Unbound

Felix and Pit burst into his Void Sanctuary to find the entire place on high alert. Clouds of Hatchlings plied the sky and metal soldiers were racing through the streets past his palace.

"Get on!" Pit cried.

Felix jumped aboard Pit's back and with a mighty rush, they soared up into the air. Hatchlings surrounded them, a murmuration that all but clung to Felix. There was no fear from them—there was very little emotion at all, in fact—but they seemed protective. As if guarding against something.

"There!" Pit pointed his beak. From above, they could easily spot the disturbance. Ahead, where the hexagonal plaza opened up near the tiered Shadowgates, there was an altercation. And it was bloody.

A veritable invasion had filled the Shadowgate plaza. A swarm of child-sized praying Mantises poured out of the gate to Jaast, flying on buzzing yellow wings and brandishing their bright blue scythe arms at the creatures that opposed them. Metal soldiers that Felix had decided to call Steelarms worked the swarm inward, flanking the insects with their pikes. Axes swung with machine-like efficiency, each movement dismembering a chitinous limb as they worked to control the swarm.

Unseen Beholder.

Name: Chittershade Mantis

Type: Insect (Manawarped)

…

Strength: Their sonic attacks disrupt the flow of lower Tier Mana.Weakness: Weak Will, they follow their Queen wherever she goes.

The Mantises jumped, cutting off platoons of the Steelarms before their scythes struck sparks against their metal hides. Their maneuverability would have been a huge problem for the soldiers to deal with were it not for the mages, the warrior mages bearing obsidian halberds topped with white flame.

Flamebearers, Felix had decided to call them. It was a fitting name, as each thrust of their halberds sent fire coursing through the swarm, popping several of the Mantises like ichor-filled balloons, while others piled atop the blue force wards from their marbled shields.

The Steelarms pressed inward, slaughtering as they went, as the Flamebearers formed a perimeter, and they all pushed back toward the gate. Mantises died, but their powers were not all physical. They bore sonic magic that roared from each slash of their bladed limbs, disrupting the flames as it spread through them. More poured from the gate, and the swarm bulged, the central crowd flexing upward against pike and halberd and shield, until a faint mist the color of pale rot rose up between them, crashing against the soldiers like a wave.

"What's that aura down there?" Pit asked.

"I see it too. I'm not sure."

The swarm burst apart, Mantises buzzing in all directions, as a massive reptile lunged out of their midst.

Unseen Beholder.

Name: Poisonheart Basilisk

Type: Lizard (Manawarped)

…

Lore: An ambush predator, the Poisonheart Basilisk lives within the deep tropical jungles of Jaast, where it lurks in rivers and swamps, exuding a toxic aura that lures in weak-Willed prey and debilitates them in one whiff. This specimen has been affected by an overabundance of powerful Mana, warping its nature and enhancing its aggression.

Strength: Their jaws are far stronger than the rest of their Bodies, and their gaze can petrify their foes.

Weakness: Slow and weaker in direct fights than something of an equal Tier.

The Basilisk was a massive, six-legged reptile with a heart-shaped crest on its head that glowed with a sickly green light. It leapt out of the crowd of swarming Mantises, its huge jaws snapping shut around over twenty metal soldiers at once. Metal deformed, and limbs were lost, but the Steelarms did not falter.

The Mantises, however, swarmed over them, bashing now against the Flamebearers and their flickering shields, until they were met by fists of chain-wrapped ice. The ice golems stomped into battle, swinging their heavy arms through the Mantises as if they weren't there, shattering them into paste before they waded forward to attack the Basilisk.

They were followed by several golden Minotaurs bearing large golden hammers. The Basilisk spat a sticky venom at the Minotaurs, slowing their approach and following their footwork, but it did nothing to the onrush of ice golems. Massive fists rained down on the beast, breaking through thick hide and leaving patches of frostburn behind.

