Unbound

They walked in silence while Felix chewed over his thoughts. Mervin walked silently to his side, and Pit trotted just ahead. Felix's thoughts were...uneasy, to say the least.

Mervin had explained that the Inquisition was pretty much what it sounded like; a militant arm of a church. The church in question being the Pathless, or Trackless, or 'He Who Remains' according to the Tin Rank. Cors had turned out to be quite devout, and claimed most folks he knew were to some degree.

"The Pathless provides guidance," he had said, eyes closing briefly as if in prayer. "The God that Remained when all others fled, he entreats us to follow the High Laws: to seek Order, Strength, and Purity. That, uh, that's how the priests put it, at least." Mervin had scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "I don't know much about the Inquisition, just that they hold to the High Laws and that they root out Sorcery."

"Sorcery?" Felix had frowned. "Like Mana Skills?"

"Oh no no, of course not. Everyone uses Mana Skills, well a lot of people. Not me. I don't know any yet. Sorcery is different. An abomination." Mervin shook his head and shivered. "It sunders your soul."

He had gone quiet for a time, and Felix tried to order his thoughts. Sorcery isn't magic? Or the magic I know isn't Sorcery? Was blood magic Sorcery then?

"Can you give me an example of Sorcery?" Felix had asked.

"Oh no. I've never seen it." Mervin had paled at the question, his ever present fear rising quickly to the surface. "Pathless provide I never do."

"Then how do you know it's bad?" Felix had asked the question while he kept a look out, and when he had returned his gaze to the Tin Rank he found him staring with no little disbelief. "What?"

"S-sir, it's bad because it's Sorcery."

And that had been that.

Apparently, the Inquisition had been called due to the serious uptick in powerful monsters emerging from the Foglands. Mervin had described it as "vile monsters crawling out of the forest" like the Razorwing Skinks, all of them headed toward Haarwatch for some reason. The Inquisitors claimed it was the work of Sorcery out in the untamed wild, that something had been awakened.

"Far as I understand, the Guild has been running patrols the whole time, keeping an eye out for any more monsters and clearing up the smaller ones. This...this was my first time out." Mervin looked off into the woods. "I hope everyone is safe."

"Monsters coming from the woods...were any chimeras?" Felix asked, scratching Pit behind he ears.

"Beasts, mostly. No chimeras have been seen since the fog faded. It's like they disappeared. S-save for yours, sir."

Felix shared a glance with Pit. He had a feeling his Companion was going to be conspicuous in Haarwatch. Good thing we have Convergence. It only lasted 26 minutes, but it was better than nothing. He had to level up Etheric Concordance further, or find a better option. Something to mask Pit, like an illusion? He almost asked Mervin, but stopped himself. He was likable enough, but was he trustworthy? Especially considering the Inquisition and this Pathless religion. Dude seems like a real believer, too.

Felix had been an atheist back on Earth, so he wasn't all too comfortable with this talk of gods and inquisitions. He knew his history well enough, and the word inquisition had no good connotations and plenty of bad ones. This may be the Continent, but I doubt it's much different from home. We better be careful Pit.

The tenku let out a pulse of assurance that felt like a warm breeze.

That conversation had been over twenty minutes prior, and the three of them had walked in silence ever since. Mervin watched the woods with nervous eyes, but Felix felt at ease for the first time in a while. He couldn't sense anything dangerous nearby, and his Manasight only picked out a few huddling auras belonging to low level Beasts, creatures that were clearly not a threat to him or his Companion. The Tin Rank, however, seemed to view every rustling bush or snapped twig as a dire threat and was wound tighter than a spring.

Given the moment, Felix used his Voracious Eye on his boots and satchel, something he'd been too rushed to do previously.

Name: Far-Afield Boots

Type: Armor (Enchanted)

Lore: Armored footwear of impressive quality and ancient design.

Stamina Reduction II - Decrease Stamina consumption by 10%

Steady Footing - Increases wearer's sense of balance and decreases chances to slip or fall.

Name: Valdarian Satchel

Type: Container (Enchanted)

Lore: Made of supple Harnoq leather and stitched with enchanted silk, this satchel is both sturdy and waterproof. Perfect for forays into the wild.

Self-Repair II - By absorbing ambient Mana, minor holes and tears in this object will repair themselves over time.

Weather Sealed II - Rendered waterproof and resistant to the effects of fire, abrasion, and tears.

