Unbound

Ok Pit, on my signal. Felix sent the image of him hold up his hand and nodding and then of Pit running out toward the giants. He pushed it, the sensation becoming a little easier than before. Pit nodded his head three times, clearly excited.

Dumb bird, he smiled.

The tenku had been beside himself when Felix tried explaining what he was doing. It had startled him when Pit sent images back toward Felix, blurry edged impressions of a winged creature flying around giant blue collections of smells. It was both visual and olfactory, though the smells were more potent. The blue lumps smelled of cold metal and ice and a weird sort of musk. It was easy enough to figure out what Pit was suggesting, and Felix honestly had no reason to say no. He needed the help.

Just be careful, buddy, he sent worriedly as the tenku padded forward, activating Skulk and sticking to the shadows. Ahead of them, four Risi Warriors rooted around several of the ruined structures. Eight or nine feet tall, they easily filled up the first floor sections of the buildings, often having to fold double to get in and out of doorways. They weren't gentle, nor were they quiet; they stomped about, yelling and smashing into archways, ripping up the various plant-life that filled the city's skeletal remains. Small patches of ice spread out as they roamed, almost as if they passively generated it, though it was far less than in other portions of the city.

Felix held still, eyeing his target. The underground room was two hundred feet away, nearly a third of the block, and the Risi were all nearby. The basement stairs were faced away from him, luckily, so he only had to drop down into the stairwell and muscle open the door. After crossing the street, navigating several questionable ruins, and sprinting the last stretch out in the wide open. Hoo boy. Sure, Magda. I got this.

No problem.

Pit crept closer, now lost even to Felix's eyes. Somewhere along the way, the tenku had dipped into a building; Felix could only feel his general direction through their pact.

Pit's Skulk is level 24!

Felix shifted, pressing his feet against the ground like a runner at the starting blocks. Except the ground felt...soft. He flexed his feet and felt the cobbles loosen beneath him slightly, wobbling and making a loud clack sound. Felix froze, barely moving his eyes to see if the giants had heard him. Their grunts and shouts continued, unabated.

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Felix activated Stealth and made himself ready, careful this time not to press too hard against the road. Then he saw it, Pit's bushy tail waiving from a second story window three houses down from the Risi Warriors. Two golden eyes, mere specks at this distance, looked at Felix expectantly.

Ok, he held up his hand and nodded. Now!

Felix took off, trusting his Companion to follow their loose plan. He crossed the road at speed, the sound of his feet against the cobbles lost amidst the abrupt explosion of squawks and roars down the street. Felix made it to a small patch of shadows before leaping forward through the window of another dilapidated structure, racing within a darkened area filled with soft moss and a couple pale patches of fungus.

Pit's Rake is level 19!

Pit's Bite is level 17!

He's getting a workout. Felix came to a low window near the end of the first building, one with just enough of an angle to see his Companion jumping off of a Risi warrior's chest before darting away. Now let them chase. Just be safe.

Felix couldn't help but keep his mind on his friend, even as he hopped over another sill and into an adjoining alley. He was moving as fast as he could, ducking between shadows to try and stay hidden, but the last stretch was ahead. Nearly fifty feet of wide open road, bright sunshine pouring from the clear blue skies as midday moved onward.

But it's not bright out, is it? Felix reminded himself. Flaring his Manasight, he let his focus drift as he, paradoxically, zeroed in on the faint haze he saw. This time he felt a sharp jab of pain behind his eyes, and saw his Mana bar drop down 20% as the world was engulfed in thick, rolling fog.

It poured out of buildings and down the streets like a living thing, vapor practically on the cusp of being water again. A soupy haze occluded his vision, one that even his high Perception could not see past. Beyond fifty-sixty feet, the street appeared empty; the only indication of anyone was the continued roar and crash of the giants chasing Pit, and the tenku was a street behind him, Felix could feel.

I got this.

Felix took a careful step forward, then another, and another. He hugged the wall, sticking close to the edges just in case. He was more than halfway to the stairwell when the building in front of him toppled to the ground.

Pit's Cry is level 20!

It was an absolute cacophony, dust and debris from shattering stone and snapped trees; all of it pouring only feet before him. But what was worse was that in the midst of all that, two giants stumbled out of the collapse, blue hands waving away thick plumes of dust and hobnailed boots crushing the remains of trees. They roared and called out, grunting something he couldn't understand back in the direction they had fallen.

Shit shit shit shit shit!

Felix dropped low, holding his breath and flaring Stealth as much as he possibly could. He kept his Manasight going, willing himself to continue to perceive the fog. He had to trust the illusion to cover him, or else this whole thing was blown.

Breath Control is level 17!

The Risi paid Felix zero attention and instead were immediately focused on finding something missing in the mess. The two eight foot creatures rooted around in the pile of debris, grunting and pushing stone aside as they got increasingly angry with one another. A cry came from the other street, a roaring that rose in pitch, as if in question.

"Rak talla! Watta kel no!" One of the giants screamed in answer, still digging furiously.