The reptile screamed in pain, and its eyes flashed. Even from above, Felix could feel the pressure from its Skill as the world was changed. A whole swath of metallic soldiers turned to stone—only to keep fighting. Their unliving flesh could not be stopped, and their geared joints did not care if they propelled steel or stone.

The Basilisk bellowed once more, its tail caught in the grip of an ice golem as golden hammers found its limbs and crushed its joints.

The battle turned. Mantises fled the destruction, many flying up to escape the plaza.

"Pit! Box them in."

"Already ahead of you. Tempest Fugit!"

Frozen spears dropped from the sky, skewering every Mantis at once. They exploded, the ice tearing through their frail exoskeletons before they were burst apart by frenzied lightning.

The two of them descended, dropping into the plaza just as his odd denizens finished off the Basilisk and the last of the Mantises. Their Queen fell to the ground, her thick carapace crushed beneath cold iron chains and golden hammers.

Felix hopped off Pit's back, but there was nothing for him to take care of anymore. The denizens had handled it all. The moment his feet touched the ground, however, every one of them turned to face him as if standing at attention.

"Uh…Good job.” He cleared his throat, trying to meet each of their gazes. Though it was clear that the soldiers, golems, Minotaurs, and mages could all see him, it was as if no one was there—save for the faintest spark of something he couldn’t define. "Keep it up.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The soldiers, Steelarms and Flamebearers both saluted, fists to chest, before marching away in two distinct formations. The ice golems turned and trundled off, the golden Minotaurs nodding with faint smiles across their statuesque faces. And so they too faded away down steps and alcoves of his Sanctuary.

"Well, I didn't expect that.”

"Yeah, these were surprising to me," Pit agreed. "It wasn’t like this when we passed through to Elderthrone."

"Ah, this is a recent change," Felix admitted.

“Those are all you? Did your Skill change?" Pit gestured toward where the soldiers had left with his paw, "Or are they real people?"

"No, they're me, but they're influences from you and everyone that I'm Linked with."

"Oh, that's interesting." Pit chirruped thoughtfully. “Where’s my influence?”

“Back at the palace. We’ll look at it later. Right now, I'm more interested in exactly what's going on here." Felix walked up to the swirling portal of darkness that led to Jaast.

Felix? Karys' voice crackled from the sword at his hip. What’s happened?

“Monsters got in through the Shadowgate, but they're all taken care of now.”

How did they get in? I thought you reinforced the protections.

"I reinforced them against the Void by strengthening the connections to the Corporeal." Felix inspected the gate before him, but nothing seemed to miss. He knelt, running his hands over the Fiendstone ground. There wasn’t a scratch. "Harn was supposed to post guards to prevent this.”

“Which means they all left or they're dead," Pit said.

Damnation! Do you still need reinforcements? I have Chanters and Legionnaires on standby.

"Keep them that way. Pit and I are gonna check on Jaast."

As you wish, Autarch. The sword stilled and Felix looked to his Companion.

"You ready?"

"I barely got to do anything back there," Pit complained. "Let's go kill some monsters."

Just as entering his Void Sanctuary, the shadows peeled away from their vision and they were confronted by bedlam. Over fifty Mantises pressed close to the gate, with the closest only five feet away from Felix. Behind them, a giant plant thrashed, shoving them forward—to Felix it looked like an evil sunflower made of wet vines and teeth.

"Nimbus of the Moon!" Pit cried.

Beams of silvered moonlight speared into the space, instantly blasting dozens of the insectoid monsters into pulp. Those that survived were limbed with a silvery glow as Moonlit Affliction took hold, reducing their agility and ability to use stealth.

All of that mattered very little, however.

Sonata of Dominance!

Astrum Ascendance!

Cold fire of the stars soaked into his channels as Felix seized the sound Mana emanating from the Mantises' scythes. He shaped it inward, shattering their carapaces with its enhanced potency and left nothing but smears against the pitted stone floors. And the enormous plant monster.

The creature bellowed before lumbering forward, faster than Felix anticipated, but still too slow. He seized the rot that surged around its limbs and tore it away.

