Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Seven - 137"Unbound..."
Felix watched Vess carefully. He'd slowly built up to the revelation, giving her his life story and explanation for his high stats, and large amount of Skills and Titles. He'd hoped the weirdness of his existence would somehow soften the impact of the last bit. Judging by the heiress' reaction, Felix didn't do a great job at that. He looked at Evie, who was picking at her teeth with a small knife.
"What?" she asked.
Felix blinked and gestured at Vess, who sat with her head in her hands on the chaise. Evie's mouth made an 'O' shape and she sidled up next to her friend.
"Vess, you uh, you handlin' this alright?" Evie said lightly.
"I know it's a shock, especially considering everything I'm sure you grew up with," Felix said. "But honest, I'm just a normal guy from Fort Lauderdale. I mean, that's in Florida, but I'm still really normal. Like the most normal. I'm not planning an insidious reign of terror or anything. Not really sure I could even manage that. I ate at the same deli every day for a year because it was ten steps closer than any of the alternatives. I spent more money on sandwiches and blueberry muffins than I did on some of my bills, and they were bad sandwiches."
"What about the muffins?" Evie asked.
"They were fine," Felix shrugged and looked at Vess. "But does that sound like a demon from Ages past?"
"Felix, I...You are from another world, yet your Race is Nym. You have extraordinarily high stats, too many Skills, and weird Titles. You are a monster, Felix." Vess raised her eyes and met Felix's own. "But you could have run away, back in the Foglands."
"What?" Felix asked.
"I heard you and Magda speaking, the morning before we left for the giant's camp. She gave you a map with directions back to Haarwatch, said you could go," Vess explained. Evie looked at Felix with a curious expression.
"You stayed with us, though. You risked your life for people that were not only strangers, but, to you, people from another world entirely," Vess huffed a small laugh. "And now you're doing it again. That is...remarkable."
Felix didn't know what to say to that. In the moment, he hadn't felt it had been much of a choice at all.
"No, I do not fear you, Felix," Vess continued. "Nor do I think you mean any of us harm."
"Well, that's a relief." Felix managed to fight off the flush from his cheeks, disguising it with a cough. That's me. 100% nice guy. No dark secrets here, no sir.
His conscience was a jerk.
"Evie, how long have you known?" Vess asked the green-eyed fighter, who still leaned against a bed post.
"A week or so? Felix told us once we found each other again." Evie sat down on the chaise next to her friend. "You're sure you're okay?"
"It is very strange, I'll admit. But it answers many questions that hover around you, Felix." Vess gestured vaguely at him. "You are very mysterious."
Felix shrugged apologetically. "I don't try to be. I honestly had no idea what people would think of me, and the more I learned about my Race and the world in general, the more cautious I grew. Secrets felt safer."
"You're not wrong," Evie said. "I dunno if Magda would have killed you if you'd been upfront about all this, but she wouldn'ta let you help. That's the truth of it."
Felix sighed. "That's the mental math I did as well."
"Now, we shared ours. I feel it is only fair that you do as well." Vess gestured to the blue window that still hovered in front of her. "What are these Formations you have? I've not heard of any of them."
"Same for me," Evie smirked. "Spill, Felix."
"Uh sure," Felix started, but hesitated. "I Tempered myself under some rough circumstances so I'm not entirely sure what any of these mean, but I have some guesses."
He brought his Formation up in front of him.
Body:
Moving Mountain
Mind:
Godeater
Spirit:
Dawnwalker
"My Moving Mountain Body was Tempered with Essences of Liberation, Mountain, and Inevitable. It's...it seems to be about relentless movement, breaking through obstacles by sheer force. Or maybe weathering them. I'm not sure," Felix shook his head. "It appears to favor my uh, heavy handed approach to fighting, giving my Body extra heft and durability."
"So that's why chairs creak under you," Evie quipped. "Here I just thought you'd gained a few pounds."
"Ha ha," Felix fake laughed. "You joke but if this increases each Tempering, then at some point I'm worried I'll fall through the floor."
"Wait, these sound like rather rare Essence Draughts. How'd you get them?" Vess asked with a confused frown. Felix clenched his jaw and quirked his lips in embarassment.
"Ah, they were yours," Felix said.
"What?" Vess said. "How?"
"Magda fell into the Labyrinth with them and it was my only option," Felix was quick to explain. "I wouldn't have survived otherwise."
Vess waved her hands. "No, that's not why I am confused. Those were Dragoon Essences, harvested from powerful monsters the order had hunted down. You should have been hurt by imbibing them on the run, without the proper ritual to counteract the withdrawal symptoms."
Felix scratched his head and shrugged. "Magda mentioned withdrawal too, but I didn't notice anything. I felt jittery for a while, I think, but that was it."
"Curious," Vess pursed her lips. "I--my apologies. Please continue."
Felix hesitated a moment longer, before diving back in.
"Uh, my Dawnwalker Spirit is one I don't really understand. I Tempered it with the Immolation, Chiaroscuro, and Beacon Essences. If I had to guess, it reminds me of a lighthouse. Just a feeling I get," Felix shrugged. "It's pushed forward my Harmonic Stats quite a bit, though. So perhaps something to do with them?
"My--" Felix cleared his throat and paused again. "My Godeater Mind..."
There was a lump in his throat and his chest thundered with his rapid heartbeat. Felix mustered his Willpower and attempted to impose it on himself. His heart slowed, but his nerves remained.
"What manner of Essence produced it?" Vess prompted, her voice quiet. As if she sensed the delicate nature of the question, she didn't press or insist. She let the question hang, a gentle offer.
Evie snorted. "Yeah, that's a bit much, right?"
Vess looked at her friend with a touch of annoyance.
"What? He's got a Formation called the Godeater. What Essences could make that!" Evie laughed. "So much weird stuff happens around you, Felix."