deep pain through your internals and reducing your Agility and Endurance.

Pit took on the status conditions, tanking the hits to his stats and riding out the pain. He chomped his beak as if he could chew through the agony. None of them lasted long.

Thanks to his bond with Felix, his regeneration, while mighty, was supplanted by the greater between them, and Felix had excellent regeneration.

I think…I think that’s all of it. He peered across the wounded, and the soldiers that had been thrashing were settled and still, their breathing even. A few had even sat up, a flush of vitality in their faces.

Pit took a shaky breath, careful not to gasp in front of the soldiers to keep up morale. He was tough and strong.

It had nothing to do with her.

The pale tenku still watched him from a distance, though she had stopped flying and had risked landing atop the crow's nests on the main mast. Pit was very careful not to look up at her.

Notifications flashed at him. Those are much more important, he thought.

Mercy of the Thorn is level 50!

...

Mercy of the Thorn is level 71!

Journeyman Tier!

You Gain:

+25 WIL

+25 VIT

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+25 END

Executioner’s Stormblade is level 49!

…

Executioner’s Stormblade is level 54!

Journeyman Tier!

You Gain:

+15 STR

+15 END

+15 AGL

A soft tapping against the deck was all that announced her arrival. "You grow stronger," she said, peering at him. Her eyes were pale like storm clouds. "I'm impressed."

Pit's eyes widened to see the other tenku so close. "Oh, yes, I'm... yes, I'm very strong."

Where Pit was dark, she was light. White capped her crested head, though her ears were marked with a red more vivid than his own russet coloration. The white extended down across her chest and belly while her back, legs, and tail were that vibrant crimson. Her wings, tucked now against her sides, were a mix, though the primaries were all a darker russet like his own, edging towards black.

She was very pretty.

Paws thumped on the deck, causing a number of nearby soldiers to flinch, and half of them drew their weapons. Not Pit, though—he was a rock. He had just been checking his talons for splinters.

A'zek prowled forward, of a similar size with the new tenku. He bowed, lowering his front half while maintaining eye contact. "May the darkness part from your path. I am A'zek."

Her pale eyes widened. "A harnoq? I've not seen your kind in all my life." She bowed to him as well, spreading her beautiful wings. "I am Scylla Skysunder. It is an honor to meet you both."

"Skysunder," Pit repeated. "That's a lot of S's."

"It is my Title," she said, lifting her beak up. "Epic rarity. What are yours?"

"Then my Title is of Epic rarity as well," A'zek said. "Traveler of Lost Light."

"A powerful-sounding Title. One that suits you." Scylla looked to Pit. "And you, mighty warrior?"

He blinked. "Uh, me?”

“Don't be ashamed if you don't have one of the same rarity. Most in my eyrie only have rare Titles." She shrugged. "A few even have common ones."

Pit looked at his Titles. Most were from his bond with Felix, not ones he'd earned himself. Wait, no, I definitely helped with that one. A lot.

“Uh, I'm Pit. Shaper of Chaos.” He swiped away his status screen. “Primordial rarity.”

Scylla started, her beak agape. "What?"

A'zek chuckled.

Concerned about her reaction, Pit double checked his status sheet. "That's what it says. It was hard to get, I remember, but my Companion helped."

"Your Companion," Scylla said, her voice dripping with disdain. Her amazed expression changed to something sour. "I see."

A'zek narrowed his eyes. Pit wasn't sure why, but the mood had dipped fast. He cleared his throat. "We came here to see the Chimera, and you're the only one we've found. Where is everyone?"

Scylla busied herself with inspecting her paw. "We stay moving, even before these monstrosities plied our skies.”

“Can we see them?"

"We do not trust outsiders," she said. "We trust those with Companions even less."

"Wait, what?" Pit was confused. "Why?"

Scylla closed her beak and looked away. Pit looked to A'zek, pleadingly, but the harnoq only shrugged, clearly just as confused as he was.

Pit huffed a breath. "Well, I was given a map that brought me here. I was practically invited. And they didn't even care that I had a Companion."

That caught her attention. "Who gave you this map?”

“Some Korvaa and Sylphaen I met in the Rimefangs. They're called the Flight of Eloquence."

A piece of Scylla's sourness faded upon hearing that. "The Flight is well respected amongst us, but they are also stranger than my people. Wide travelers. They have adapted to the world beyond. You must forgive me that what you say gives me pause."

"Why?" Pit asked.

"Companions are dangerous," Scylla said. "History has taught us that."

"Well, I'm not dangerous," Pit said. "I mean, I am, but not to you. I just want to see my people. The Chimera, in case that wasn’t clear. Like you. And I want to protect them."

"He is speaking the truth. We have come here to help." Vess walked up from behind, flanked by Evie, Tzfell, and Laur.

"Euphonia does not need the help of outsiders," Scylla said.

Evie snorted. "Based on what I just saw, you do."

Scylla bristled but did not refute it.

Vess swept into a shallow bow. "I am Vessilia Dayne, Dragoon of Pax’Vrell. I lead this band, originally from Elderthrone in Nagast. We come to aid you against the onslaught of the gods and to speak with the Sylphaen."

"I am not Sylphaen, and I do not claim to speak for them.”

“Do they not live among you? We were under the impression—"

"I watched you after the battle," Scylla interrupted. "You are capable, earnest, and care a great deal for your people. That is a mark in your favor."

Vess inclined her head, just as Yin landed next to her.

"A Drake in your midst is an even greater mark."

Yin lifted his chin. "Well met, Honored Tenku. I am Yintarion of the Cerulean Skies."

She bowed again. "Scylla Skysunder.”

“I watched you step into the fight against the Twilit Ape. You helped save our friend, Pit.”

“We cannot thank you enough for that," Vess added.

"I was fine," Pit murmured.

"It was the least I could do. He selflessly threw himself into a fight that was not his own. I could not leave him to die."

"I was justfine."

"Then you understand how we feel. Your people are in danger. We cannot leave when we can help."

Scylla looked between them all, and the crest of feathers atop her head lifted and dropped as her mood vacillated between agitation and curiosity. "It is not often that Chimera from foreign lands come to us. In fact, it has never happened before. That is worthy of meeting the Enclave—if only to keep you and yours away from the monsters."

"Is that what you were doing? Were you fleeing to your home?"

Scylla inclined her head. "You caught me just as I was reaching a critical point. I thank you again, Pit, Shaper of Chaos. You allowed me to keep my home safe and hidden for that much longer."

Pit pawed at the deck. "I mean, it was nothing.”

"I will take you to the Enclave. To Euphonia.” She spread her wings. “Stick close, and I will lead the way.”