Unbound

Chapter Seven Hundred And Seventy One – 771

On his way back through his Void Sanctuary, Felix made a pit stop.

He veered off the shimmering path, leaping across several city streets in a single bound. He soared through the pristine air, landing easily atop an opalescent roof and sliding to a stop before leaping again.

Midair, the city shivered beneath him, and a pulse of faint light swept through an entire neighborhood. Felix gritted his teeth as he descended, pinpointing the building below—the one that contained his rage.

It was lit up as if it had swallowed a sun.

He discovered that there was no heat to the light as he landed, and even the brilliance faded as the rumbling petered out. What remained was a flickering heartbeat, playing across the faceted surface as shapes moved within. The shapes, amorphous and ephemeral, threw themselves at the translucent Fiendstone walls, each impact imparting a muted clap of thunder.

Felix felt it as a pressure in his Mind, faint compared to the strength of his Skill and Willpower, but definitely there. He swallowed, then walked up the short stoop toward the facade of the front door. He touched it, and the emotion within surged, filtering through his Body like a shot of adrenaline and acidic anger. He seethed, heart rate spiking and teeth bared. His claws lengthened, ebon talons scratching against the Fiendstone.

His Body remembered this—the blind rage he’d felt the moment he learned of his sister's capture and enslavement by the Pathless.

With a growl, Felix yanked his hand away. The connection didn’t disappear, only faded into the background, like a memory gone hazy with time. He was left with the present: a racing heart and skin clammy with sudden sweat. Felix stared up at the building, unable to stop the fear that clutched at him.

It’s grown stronger.

Standing before the containment shell for his rage, Felix realized that it wasn’t the same as he remembered. It had previously been a single-story home; a facsimile of a quaint residence. Now it stretched up into a second floor featuring dozens of windows, while pillars stood outside the once-simple doorway, framing an entryway twice as grand.

Thunder rumbled through his feet as the amorphous shapes banged into the stone. He was thankful that the doors and windows weren’t real; there was no way to open the home, not unless he really wanted to—and Felix certainly didn’t want that.

Far from empowering, the rage was debilitating. It made him react in all the wrong ways, reducing his ability to think, to plan. If he could, Felix would seal the emotion away forever. He—

Felix blinked. “What the hell?”

A glimmer of light caught his attention, and with several swift steps, he saw the source: a second structure, situated right behind the first and hidden from his original approach. It flashed with new, different colors. Instead of the orange and crimson of his rage, it flickered with a sympathetic light, colored purple and green. Each time the rage house shook, this other sent particles of illumination skittering across its walls and roof, and it took him only a second for his Affinity to read it.

My stress. He clenched his jaw, and the lights vibrated faster. Stress over everything.

Felix considered it helplessly. He didn't know what to do. He knew holding these emotions so tightly was wrong, unhealthy even, but he couldn't let them rush over him. Unchecked, they would tear him apart. His rage over his sister, his stress over the Hierophant, the gods, the Ruin, all the things he had on his plate and had to accomplish… It burned in him.

I have to keep it under control.

Felix took a deep breath, and both houses quietened, the walls visibly thickening as he set his Mind to task.

I will keep it under control.

He left the buildings there, shaking beneath the fortress of his Will. He couldn’t afford to linger over his failures. There were things to get done.

As Felix stepped through the exit portal and back into Elderthrone, he arrived just in time to see Yintarian flying down through the adjoining chambers at speed. His long, serpentine Body spiraled to a stop as his forelegs tapped onto the ground next to Vess, shaking his pale mane as the clatter of his claws faded.

"Ah, I am not too late.”

“Yin," Vess said, clearly relieved. "Was there trouble leaving the Hatchlings alone?"

"No, they've been distracted by those blue fruits. They can't seem to get enough of them."

Felix frowned as he cleared the Shadowgate, taking in the scene around him. He focused his attention upward, toward the roots of the Spirit Tree. Blue fruits. What are they?

Atlantes resonated with slow emotions. An impression of branches swaying in the wind filled his mind. It felt…evasive.