They don't know I'm here. Felix closed his eyes briefly in relief, before padding forward as slowly and quietly as possible. In order to pass by the Risi, Felix had to make a wide curve around both them and the collapsed debris. The swirl of fog was all that was between the giants and his discovery, a barely there, illusory curtain of vapor. Step by step, tortuously slow, and all the while he felt a thrilled exuberance in his chest, a sentiment echoed by his Companion as he ran wild and free among the streets. Felix wasn't quite sure which was him and which was the tenku, but his heart was racing and adrenaline made his limbs shaky with energy.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Felix was only ten feet away, a simple jump down into the stairwell and through the door. He was gonna make it. He just had to figure out how to--

"Lalla! Watta lakka!"

The Risi's jubilant cry was followed by a creaking groan. Dropping his Manasight, Felix's vision cleared in time to see a looming, two story pillar the approximate diameter of a redwood tilt and crack as one of the giants pulled its massive metal club out from beneath it. With a single, powerful tug the club came loose, and the giant crowed in success.

"Lalla!"

Then the pillar started to tilt.

NOnonono!

Felix dove forward, stone breaking under his feet as he launched himself over and down into the stairwell. He hit the iron door hard, denting it as he rebounded. Without pausing, Felix pushed his hands forward and swept them apart, flaring the only Skill he could envision at that moment.

Stone Shaping!

Earthen Mana flexed and dissipated against the door. The metal didn't respond in the slightest.

GAH!

Rock sheared above him, the pillar crumbling under its own weight as it lost its long fight against gravity. A spray of pressurized marble geysered into the stairwell. Felix nearly slapped his head as he remembered. It's a pull door!

Stone Shaping!

The smallest of gaps appeared on the edge of the door. Enough for a hand. Felix grabbed it and yanked with all he had, the door groaning in protest before popping open.

The pillar broke apart above him, sections of the ancient stone tumbling down like massive millstones and burying the entrance.

Felix was alive.

He unclasped his arms from his head and risked a glance backward. It was totally dark, the collapse blocking out even the slight light from the door frame. With a minor effort, Manasight activated and the room became a series of vibrant colors.

He had rolled ten or so feet into the room, but large, chunky rubble had scattered everywhere, rolling uncomfortably close to him. Felix stood up, quickly orienting himself in the small space.

A wash of dark blue water Mana was coming from several spots along the walls, and though one of the was uncomfortably close to the blocked in door, it seemed fine.

There, the packs. He could see all five of them, left around the area. Though it looked like Magda's had been mostly crushed by debris. Felix winced. Probably nothing too important.

Felix went about gathering all of the packs, which were roughly shaped like a backpack he was familiar with, just without any cinches and made entirely out of some soft leather.

Name: Avum Skin Rucksack

Type: Container

Lore: It's a bag made out of a large avian. Holds items, usually.

Avum, huh? Like a big ostrich? His eyes lit up. Like a chocob--

A sound distracted him. A..crinkling. Felix looked all over, but it stopped after a moment. He shrugged and moved on.

He grabbed Harn's, which was the largest of all the packs, and started dumping the smaller ones in. No way was he carrying all five--er, four of the packs. It just wasn't physically possible.

Harn's bag was pretty dang big, but eventually it reached capacity. Felix took a bit of the overflow items and put them in his own satchel, mostly consisting of extra food, water, and even another case of empty vials. The vials would come in handy for future blood collection.

Felix paused, grimacing. What a gross thing to have become my new normal.

A few more items had fallen out of the larger bag when it had overflowed, but it was mostly bric a brac that seemed either useless (a hair comb) or unnecessary (a bottle of oil with a painting of a...sensual-looking dragon on it). Frankly, the last one worried him, more than anything.

While he was picking through the remains, he came close to where Magda's rucksack had been buried. Only a small corner of the pack protruded from the large stones, and it had split from the pressure. Dangling out from that corner was a gold-colored necklace. Felix reached down and picked it up.

Name: Twin-Touched Locket

Type: Enchanted Accessory

Lore: Used by many to keep images of their loved ones close. Always paired.

The locket itself was on a thin chain, shaped like a triangle and covered in small engravings. Felix had no clue if they meant anything, but they were probably magic of some sort. Analyze said they were enchanted. What kind of magic is that, I wonder?

Unable to restrain his curiosity, Felix clicked the catch, letting the locket pop open. When nothing happened, he turned it over and looked inside. Within there was a small, exquisitely detailed painting of a woman with blond hair and fierce eyes. A woman that looked extremely familiar.

For a moment Felix couldn't figure out why, his mind grasping at the vague impression like anyone would. But then, it came to him. At the giant encampment. When the leader was speaking on the ice.

The prisoners.

This is her, he realized. This is their friend. Maybe more than friend.

This same blond woman was among them, one of the few still in some sort of armor. One of the few who still looked defiant.

She was alive.

He quickly put the locket in his satchel and moved to the edge of the room to gather up the wardstones. There were seven of them, and he went to the nearest one. The problem, however, was that the wardstones were still active.

