Unbound

The shadows resolved into a wide room, not dissimilar to the plaza Felix had just left. It was far darker, though magelights ran along the ceiling and the inscribed floors were ablaze with soft gold and silver illumination. The rock was dull, reflecting very little light, and there was no sun to be seen in the Heart of Darkness. Shadow gates surrounded them, connected by sigildry to the large, Belais crystal at the center of the room.

An illusory display hung above it, displaying a root-like network of portals across their corner of the Continent. Already, the Legionaires were arrayed in rows off to the side where Darius and the mages spoke softly together. Elowen was gazing with even more reverence than before as she took in the complicated construction of his Shadowgate hub.

More important, however, was the giant lump of feathers and fur that was currently chatting with Zara.

"Pit," Felix said as he stepped down from the shadow gate, "glad to see you're back."

The Chimera was in his larger form. Normally, he preferred to use his Dire Hound Mask to move around due to his immense size and general attitude. It was even more of a surprise when Pit looked at him nervously.

"Felix," he said, "we need to talk."

Curious, Felix reached out toward his bond with his Companion and Pit's Spirit shied away. Felix frowned.

"Darius, take the legion and gather all the rest. We need to prep like we discussed."

"Aye, I'll see them ready." The big man saluted and marched off, Legionnaires in tow.

"Oh, sure," she said, glancing between Felix and Pit. “It would be fascinating to see what you've done."

"It’s my Glyphworks, actually," Atar corrected. "And it's quite advanced."

Felix jerked his chin at his mentor. "Zara, gather the Chanters."

"I will inform them of their tasks," she said.

"Thank you."

Everyone hurried off, each on their own missions, until it was just Felix and Pit there in the heart of darkness. They had a moment as the footsteps faded and the hum of the shadow gate to Leventir died away when it was just a careful sort of silence between them.

"Pit, this close you can't hide," Felix said. "Why’re you afraid?"

"I lost the Sylphaen," he blurted.

Felix closed his mouth, jaw tensing as a sick feeling rose through his belly. He swallowed it back down. "How?"

"Noctis and Vellus assaulted us, subverted the tempest, even the storm wardens." Pit shook his immense head. "They brought everything down, nearly destroyed the entire halcyon hold. We, I couldn't, Gabby, it was Gabby, she took her."

Anger burned through Felix, scouring away the dread in his spirit. Pit flinched from it. Felix wanted to tone it down, to dim its flare, but he couldn't.

Noctis and Vellus. Those names echoed in his mind. Worse than Siva, they had been a pain in his side for almost as long as he'd been on the continent. Just the thought of them attacking his friends sent a tingle of heat through every inch of his flesh, as if his veins were on fire. Imagining that selfish, faceless jerk—if she had hurt Pit…or Vess?

"Felix?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so sorry. I understand why you'd be angry. I should have reached out. I should have told you sooner than now, but I was afraid."

Felix relaxed his jaw. He'd been grinding his teeth together and hadn't even realized it. "Afraid of what?"

Pit dropped his head, "Afraid to admit I'd failed."

Felix sighed before he took his friend's head up in his hands. It was huge, more than twice the size of his own torso, but Felix lifted Pit up so that they were looking eye to eye.

"Buddy, listen to me: I don't blame you."

Pit's eyes widened. "What? I couldn't save her. She was right there, Felix, and I wasn't fast enough."

"It's not your fault," he repeated. "What happened was unavoidable. Gabby came for Elowen, too.”

“She didn't get her, though.”

“Not for lack of trying, man. I snapped Siva's tethers and fought a goddess to keep Elowen safe. I have Skills, stats, and Temper that makes me uniquely suited for that.”

“We share Titles. We share Skills. I could have tried."

"No." Felix's voice came out firm, and that anger in him flared up. Pit flinched again, but Felix softened his tone. "I don't want you to take that risk, Pit. For better or worse, I've got a primordial hunger on my side, and I don't think I could handle you getting hurt again."