Will they be fine?

That swaying sensation was followed up by a sense of solidity, like a rock-steady grip into deep stone. It wasn't assurance so much as it was determination. A quick mental image followed of enormous leaves hanging over nearly a hundred jewel-bright Hatchlings, all of them happily rolling through a pile of masticated blue fruit.

I trust you. Keep them safe, Atlantes.

Outwardly, Felix cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention. "Team Flight, you're up."

Leaving the Shadowgate just open, but on standby of sorts, he walked across the Heart of Shadows to another Shadowgate. This one had a frame decorated with waves of lapis lazuli and tall cliffs in granite, all swirled about with a silver inlay that looked to represent the wind.

Sunara.

Home to the Sylphaen, Pit finished. Plus—

Yeah, I remember, buddy. Just don't take any needless risks. I need you in one piece.

Pit rolled his eyes. I'll be fine.

I know. I'm worried about the others.

Felix was getting quite good at masking his own worry, even from his Companion. Pit didn’t appreciate being overprotected. He looked over at the crowd gathering behind him, then back to the Chimera. Vess is in charge, but you're stronger than most of them. You have to keep them safe, all right?

Pit's Spirit turned serious, and he puffed up, which made his Tyrant form even larger. Nothing's gonna stop us, Felix.

Though he could think of a dozen things that might happen on their journey, he kept them away from his thoughts. Damn right.

The crowd drew closer, with A'zek, Vess, Yintarion, Evie, as well as the majority of the Frost Giants in the lead.

"We are ready," Vess reported.

They entered the shadows together.

Once again, Felix stepped out into the city of his Void Sanctuary. At the same gate, in fact, but when he gestured it open, a new path shimmered across his awareness. The team made appreciative noises at the spectacle of his city, their reaction quite similar to the last group. This time, however, Felix ignored most of their curiosity and instead led the way down through the streets and into the city proper. Quite a few had opinions, though no one was quite as nosy as Mauvim. Felix appreciated that.

Vess walked with Felix, Yintarion trailing slightly behind, and the rest of the team formed up into orderly columns that quickly sped down the curved thoroughfares and boulevards. In the distance, there was another low rumble of thunder and the sound of crashing stone.

"Are you all right? Vess asked. "You flinched at that. Is it something to be concerned about?"

Felix's lips thinned with a humorless smile. "No. Not really."

“You are not well, or it is nothing to be concerned about?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Felix forced a piece of warmth into his expression. "Both. My sister is still in danger, Vess. I don't think I'm going to be okay until I can fix that."

Vess smiled into his eyes, the gold in her brown irises catching the light. "Felix, I laid siege to my ancestral home in order to rescue my father. I understand you."

For a moment, he didn't have to force it. He smiled wide.

"We will save her," she said, squeezing his hand. "But first, we must save the others. Stick to the plan."

"Right." Felix swallowed. The plan.

The shimmering path led them through the city and to the steps of what looked like a municipal building. He didn’t know he had those in his Sanctuary. It looked like a courthouse or perhaps a fancy library, replete with Chimera statues and ornate pillars. In the courtyard before it, there was a wide fountain, its basin filled with a tall statue of an armored woman with a spear.

“Is that—” Vess started.

“It certainly looks like you,” Yin said, giving Felix a sideways glance.

“Ah.” Felix swallowed and felt a blush creep up his cheeks. “I didn’t uh, know this was here.”

“It’s very well done,” Evie commented, walking to the side. “Your butt looks very sculpted, Vess.”

“Evie!” Now even the Dragoon was blushing, and Evie just cackled.

“Ahem, that’s the exit,” Felix said, gesturing to the base of the fountain, where a small copse of Atlantes saplings had grown up through the courtyard. The exit portal was stuck between the trees like a piece of night torn in the air. “Everyone, head—”

The air split with a sharp keening, like a distant animal shrieking. Felix paused, looking up.

"Is that—" Vess started.

"That's not me." Felix looked around, scanning the blue skies and soaring buildings around the square. The keening faded. “It's gone. Go through the portal quickly, just in case."

