Chapter Two Hundred And Ninety Two - 292"This guy wants us to save him?" Harn said. Night had well and truly fallen, but Felix had returned to the camp and quickly awakened everyone, describing the Memory at least twice as they grumbled.
Technically the Geist are without gender. It is a feature of their Race, Karys offered.
"Yeah, they said the Archon was besieging their Tower," Felix continued. "The same place we holed up months ago."
"The Archon himself, or his forces?" Vess asked.
"They didn't specify." Felix scratched the back of his head. "I didn't ask. Vvim said we have one day before the Archon breaches their Tower. If we leave now, we can get in and out without them seeing us. We can make the tower from our current approach, but it'd be easier to come from the north. I remember the terrain being filled with broken ruins, and the Towers are a little closer to the northern side of the city. Plus, if the Archon is looking for me, then that might throw his forces off."
"If the Archon is looking for you, then we shouldn't go to Shelim at all," Atar pointed out. "What exactly can this creature tell you that'd be so important?"
"He has information on the Temple. He says he knows what's inside the door, the one the Archon is after."
"...Burn me. Well that's worth it to know," Atar said with a frown.
"Should we all go? Or should this be kept to a minimum? There's...a lot of us," Evie pointed out.
"I'd feel more comfortable not going, honestly," Alister said. "But this Geist fellow sounds old and knowledgeable. I'm hesitant to skip such a meeting."
"Does the same hold for everyone?" Vess asked. She swept her gaze across their team. No one flinched, not even the Apprentice Tier Haarguard.
"We all go," Felix said, and Harn grunted in agreement. "I'll keep most of you safe with my group stealth Skill, and Evie, Harn, and Kikri can scout ahead."
"And what of us?" A'zek asked.
"I want you and Wyvora with me. The chances of running into problems isn't small, so we need to be able to end any conflicts quickly and quietly."
"I can do that," the harnoq said, flexing the claws from his cat-like paws. Pit let out a growl-chirrup that made the panther-like chimera grin. "You'll have to race me for the kills, tenku."
Pit's triangular ears flattened and his golden eyes narrowed in challenge, but Felix felt a nervousness in the chimera. Felix patted him on the neck.
"We're about an hour outside Shelim, right? A shade longer if we come around from the north. We should move soon," he said.
"What if the Archon is there?" Vess asked.
"We don't stand a chance against him," Harn said, looking at all of them in turn. "If any of you come in sight of that golden bastard, you run. Understand?"
Everyone nodded. Felix had described the Archon's appearance enough that they would know what to look for, and what to avoid.
"Get yourselves ready. We leave in ten."
"Felix."
He stopped just as he was reaching for his satchel. The rain had soaked him to the bone, and Felix wanted to change clothes before leaving, but he held off. "Vess? What's up?"
"I recognize that this Vvim has important information, but we could do this without you," she said.
"Without me?" Felix furrowed his brow. "Why would you do that?"
"If you are not with us, the Archon cannot capture you," she said. "You said before that he has a hatred for the Nym, and you in particular. You saw what he did to the Frost Giants, andand I would rather you not suffer their fate."
The last was said from behind a curtain of dark brown locks, fallen forward in an uncharacteristic show of indecision. Vess was always sure, or at least poised, that it struck Felix harder than any warning from Harn. He stepped forward and hesitated before putting a hand on her shoulder. Dark brown eyes flicked up at him from beneath her hair.
"I can't sit this one out. Vvim is waiting for me, and I don't know if he'll let anyone else come for him." He mustered up a smile. "Besides. I've survived worse than this. I don't see any goddesses or Primordials mixing in, so we should be golden."
"Please do not jest. The things we have faced...you should not have been able to fight them back. Not as an Apprentice or a Journeyman Tier." She sighed and leaned her partisan against her shoulder, busy adjusting her plate-backed gauntlets. "But fine. If the patterns hold true, you will face the Archon, whether we stick you in the back or not. Just remember," she said, jabbing a finger lightly into his chest. "We fight together. All of us."
Felix's smile turned gentle. "We're a team."
"We are." She narrowed her eyes at him in mock anger. "And if you die, I will kill you."
At least, he was pretty sure it was fake.
The camp was packed quickly and quietly after that. By the time Felix and Vess has finished their conversation, most everyone had their packs hoisted, and Davum was gently smothering the fire.
Felix was still soaking wet.
Mantle of the Infinite Revolution!
A spume of chill mist spun out of Felix's channels as his Skill activated, but he restricted it's spread with an effort of Will, pulling it closer to his skin. Then, he spun it, rotating the clouds of mist around himself until they became a blur. That blur turned all but invisible as it became a heat haze powerful enough to distort his vision of the others. The ice and water Mana flipped, changed to heat and flame, and Felix felt it begin to work. It prickled a little at his skin, but it wasn't bad, and when he dropped it he found that his clothes hadn't even been singed.
Huh. It worked. Dried them right out.
Mantle of the Infinite Revolution is level 49!
Felix had used the Skill a couple times in the last week on various monsters, but this was the first time he'd tried that particular maneuver. Yet he was happy with the result. He felt warm and dry, at least for a few moments before the rain started getting to him again. He slung his water-warded cloak back over his shoulders, following it up with his Valderian Satchel, and faced the rest of his team. "All set?"
All of them were staring at him, some in annoyance and others in awe. "Are we all set?"
"Yes, sir," Vyne and Kylar said in unison, and the other guards were close behind. Alister and Evie shook their heads and got walking alongside Harn, the man unflappable as always.
Atar sidled up to him and slapped him on the back. "Was that fire magic?"
"Yeah. New Skill." Felix nodded at the guards as they passed. Pit came after, and Felix gestured to the tenku. "Pit, use Skulk and scout the land ahead."
Pit chirruped and spread his wings. A sharp blast of wind nearly bowled Atar over as Pit took to the air.
"Gah!" Atar steadied himself against Felix's arm. "How's that bird so damn strong?"
"The trick is to fight a bunch of stuff and not die," Felix said and started walking after the others.
"Cute." Atar matched his steps. "Back to the issue, however. You pulled the fire close, too close. It was almost like my Strength Ignition."
Felix tilted his head. "A little, but I think your Skill turns your Mana into a Strength and Endurance boost, right?"
"Yes. But the interplay in your Skill gave me an idea," Atar said. He grinned. "And it's a really good one."
I am curious about this Archon.