Pit pushed his head up until his forehead pressed against Felix's own. They stayed there for a while, not talking, just soft, steady breathing as their Spirits slowed to a measured tempo.

"You saved everyone you could, right?" Felix murmured.

"I did, but—"

"No buts.” Felix held Pit at arms-length. “We make the choice to save who we can. It's not on us to take on the choices of others. It's to teach them the consequences."

Pit sat back on his haunches, all four of his wings twitching. "Did you really eat Siva?"

Felix bared his teeth. "I did. It had some consequences of its own, but I'm better now, more or less."

The bond between the two of them suddenly relaxed. The connection no longer pinched tight on Pit's side. His companion's eyes widened. "I shut you out so much out of fear that I didn't feel any of this. You're like a different person. Is this Grandmaster Tier?"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Felix lifted his hands, inspecting them. They were thick with glossy scales and capped by claws sharper than any blade he'd used. "Early stages of it, yeah, I can catch you up on what happened later, but suffice it to say it was intense."

"So what happens then?" Pit asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you ate a god. What happens? There has to be something, right?"

"Well, her moon's gone, and so are oaths. Beyond that, I don't know."

"So what happens when you eat the others?"

"When?" Felix said, raising his eyebrows.

Pit just nodded. "Yeah. When?"

Felix shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe whatever they're in control of stops too. But I can't let that stop me. The gods are... Well, the gods are the enemy of everyone on the Continent. We gotta do what we gotta do, right?"

"Yeah," Pit said. "Speaking of, you sent everyone off to do things. I assume there's a plan?"

"Hell yeah there is. We're going to Amaranth, and we're getting them all back."

Pit chirruped brightly, his tufted ears perking up. "Really?"

"Yeah, the Hierophant is overdue for an ass-kicking."

Pit crowed a harsh bugle that resonated in the heart of darkness before sobering. "Wait, what about Gabby?”

“She's why we know where to go. She dropped me a hint, Pit. Something's still going on with her, but she isn't under the Pathless's mindwipe anymore." Felix shook his head, trying to toss off the frustration that hung about his shoulders like a lead cloak. "She's still bound by something—the Hierophant maybe. But I'd bet on the gods, and that's another reason why they're going down.”

“Why do you think it's them?"

"Because of how she got around. She teleported into Levantier somehow. No one can do that. That teleportation was Divine. I could taste it."

"Huh. She did the same thing in the Halcyon Hold. It was like silvered shadows."

"Yeah. I’m thinking—"

"Felix, I'm glad you've returned," Karys announced, clanking as he walked in. The enormous Chancellor brought with him light that shone from his golden body. Power glimmered through his internals and through his joints. "Things have been progressing well since we last spoke. Ah, and Pit, as well. Good. I was meaning to speak with you, too. When are the Chimera coming through?"

Felix blinked. "What's this?"

"Thalgrym—the leader of Euphonia—he wanted to help us get Ondine back. Insisted, really. I just didn't know when to bring them through. I assumed we didn't want several hundred tenku and wyverns flying around Elderthrone.”

“That was the right call," Karys agreed. “The populace would have reacted poorly.”

"I agree, but they will be handy. Do we have a way to contact them?" Felix asked.

Pit nodded. "I made Thalgrym my Chancellor, and the Halcyon Hold has a lot of ancient Nemean magics in it. Like this one, in Nagast, but Thalgrym has to reach out to me. He's going to call in a few hours. We set up a daily ring. What should I tell him?"

"To sit tight. We need to organize ourselves a bit first. I wanted to speak on that," Karys said. "Specifically, about the Authority over Sunara and the Halcyon Hold."

"Oh, right." Pit warbled to himself. "I can give it up, I think."

"No." Pit and Karys both looked at Felix strangely.

"Why? We did all the work. Giving up the Authority should be simple."

"It isn't something I want you to do."

“Your Quest—”

“Can be finished with another Territory. Listen,” Felix looked to both of his friends, one metal and one feathered. “The Authority will only help you. Besides, Sunara is a land of storms and Chimera. Who better to lead it than the Stormlord himself?”

