The Archon
The Unending Maw
Unknown
An impossible task. One of the threats was a Blood Beast created by the Maw, another was an incursion of five hundred Frost Giants. Then the defeat of a Primordial older than any civilization on Earth. He'd managed all three of those things, though not without mishap. The Archon was a continuing threat, one that Felix knew would be just as challenging as the Maw had been. Not only that, but there was another entirely unknown threat out there too. Felix shook his head. Maybe he'd get it done one day, but he'd rather stay away if the threat curve kept moving as it had.
If only the Archon agreed.
The door opened again, letting in a towering mountain of muscle and armor. The man was nearly seven feet, half that wide, and was wearing armor similar to the Haarguard's own, if...fancier and covered in rock dust. Behind him were two other men, both in identical armor though much cleaner. Felix saw the guards outside the room saluting to them as the door closed.
"Bodie, Yan, Kelgan. Thanks for making it here so fast," Cal said. Her voice was as exhausted as ever but Felix heard life returning to it slowly.
Yan, a bald man with a sharp goatee, elbowed Kelgan in the side. "See? Told ya the girl'd get her before us."
"Unfair. Harn hadn't even told her two minutes ago." The spearman rubbed at his ribs, but gave Yan a small handful of copper stones and silver swordslocal currency. "We had to hoof it across the whole burnin' tower."
"Ain't a tower, numbskull," Yan corrected as he walked far enough into the room to claim a seat. "Haarwatch Manor. It's more stately."
"I see a big round building, I call it a tower," Kelgan groused.
Smart dude, Felix thought with a smile.
"Wouldn't miss something so interesting," Bodie laughed. The big man gave Harn a handshake and nodded across the room at Felix. "Felix. How's the Wall?"
"I was telling Cal. Hector thinks it'll be ready by morning. For the basic protections at least," Felix said, then gave him a lazy salute. "Captain."
Bodie rolled his eyes. "You call me that here and I'll have to use your title, Blue-Eyed Fiend."
"Oh, still using that one? I prefer the Titan Slayer," said Evie. She'd found a couch and balanced on the back of it. "Has more punch, ya know?"
"Nightstorm."
"Stonebreaker."
"I heard someone calling him Thunderbird just this mornin'," Yan said, before tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Though that mighta been for Pit."
The tenku preened under the attention, but Felix groaned. His Tempered skin flushed so hard it felt like a fever. "Okay, okay, I give up. You win."
Those merciless bastards laughed and laughed.
"Hey, did I miss the joke?"
Felix peeked over to see Atar and Alister walk into the room. They were dressed in battle robes made of some sort of silk and hardened plates of enchanted fabric. Very expensive looking, and each one well tailored; purple with orange accents for Atar and a deeper blue for Alister.
"You're late!" Evie said. She'd gotten food from...Felix looked around and didn't see any out. Did she carry it with her?
"Thought you two were at the Wall?" Felix asked instead.
"We were...hours ago. Some of us sleep, Felix," Atar said. "Wait, were all of you up?"
"Meditating."
"Rubble reclamation," Bodie said with a shrug. That explained the dust.
"Arms training with the fellas downstairs," Yan said and Kelgan nodded.
Harn grunted.
"Absolute madmen, all of you," Atar said. "At least Alister had the good sense to..."
Alister winced in feigned chagrin. "I had some ideas on array designs for the new waterworks."
"We have to inscribe for seven hours tomorrow! You're going to make me do all the work?" Atar's perfect coif was already becoming undone at the prospect of labor.
"I'm sure he'll be up for the task, Atar," said a new voice. Zara had slipped into the room, apparently behind the two mages, and was busy pouring herself a glass of water from a pitcher on a side table. "But I believe Lady Boscal has some news for us."
"Oh, Zara. Have you seen Vess?" Cal asked.
"She was mopping up some monsters in the rubble. I passed the word and she'll be along when she can," the Naiad said.
"Good enough, I suppose," Cal said and motioned at the door. A shine of sepia suffused the thing, revealing a glyph taller than Felix. He picked up silence, and wall from the thing before it faded. A muffling ward. "Now that you're all mostly here, there are a few things we all need to discuss." Cal stood and swiped her hands through the air. A blue box bordered in gold filigree chimed as it rotated into view.
New Territory Quest!
Enemy of the State!
You have a hostile neighbor that threatens your Authority. End the threat.
Rewards:
+10 Levels
+Increase in Authority
+Title
+1 Gold Chest
"Noctis' tits," Evie breathed. "These rewards."
"Ten whole levels? That'd be a boon and a half," Kelgan said. "Hard enough earning any once you cross level fifty."
"Levels are nice, but I'm more interested in that Gold Chest," Yan grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Lieutenant Yan needs a new sword."
"Funny, Portia was telling me the same thing," Kelgan laughed. Yan shouted and shoved the spearman, which only made him laugh more.
"Hm, 'hostile neighbor' sounds suspiciously like 'Archon,' to me," Harn grumbled over the two bickering. "How come it doesn't say?"
"Quests aren't known for being helpful," Cal said with a sour twist to her lips. "Haarwatch's got two neighbors: Setoria down the Verdant Pass, and the Foglands. We already know the Archon wants us dead. The problem I got is I don't know if Setoria does too."
"Why would they?" Yan asked, distracted from the punch he was trying to throw at his friend. "We're all part of the Hierocracy, right?"
"Because a contingent of Inquisitors fled over a week ago," Zara said. A shocked hush fell over everyone, and Felix stood up.
"Fled to Setoria? To do what?" he asked.
"To report that the city has fallen to a Primordial," Zara said. Neither her face or Spirit betrayed anything as to what she was feeling. "They go to call on the Grandmaster Inquisitor."
There was a beat of silence before the entire room erupted in chaos.