Empyrean Embrace!

He ate through its pieces, forcing the creature's charge to fail as its limbs vanished into ethereal jaws. Its ungainly central stalk fell forward, slamming into the ground of the chamber, screeching all the while.

Unseen Beholder.

Name: Plaguebloom

Type: Plant Abomination (Moontouched)

…

Lore: Born in the depths of the jungle, these abominations are often content to remain in one place for entire seasons. When the rains cease however, they will uproot themselves to find water and prey. They are adept at herding other creatures, though they do not possess the Intelligence to form true communities. This specimen has been Moontouched, enhancing its aggression and natural potency, and as such it bears a Mark of Yyero.

Strength: High Strength tentacle-vines and powerful jaws, its grab and bite is fearsome and wise to avoid.

Weakness: Dry heat and fire.

Seizing the Mana around them once more, Felix bent it to its Will, shaping its vibrations until the world changed. Fire burst, appearing in midair before tightening down around the giant Plaguebloom. It screamed a reedy noise that soon vanished as scorching flames boiled away its moisture—before charring it to ash.

"Fire is their weakness," he said.

Pit sniffed the air before cringing, "They smell even worse when you cook them."

"This is more of a Cajun-style dish." Felix squinted at the walls. "I can sense others nearby."

"Yeah, more monsters like this one, I think," Pit tilted his head, "just outside the Heart. They're trying to hide."

Felix bared his teeth. "Let's go find them."

It took all of ten minutes to round up the rest of the Plagueblooms and eradicate them. They found other monsters too, creatures like the Chittershade Mantises that were easily herded by the big plants. None of them were stronger than an equivalent Master Tier, though together they would have posed quite a challenge to almost anyone.

If they had gotten through the Shadowgate and into Elderthrone… Felix grunted, ripping the head off the last Plaguebloom with his bare hands. Moontouched. Yyero had a hand in this.

Felix didn't believe in coincidences anymore.

In a side chamber that had been left partially exposed to the outside, Felix discovered the corpses. Two dozen Legionnaires were piled like cordwood, some partially eaten, but mostly untouched. The sight of their empty gazes hit Felix hard. He stared at the bodies for an uncomfortably long time before Pit shook him from his thoughts.

“So they were guarding this place,” Pit said. “Was Yyero trying to get to Elderthrone?”

Felix grunted. “Maybe. Or maybe he was just trying to send a message.” He looked around at the soiled blue cloaks scattered across the room. "Here, help me."

Together, they separated each corpse from the pile and lined them up along the side of the chamber, their cloaks draped over their wounds. That didn’t stop Felix from seeing them.

As the last one was laid carefully on the ground, Felix leaned back and stared at the wall just above them all. “Pit. Did you know that if you use an Analyze Skill on a corpse, you can only get their name?” He clenched his jaw. “That’s it though, because there’s nothing left.”

He would remember them, though. Their faces and their names were burned into his memory, now.

“I’m sorry,” he said, before reaching for his Sonata.

"Felix, look."

Pit's voice pulled him up short, and the Skill fizzled out. At the far end of the room, Pit had pushed aside one of the cloaks. Two of the dead bore a badge of office on their sleeves: a pair of glossy black wings over a burning eye.

They were messengers.

Pit nudged an inscribed leather tube toward him and Felix snatched it up. The tube was enchanted to keep its contents warm and dry, with minor protections against damage. Despite being buried beneath bloodied bodies, the paper inside was untouched when Felix opened it.

"It's from Harn," he said. He unrolled the parchment and quickly read the surprisingly lengthy account. "Fuck."

Felix put the letter down and closed his eyes.

"What?" Pit asked. Wordlessly, Felix handed the paper to his Companion. Pit fished out a pair of spectacles and perched them atop his beak before reading. "Oh no."

"Yeah." Felix tried to relax his shoulders, but the tension was pulling at him harder than ever before. It was a weight he couldn't escape. "They lost the Kobolds, too."