No one argued. Vess led the way, filing through three at a time. Pit lingered, but Felix gestured him onward, and he reluctantly squeezed his bulk through the gate.

Felix cast a final look around, spreading his senses through his Skill as best he could…but there was nothing. No sign of what made the keening noise or what it could possibly indicate.

Growling in frustration, Felix went through last. He stepped out into a crowd of people, just as thunder crashed.

He looked up, and into the remnants of windows that littered the ceiling of a vast chamber. Through them, a constant drizzle of rain and nickel-sized hail fell, splashing into puddles that covered the stone floor and rustling the greenery that grew up from between wide cracks in ancient slabs, like weeds between a long-abandoned city lot. A storm raged outside, separated from them by tall walls and a vaulted ceiling that had seen better days.

The chamber itself was several hundred feet in length, and about half that in width, featuring a series of tiered platforms on either side that traversed the full length of it like steps. Pillars stretched along the topmost platforms, some broken but most whole, with a variety of interesting carvings across their rounded sides.

Felix turned, observing the Shadowgate he'd just stepped through. It was set back, atop a raised dais like it was on display. It was clearly the focal point of the entire room, as was the case in many such places. Behind it, a mosaic of tiles rose, set into a broken frame and depicting a series of what might be winged creatures. The details, however, were obscured by grime, the roots of clinging ivy, and pockets of slightly glowing moss.

Thunder tore the sky again, and lightning flashed.

"Quite the storm," Felix said, glancing up again. Wind, rain, and hail ripped sideways, visible through a wide octagonal skylight, one of the few that was unbroken. It was made of something like glass, and was thick, dirty, and fogged over in spots—but it let Felix see the storm above. Purple-black clouds boiled there, moving extremely fast as high-speed winds propelled it across his view.

Yin landed near Vess, a short distance away, who was busy conducting a slew of soldiers in their tasks. He nodded his antlered head.

Vess whistled once, gathering their attention.

"Listen close, everyone. The facility is clear. Start setting up camp."

Without hesitation, Legionnaires, Dawnguard, and Risi set about organizing the supply wagons and setting up a variety of tents and shelters. There was plenty of space, even if they had to avoid the steady, drizzle-fed pools of rainwater.

Vess clearly had things under control, so Felix turned back to the Shadowgate. Like the others, it depicted a mountainous terrain covered in forests, though the details were lost to time and Ruin. It was partially fixed by Felix's efforts and the Atlantes' binding, but it was time to restore it entirely.

Unite the Lost.

The Shadowgate flowed back together, forming a pristine artifact once more. The sculptural effects changed, however, still showing the mountains, but now depicting a city gathered at the base of a tall cliff and waterfall, surmounted by a giant Spirit Tree.

Felix couldn't help but smile. That’s new. And pretty damn cool.

The changes didn't stop with the Shadowgate, however. The entire room rippled, repairing itself as the effect spread. Ages of dirt and grime vanished, cracked stone and tile sealed itself, and glass reassembled across the shattered ceiling. The storm faded to a dull roar as the room finished reconstituting itself.

Yin lifted a foot. "Ah, yes. The floor is dry now.”

"I fixed the room up, returning it to its previous state. Luckily, this place was a Nymean facility of some sort, otherwise that wouldn't have happened."

Vess frowned. "The scouts reported other chambers in this structure. Did your Skill extend to those? The outside as well?"

"No," Felix said. He'd learned his lesson. "It was just this room. I didn't want to spend too much on the place if I didn't have to. Not yet, at least."

"Good. I would hate to announce our presence so quickly."

He nodded.

Evie walked up, a pair of Witches trailing after her. She seemed irritated and very wet. "Looks like this place is perched on the side of a cliff, maybe a thousand strides above the sea."

Vess took in the rivulets of water coming off Evie’s armor and the Witches’ robes. "The storm persists?”

"Ceaselessly," said one Witch. "We have never seen such relentless fury."

