Pit, he sent. His head felt woozy again, and the already inclined ground tilted oddly. Pit I need to get closer...
Felix blinked. Again, slow and steady.
When he opened his eyes at last, he beheld rough stone walls lit by flickering flame. He was in a cavern, and no longer on Pit's back. Felix pushed himself onto his elbow and it felt far easier to do than before. The trembling weakness he'd felt earlier had almost completely abated. Beside him a fire burned merrily while sigils around them warded sound, light, and smoke. Something else too, but he couldn't tell, not without looking closer. In the distance, outside the cave, he heard the faint cawing of birds.
A steaming bowl of stew was shoved before his face, the steam tickling against his skin. Vess stood over him, still bandaged and currently frowning. "Eat."
Felix took the bowl wordlessly. Vess watched him take a few bites before she nodded to herself and stomped off, toward Evie and Wyvora of all people.
"What are we doing? Why aren't we moving?" Felix asked.
The Haarguard stared in disbelief, but Harn snorted a laugh. "He wakes up from nearly cripplin' himself, and he asks why we stopped. You don't got quit in you, do you Felix?"
Felix finished the stew in three more bites and sat up fully. His muscles protested, but it was the honest burn of too much use, rather than his Aspects. "I don't appreciate being a sitting duck, no. You kill all the beasts following us?"
"Most of them, those that didn't flee," Harn said. He nodded at Atar and Alister. The mages were huddled by the edge of the warding script, discussing something in low tones. "Those two managed a working that sent a familiar sort of lightning down the mountain, to the north. Said it was a lure or somethin' like it." He spat in to the fire. "We found this network of caverns shortly after. Enough pathways in here to confuse the best trackers, Human or otherwise."
"More have come, more flying beasts and stranger things," Kikri added. She, like all the Haarguard, looked more than a little exhausted. Her fingers were covered with inscribed bandages in white and green. "I tracked them, just enough to see. To the last they were following the trail north."
"It'll give us some time, at least," Alister said, sitting down around the fire with a groan. "Best we could manage at short notice."
"Took half the monster cores I've been collecting just to power that array," Atar complained. His fingers were bandaged, as well as his left thigh. He sat gingerly. "Copying your Mana signature is tricky, Felix. Still not sure I did it right."
"My Mana signature?" Felix asked.
"Mhm. Thing is, it changes depending on the Skills you're using, which is" Atar cut himself off, not quite glancing at the Haarguard. "Makes it difficult, is all."
Felix nodded. He's saying it because I'm Unbound. I can use all sorts of Mana types without restriction. His eyes widened. Is that why the Archon was able to create his Profane Sigaldry? It's based on the Dissonance that runs counter to the Grand Harmony, as far as I can tell. He can use it because he can use all types of Mana, all types of vibrations.
To the others he said, "So where is this place? Are we close to crossing these mountains?"
"Through here, we should be able to avoid the mountain peak completely. Cavern goes a ways back, not down or up, simply straight through." Harn ate his stew with big, lip-smacking bites. "Evie and the Henaari did some scoutin'. Looks promisin'."
"Ah," Felix said. "Good."
"We got time, is what I mean," Harn said, finishing his stew with a loud slurp. "Time for all of us to get some needed rest. I figure the last bit will be the final leg of this particular journey, eh?"
Felix estimated the distance from the mountains to the Waterfall Temple. It was not far at all. "Just about. After we climb down this mountain, we're less than a day from our destination. Then we finish this Quest."
Excited murmurs fluttered among the Haarguards, but Felix didn't bother to listen. He let them be excited at the prospect of the Quest rewards, both this one and the potential reward for the Territory Quest Cal had given them all, and that Felix had shared with the guards. No need to tell them how hard it'll be. Not yet. Felix pet his Companion and received a low rumble of pleasure from the tenku. Time enough in the morning.
As the others settled to sleep, however, Felix found himself increasingly alert. His nap had done him wonders, and he had things to address before they moved on. He summoned his notifications.
Armored Skin is level 73!
Unfettered Volition is level 58!
...
Unfettered Volition is level 60!
Deception is level 24!
Deception is level 25!
Apprentice Tier!
You Gain:
+5 INT
+5 DEX
+5 PER
Exploration is level 48!
Mana Manipulation is level 51!
Bastion of Will is level 72!