They were nice, no question about that, the enchantments on them alone proving them fascinating additions to Felix's capabilities. Plus, he thought they looked good with his stolen pirate shirt and jacket.

Maybe I'll get more armor once I'm in town. Actually have some protection for once. His thoughts drifted to the pouch of 500 gold crowns in his satchel. Was it enough to buy armor? To live on? Felix thought about food and lodgings and other expenses that would doubtless come up, and a surprisingly terrible idea occurred to him. Am I going to have to get a job again?

That thought was entirely too depressing, so Felix looked to his newly acquired Title and Skill. Voidwalker and Manaship Pilot. The Title was a bit lackluster, though the wording of Voidwalker suggested he would get a 10% bonus to Void Skills at all times, not when just in that lightless place. The conditional bonuses to WIL and ALA were less than pleasing, especially since he had zero reason or interest in ever going back there.

Manaship Pilot, however, might be valuable as long as Manaships were in use on the Continent. He hadn't seen one yet. What concerned him there was the fact that he'd learned it as a reward, and not his normal way; that is, just by performing the action while under stress. There had to be a reason for it and, unfortunately, Felix knew who might have answers. With a quick glance at Mervin, Felix closed his eyes and delved deep.

He fell through a bright blue sky and landed lightly atop the tallest tower in his Bastion of Will. One of his earliest Epic Skills, Bastion of Will had saved his butt time and again, and somehow had formed a literal fortress within his mindscape. Soulscape? Felix wasn't sure. Either way, it was here and it protected him.

The wind buffeted him from this high, and Felix noted that the central (and only) tower had grown by another entire level. Glancing over the crenelations, he saw below him a square fortress with high walls made of dark stone. It was a simple place, his Bastion, the walls themselves no more than a hundred feet high and the central tower was perhaps twice that now. There once was a green, acidic sea that bordered his Bastion, but now the sea was off in the distance, easily a mile or more away. The landscape around the Bastion was empty for about a hundred yards, then a huge forest covered rolling hills with jewel bright trees.

"Wow," Felix breathed, tasting vinegar and rich, earthy loam on the breeze. "It's like a little world in here. What'll it look like when I level this up to 50?"

He enjoyed the view for only a few more seconds before turning to the door. Down a winding staircase, he searched out the room he'd placed the Maw. Felix knew he had made the cell below ground (where else would you place a dungeon?) but it was such an instinctive move that he had no idea how to get there. So he followed the staircase all the way until they stopped, which turned out to be one floor below the earth. There, at the end of a short ten foot hallway, was a familiar stone wall.

The wall was smooth, without joint or seam, and Felix had to briefly exert his Will to create a tiny, bar-filled window. The stone molded and flowed away, and inside he could see a small fifteen foot square space, completely bare of human comforts. In the exact center hovered the Maw.

"Took you long enough, worm," it hissed. Its face was even more gaunt than before, almost skeletal, and its blue green eyes burned in the dark. "Do you despair without my company?"

Felix snorted. "I have questions for you. And if you have any interest in escaping this dungeon, you'll answer them. Do you understand?"

The Maw bared its teeth at him and hissed again. Felix met its stare without blinking; he'd had enough of the Maw's abuse and dissembling. This was his Body, his Mind. After a minute or so, the Maw jerked its head in what could generously be described as a nod.

"Good. I learned the Manaship Pilot Skill as a reward. Why? Why didn't I learn that in the Void?" Felix had been worrying this issue for the past while. The Maw had mentioned his new limitations, now that it was no longer 'juicing' his abilities, but this almost felt like he'd been cheated.

The Maw laughed, cruel delight twisted it's features. "Poor little Felix. Turned into a real boy at last. I told you. Without me, your Skill acquisition is normal again."

Felix grimaced, more than a little frustrated. He'd stopped an ancient monstrosity and his reward was to lose his edge?

"Oh child. I wish I could help, truly. But this confinement is doing terrible things to me," the Maw let out a breathy laugh. "Just let me out again, and I--"

"No."

With a thought, the bars disappeared and the wall smoothed over, and Felix sighed. He could hear muffled screams from the other side, but the Nym ignored it as he walked back up the stairs, lost in thought.

At least I know I can hold her now, weak as she is. IT, he corrected himself, shaking his head vigorously. IT. Not a woman, not even close. He sighed again. I guess I'll have to figure out how other people learn Skills now. And there's always Ravenous Tithe. Things could be worse.