"It is nothing to us," Yin said. Confidence and pride intermingled in his Spirit like a strident duet. "I shall shepherd you all through this squall. That is our purpose here."

"Most of Sunara is wracked by an eternal storm," Vess explained. "Locals call it the Tempest. We expected it, but I had heard there were extended lulls between its worst gales.”

“It’s still raging, hard as ever,” Evie said.

“Could be the lull happens soon, but it is easier to plan on it never stopping. We should get moving.”

“I saw two pathways down the cliff and one up to the top."

“Down?" Felix asked.

Evie wiped water from her dripping bangs. "Not sure where they go, but maybe it's for those old seawater boats you said were on Mud."

"Earth," Felix corrected. "The planet is called Earth."

"Same difference." Evie shrugged and turned to the Dawn Drake. "Big lizard, can you scope out the base of the cliff? I already got Dawnwalkers headed up top."

Yin lifted his white tufted chin. "I can, tiny girl."

Felix left them to it. He ambled toward Pit, still in Tyrant form, standing by the Shadowgate.

"Hey, bud, you ready to do this?"

"More than ready. A’zek is eager, too."

Felix glanced over at the large harnoq who sat some distance away, watching the workers construct camp while lashing his barbed tail.

"Just don't get your hopes up for this," Felix warned. He pulled out a rolled-up parchment from his pocket. "Those performances could have been wrong, and this thing could be useless."

"I think we have a good chance," Pit said. He nodded his beak toward the wall behind the Shadowgate.

Felix looked up and couldn’t help the laugh that burst from him. “Damn, I guess so."

The damaged mosaic had repaired itself during Unite the Lost, and the winged shapes had clarified into a dozen tenku flying across a stormy sky, accompanied by large, Dragon-like creatures with feathered crests and bird-like wings. Arrayed among them were other figures, all of them tiny compared to the beasts. Bird-like Korvaa sat astride the Chimera, and the winged Sylphaen flew among them, while lightning threaded the skies and filled the gray with a white radiance.

Felix unfurled the parchment in his hands. It was a map, though it was not to scale. The performers at the Hinterlord's ball had drawn it for Pit back when they'd learned of their connection to the Sylphaen Unbound.

"This might just lead you to where you need to go," he admitted, handing it over to his Companion.

Pit took it in his beak and placed it delicately into a pocket along his shoulder. "It will," he said, emphasizing the last word. "You need to go, though. Can't keep the wizards waiting."

Felix grinned. "We'll be in trouble if they're waiting for us at all." He'd meant it as a joke, but Pit looked uncomfortable.

"Be careful, Felix. The whole city of mages seems... it's no god-led warband, but it's unpredictable."

Felix reached up and scratched the Chimera's giant feathered neck just behind the jaw. Pit cooed.

“Don't worry. We got this."

Wordlessly, Pit lowered his neck, pressing his forehead against Felix's. They stood like that for a long moment, and when they backed up, blue eyes fixed on golden, Felix found Vess standing nearby.

"Our camp is set, and scouting has begun in earnest, Felix," she said as Pit pulled back, trilling softly. "We are as prepared as we can be. It is time we cast our die."

"Good." He stepped closer, taking her hands in his. "I'll see you soon, yeah?"

She smiled, and her cheek dimpled. "You will. I look forward to hearing of your journeys in Levantier. I've always wanted to visit the Lucent Towers.”

“I'll get you a souvenir. You like fridge magnets?"

Her smile didn't fade a notch. "You say the strangest things.”

“It's a reference to—”

She kissed him, and his words, breath, and thought stopped, at least for a moment. "Was that just to shut me up?" he asked as they pulled apart, a little dazed.

"It was for good luck," she said with a smile, "and because I will miss you. Take care in the north. I cannot see you come to harm, and the mages would not like me for an enemy."

"No, I don't suppose they would, especially now that you've got an army of Dragons."

Her fingers threaded with his, and she held on tight. "Be safe.”

"You too, Vess." He kindled the Shadowgate once more with a flex of his Will and walked up to it, giving his friends one final glance before stepping into shadow.