Do I just...turn it off?

He thought back to what Magda did with them. He had watched, but he hadn't watched, really. She had whispered something, likely some sort of incantation to activate them, but he hadn't heard her clearly. Reliving the memory wasn't very useful if he didn't see anything in the first place.

Felix put his hand on one of them, feeling the current of water Mana pulsing within. It swirled, currents hidden in its darkness. It was as if it contained an entire lake within it's incredibly dense depths. He felt a shiver run through him, a sense of cold washing over him.

Doubling down, Felix peered into it with his Manavision, but it was a solid ball of water Mana, indistinguishable from a giant marble. Scratching his head, he picked it up.

Immediately the orb stopped glowing and the strangest sound filled the small cellar. It was that crinkling again, as if impossibly small, atonal chimes were being tapped, over and over. But this time, it didn't stop.

Felix pivoted, staring up at where the sound was coming from...and saw frost beginning to cover the entire ceiling.

"Oh fuck."

The ice snaked across the roots of the trees above, the purple-white glow of ice Mana slowly encompassing and engulfing the life Mana. A muted scratching sound came from beyond the ice, and Felix felt his stomach drop as he realized what it meant.

They're digging.

He had to get out.

Quickly, Felix ran around the room and collected the seven wardstones, shoving all of them into his satchel. Squatting next to the overfilled rucksack, he slipped his arms into the straps and stood up. It was extremely, annoyingly heavy. It made him feel top heavy and pulled him backward slightly.

Regardless, he made his was over to the edge, watching the ceiling the entire time. Bits of dirt had started to rain down from the root system, sprinkling across the floor. Felix raised his hands and started channeling Stone Shaping.

C'mon, c'mon. Let's see if I can dig out before they dig in.

His Mana coiled and looped through his pathways while Felix focused on keeping the spell efficient; he couldn't risk running out of Mana in the middle of his tunnel. The stone wall melted before him, becoming that sludge-like consistency with which he was familiar, and Felix hurriedly stepped through.

The stone parted around him, shifting and flowing behind him as before to create a tunnel without digging. As the stone re-solidified behind him, Felix could no longer hear the encroaching ice and imminent arrival of his enemies, and his heart unclenched.

A minute later, panting and sweating from the effort, Felix emerged onto the street. The cobbles shifted before him, and he stumbled woozily onward. Despite utilizing his Fire Within, his Stone Shaping spell was still very Mana intensive over extended periods.

But just as he was catching his breath, a shadow loomed over his shoulder and a chill wind huffed across his neck with a rumbling growl.

"Shit," he said, heart thundering.

Two more shadows joined the first.

Magda rubbed her temples again, though it did her no good.

She didn't really have a headache. Once you've Tempered your Body at least once, normal physical ailments dropped to pretty much zero. That didn't stop the habit though, or the certainty that her head was going to explode from the stress.

But mostly, she did it so she didn't have to look at her sister.

>

Evie was needling her with questions, and especially that one, ever since that boy had left to get her wardstones. She was using handspeak, which made it easier to ignore her, but somehow her little sister made even a silent language annoying.

> Magda signaled back, punctuating the line by putting her half helm back onto her head. Again, she avoided her sisters gaze, staring out into the swirling fog instead.

As much as Magda was disappointed that Evie didn't stay holed up and safe during their scouting, she was more disappointed in herself. Magda didn't have the mind for all of this skullduggery...it went against her nature and chafed her every sensibility. If it weren't for Callie, she....

Please trust me, she silently pled. Just a little longer.

ROOOOOAAR

AWOOOOOOO!

The world was suddenly awash in screams and calls of both the giants and their Hoarhound pets. Magde spun toward Harn, who already had his axes out and was facing the way the boy had left.

Moments later, the sound of boots on stone filled their ears, quickly followed by the young man looking worried and carrying Harn's amusingly large rucksack.

"We gotta go!" Felix skidded to a stop, eagerly handing the pack to Harn, who shouldered it without an issue. The kid glanced sourly at her partner for a second before turning back to the rest of them. "I got mostly everything. Where's Pit?"

The Tin Ranks all looked at each other, shrugging. Magda also shook her head. Maybe the thing sacrificed itself to distract the giants? She mentally shrugged. At least it was useful.

But Felix didn't look worried, just confused. Then he swung around, looking up at the wall they sheltered behind.

"We need to run. We need to run NOW!" Without waiting, he took his own advice.

Magda stared after him, but soon heard a warbling cry as a dark shadow zipped above her head, passing directly through the window of the wall behind them. The creature had four glowing eyes and dark wings that looked like fanged claws, and it sailed gracelessly down onto the ground, where it landed heavily and kept running.

Harn turned, eyes wide. "You heard the kid! Run!"

The Tin Ranks took off, Magda right behind them as the stone wall simply exploded into ricocheting rubble.

Three Hoarhounds and a single, bleeding giant charged through the wreckage, their bodies simply bashing through it all.

Magda ran.

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