Karys nodded. “I approve.”

Pit opened and shut his beak several times before saying anything. “O-okay. I guess I can…be the Stormlord of Sunara.” He perked up. “Hey that sounds kinda neat.”

“Hell yeah it does.”

“Ahem,” Karys cleared his throat. “There is the issue of the Quest itself. Felix, your Authority is tangling with Pit’s—I believe it is due to your Companion bond.”

Felix brought up the Quest again. It was still shifting between six and seven Territories claimed. “Yeah I see what you mean. How do we fix this?”

“Luckily, Knowledge has some information on this.”

Karys gestured with a black, leviathan bone arm and a robed Geist appeared out of thin air beside them. It stared at nothing in particular, even though its eyes were trained on Felix’s face; there was no spark there, only Knowledge.

“Well met, Autarch. Chancellor Karys has instructed me to inform you of a resolution to your tangled Authority.” Lights flickered through the construct's illusory eyes, as if it were accessing something. “The Companion bond affects many things, most notably the Authority of bonded individuals. While some closely bonded Companions might share their Authority, others will find that their power will ‘stick’ to one another, leading to a reduction in potency as the Grand Harmony confuses the significance of each individual.”

Felix waited a moment for more, but the Geist only stared blankly. “Uh-huh. And how is this fixed?”

“Resolution is achieved by the death of one or both Companions.”

“Not an option,” Felix growled.

“Historically, it was the most common of resolutions,” Knowledge went on. “Less common was to make one individual the vassal of the other.”

“Vassal? Like a serf?”

“A bondsman that works beneath another. In this case, one with lesser Authority operating beneath the greater.”

“Oh, like a vice president,” Pit chirruped. “I can be vice-president for sure.”

More like a liege and his sworn lords. Felix almost corrected his friend, but just smiled. “If you’re fine with it, I can make you my vassal. How do we do this?”

Knowledge gestured and an illusory image formed before him. It depicted two figures reaching out to one another and placing their other hands to their chests. “Touch Mana Gates and gesture to your cores before speaking your Will.”

Pit reached out first, putting his paw out toward Felix before folding his forewing toward his chest. The bend of it pressed against his feathered breast.

Felix copied the motion, settling his left hand against Pit’s paw and putting his right hand just below his sternum. A vibration echoed through his core space, ringing out from the infinite black as unexpected words flowed through him.

“I swear to protect and defend the Territory of Sunara against all threats, and to provide for it as I would my own.”

“I swear to pledge my Territory to the Autarch of Nagast,” Pit said, and Felix could tell he was surprised. “If called, I will defend it as I would my own.”

“I accept your pledge of loyalty.”

The soft sound of three bells rang out, each note descending as the resonant sound filled the air between them.

“It is done,” Knowledge said, before vanishing entirely.

“That was…weird,” Pit complained. “And kinda anti-climactic for all those big words. Three bells? Where’re the flashing lights?”

As if in response, sudden trumpets sounded, startling all three of them. A notification soon followed.

Stormlord Pit Nevarre Has Sworn Himself As Your Vassal!

Sunara Is Now A Territory Under The Autarch Of Nagast.

Felix pulled up his Quest. “It’s not flip-flopping anymore. Now it just shows six of seven Territories on my objectives list.”

“Success,” Karys said, clapping his hands together. “Now you must only grasp Jaast, provided Team Kickass was able to find the Seat and Seal.”

“Or one of the others I can reach here,” Felix said, gesturing to the other Shadowgates. Atlantes had opened up a lot of options for them when he bound himself to the Heart of Darkness. “That one goes to Neer and that one is Tavan. We can grab them both.”

“That’ll take time, Felix—”

WARNING. A Foe Is Attempting To Access Your Shadowgate Network!

Felix spun, the notification coming with a sudden spike of awareness at his back.

The gate toward Jaast pulsed, the darkness now tinged with a faint, alarming red.

WARNING!

A Foe Has Entered Your Void Sanctuary!