Deep Mind is level 57!
Meditation is level 56!
Fire Within is level 66!
...
Fire Within is level 70!
Much of his gains seemed to happen during his murkier memories, when the Abyssal Skein was truly straining him. He must have taken quite a bit of damage from the Skinks during their flight, or perhaps his own carelessness, to push his Armored Skin up four entire levels. Deception had even Tiered into Apprentice, likely due to his fooling the Skinks. That his Mana Manipulations and Bastion increased was easy to understand, along with Meditation and his Fire Within. Without any of those, he wouldn't have held his Abyssal Skein together at all, or had the wherewithal to mend it.
The System sent power into his core as his Skills increased in size, complexity, and position within his celestial array. And it truly did look like an array, now that he thought about it: it was circular and studded with symbols etched in light and power, all fueled by a bright pair of cores. Strange.
Before he'd passed out, Felix had earned a new level as well, along with 10 more bonus stats. He quickly assigned those to Perception, bringing his total to 808. He'd found his Perception to be increasingly more important as he progressed; being able to anticipate an attack was just as vital as being strong enough to withstand it, if not more so were he given time to avoid it altogether.
That left Perception, Vitality, Agility, and Dexterity as the four stats below a thousand. At the pace he was going, Felix was unsure how long it'd take to reach the Third Threshold.
You are moving quickly, Felix, Karys assured him. I'd be more concerned at just how fast you are developing.
"What? Why?"
Strength invites challenge, so it ever was. Your strength above all. The Unbound, it is said, were creatures of the gods once, before the Founders aided our nation. Now, I fear, even the gods would take umbrage at your continued growth.
Felix chuckled, but there was no joy in it. "Already have." He frowned in thought. "The Founders. You mean the two Unbound. The husband and wife?"
You have heard the story. Ah. Yes, I see it in your Mind. That is...broadly accurate. Karys glowed softly in contemplation. I was not there. It was Ages before my time. But yes, myourancestors summoned two Unbound to aid them in a desperate time. We flourished with them at our side, conquered those that would enslave us all. I...I have sensed some of your thoughts during the past day.
Felix clenched his jaw. "I don't suppose I need to guess at what you mean." He sighed. "Vvim told me that. Gave me a Memory, in fact, that would answer all my questions. Or so he said."
The Geist were too clever by half, but they were an honorable people. They alone held the line at Mendaat's Gate, when the Absolem fell to the Inferii, and the Fires of Dawn were routed. Each unfamiliar word sent a wave of conviction and green-gold light from his sword, the blade almost vibrating out of its sheath. It disgusts me that an Unbound would betray us at the close of the War. Unconscionable. You must access this Memory, with all haste.
"That's the plan," Felix said. He pulled the Inheritor's Will from its sheath, eyeing the blade and the two glyphs that shown to his Manasight. "Will you help me?"
As I can, Felix. I promise you that.
Felix nodded and planted the sword tip first atop the stone at his feet. Within, the Memory of Vvim dangled above his cores like a star. Banishing his nerves with an effort of Will, he gripped it and guided its light down, down, until he reached the flowing, liquid edge of his [Cardinal Beast Core].
Does it matter which core I put it in? He was fairly certain it didn't, but the decision was take from him. That moment of hesitation almost cost him everything, as the abyss between his cores surged with a great and terrible need. The Memory slipped, his Will somehow failing against that powerful pull.
Hold!
Karys' voice was a bar of white hot strength that shot through Felix's Will, and the former Paragon's Intent sidled along Felix's own. The Memory halted, stuck halfway to oblivion.
Pull Felix! Pull!
Felix heaved back with everything he had, fighting against the growling strength of whatever dwelled inside that abyss. It Wanted. It Needed. An urge it couldn't suppress...but one Felix could control.
You can have another meal soon! A powerful one, as before, he shouted at the dark. I've given you that already! Just let go!
Without warning, the counter-pull vanished entirely, and Felix hauled the Memory fully into his [Cardinal Beast Core]. It vanished with a red-gold flare of liquid light.
Nothing good will come of that, Felix. Karys was nothing more than a green-gold blob of light beside him, but he could tell the man was looking at his abyss between the stacked core rings. Nothing good.
Felix wasn't afforded the time to reply. The world around them pulsed, leached of all color, before it shattered entirely.