Nodding to himself and taking one last look at the cobbled courtyard he'd climbed up onto, Felix ejected himself from his Bastion of Will...

...and opened his eyes to find Mervin standing inches away.

"AH!" The Tin Rank wheeled backward before falling on his butt. "You're awake, sir! I thought you'd succumbed to some evil spell."

Felix frowned and looked around. It appeared he had simply stopped walking in the middle of the road while he traveled inward. He'd completely lost track of his external senses and that...that was a problem. He cleared his throat. "Just thinking. Sorry."

"No, no I'm just glad not to be out here alone, sir." Mervin adjusted his helmet and sheathed his shortsword again. Felix gave him an awkward smile and started walking again. Mervin hung back for a moment before hustling to follow.

"So ah, Mervin. Do you know about any people who returned from the Foglands? Around two or three months ago?" Felix wasn't sure how long it took to travel from Shelim to Haarwatch, but a few weeks should have been feasible. "Guilders like you. Name of Onslaught and...and the Shieldwitch."

Mervin winced at the names. "Yeah. I heard of them, though that was before I came to Haarwatch. News of them though, that's been all over town for months. People said they had something to do with the new monster attacks. Something bad. Onslaught got demoted to Bronze, and the Shieldwitch...did you know her, sir?"

"Yeah, I do." Felix felt a sinking sensation in his gut, and he couldn't help but notice Mervin's use of the past tense. "What happened?"

The kid looked uncomfortable, and refused to meet Felix's eyes. "I-I don't really know. I just know her body was brought back by a Silver Rank." His eyes met Felix's for a moment before turning away again. "I'm sorry."

Felix didn't know what to say, though he'd feared that this had happened. There was no way for a single person, even one as strong as Magda to have overcome that many enemies. He swallowed, then focused on the path. They had a ways to walk yet.

The approach to Haarwatch wasn't subtle. The forest, which dominated the area with huge trees and thick underbrush, suddenly stopped. It had been cleared for a hundred yards leading up to the walls of the large city, which was situated firmly between two sweeping mountains. The wall gleamed red-gold in the early morning light, a formidable defense for the western approach while the mountains guarded the city from the north and south. The ground was pitted and charred in places, depressed or raised in others. Pitched battles had occurred here, many of them. The air swirled with the remembered scents of blood and fear, and the ambient Mana while dimmer than in the forest, was filled with a sense of wild violence. Manasight translated that for Felix, and though he'd experienced it in the past, he still wasn't sure how exactly.

Something to ask in town, maybe. Felix glanced down at his hands, calloused after weeks of conflict. He had many questions he hoped to be answered now that he'd reached civilization. Gonna need to find a library or something. Maybe even the Guild. Felix had previously considered joining the Guild, but the news of Harn and Magda's treatment didn't sit well with him. Something's going on there. Politics, maybe. They had mentioned the Elders were conniving.

The walls were high, 300 feet at least by his amateur guess. His Voracious Eye, having no distance limit, identified the walls as made of orichalcum. Felix smiled.

Magda said it was used for city walls, but the way she said it...This is no simple fortification. Even from the treeline, Felix could feel emanations from the walls, faint Mana signatures that swirled around his senses. He had no idea what they meant, but it wasn't something he'd felt from any common material.

Mervin picked up his step once the city was in sight.

"I can't wait to get back. I truly hope my squad made it home safely." Mervin glanced at Felix and grinned. "There's a great inn just inside the gates called The Fat Horse, and it has the best pork pies. You just gotta try one."

Felix smiled as his stomach gurgled. He hadn't eaten anything in hours. "A meal and a bed sound wonderful right about now."

Pit warbled in delight.

But before they left the comfort of the trees, and while Mervin stepped ahead, Felix used Convergence. With a flash of light, Pit disappeared from his side and took up residence in his Mind. The tenku trilled in curiosity, a little surprised at the suddenness of Felix's action. We don't know who to trust in this town. Better for you to stay hidden while you can.

Even from the treeline, Felix could spot two tiny figures standing outside the orichalcum walls. Huge gates were closed behind them, simple and completely flush with the wall itself. He Eyed them both.

Name: Keryk Dalserris, Acolyte

Race: Human

Level: 20

HP: 132/132

SP: 242/283

MP: 189/189

Lore: Humans are multitudinous on the Continent. They are statistically weaker than most Races, especially at lower levels.

Strength: Martial proficiency and a focus on Strength and Endurance.

Weakness: Low Intelligence, Dexterity, and Perception.

Name: Lafei Retter, Acolyte

Race: Human

Level: 20

HP: 152/152

SP: 203/215

MP: 200/200

Lore: Humans are multitudinous on the Continent. They are statistically weaker than most Races, especially at lower levels.

Strength: Martial proficiency and a focus on Endurance and Intelligence.

Weakness: Split focus on Primary Stats, spread thin for level. Low Perception.

I can take them easily enough if it comes down to it. The question is, how many more are there? I'm not gonna fight a whole city of enemies. He paused at an accusing trill from Pit and raised his hands in admission. Again.

Prepared and on the clock, Convergence only lasting twenty-six minutes, Felix hurried after Mervin. If the Tin Rank noticed the absence of Pit, he made no mention of it, but Felix would have been surprised; the kid was fairly perceptive but he was extremely set on making it out of the Foglands. They walked for another ten minutes, crossing the blasted kill zone on light feet, and all the while Felix watched the gate guards. They were Acolytes, whatever that meant, and as they drew closer Felix could make out the details of their armor. Each wore an identical set of silvery chainmail with a snow-white tunic belted over it. The tunic was trimmed in gold thread, accenting a golden starburst pattern emblazoned on their chests. Identical starbursts were etched into their white-enameled pauldrons and helms. The helms were similar to German sallet helms, with a domed top and a sort of half visor, leaving only a slit in the front. Their gorget (or whatever it was called) extended upward, covering their neck, chin, and mouth. It would have made for an intimidating look, had the Acolytes kept their helms on. Lafei had hers tucked under an arm, while Keryk's was nowhere to be seen and both were sweating in the mounting heat of the morning.

"Those're Inquisitors. Low rank, I think." Mervin tilted his head and looked up and down the wall. "They weren't out here a day ago, just other Guilders. Something must have happened."

Felix was starting to regret approaching the gate like this, but it was too late to back out now.

"Halt," called Lafei, studying them with lazy eyes. She leaned back against the gate itself, not bothering to come closer. "State your names and your business."

"Tin Rank Mervin Cors, Protectors' Guild apprentice, coming in from patrol." Mervin saluted smartly, though maybe he puffed his chest out a little more than usual. The Acolyte's eyes drifted toward Felix, who met them impassively.

"Felix. Out hunting."

"In the monster infested wilds? Who authorized you to leave Haarwatch?" Lafei asked without much inflection, and she slowly opened a scrolls and checked it. Meanwhile, Keryk stepped forward and eyeballed Felix. Both Acolytes carried halberds in their fists and a small side sword at their waist, and Keryk ground his haft into the packed earth below. Felix ignored him and addressed his partner.

"I wasn't aware I needed authorization. I've been away for a bit, living in the wilds. I guess the rules changed on me." Felix kept his gaze steady and his expression as blank as he could manage, attempting to convey the sense of casual authority he'd seen in Harn.

Deception is level 5!

Keryk stepped closer, sniffing before making a face. "He certainly smells like it. Damn backwater yokels, haven't you heard of a bath?"

Felix tamped down his anger even as Pit squawked inwardly in outrage. The tenku was getting smarter every day, and his anger burned up and down Felix's spine, practically urging him to do something, anything. A flex of his Willpower held the emotions at bay for now.

"Been a while since I've seen civilization. You let me through and I'll be sure to get right on that." Felix smiled, though he realized it was more like baring his teeth.

"Impossible. You're not on the log as having come out, so you cannot come through the gates." Lafei sniffed, clearly disdainful toward his breach of protocol. She busied herself with re-rolling the scroll in her hands. "This is being done for your own safety."

Keryk stepped closer, "The Foglands are thick with Sorcery, ya see? You never can tell when someone's been...corrupted."

Felix glanced at Mervin with disbelief, and the Tin Rank only widened his eyes and shook his head slightly. When he looked back at Keryk, the man reached out and poked him in the chest.

"And you can't do nothin' about it." He whispered. "So piss off."

Reign of Vellus took Keryk right in his smug face.

He flipped, end over end until he smashed against the metal wall. Azure lightning crackled and spat across his armored form, making him twitch and spasm even as he slid into an unconscious heap on the ground.

"Keryk!" Lafei's eyes followed her partner's crumpled form before spinning toward the offender. "Cease your casting! Stop--!"

But there was no one there, save for a cowering Tin Rank who looked up at her in confusion.

"Where'd he go!?"