Unbound

"What's with all the floof?" Evie asked.

Vess blushed and twisted slightly as she looked down, inadvertently making her skirts swish to the side. "This...My father—"

"His Grace the Duke of Pax'Vrell has decreed that Her Grace, Lady Vessilia Dayne return to his Territory immediately," intoned the Hand, smoothly interrupting Vess. Evie expression soured even further.

"Vess? What's going on?" Felix asked. Vess opened her mouth, but the Hand cut her off.

"We shall accompany you all into the Verdant Pass," the Hand continued. Vess wouldn't meet their eyes and her Spirit felt muddled. "From there, we shall request passage from Setoria via Manaship."

"Very good! We're all here."

Felix glanced over and saw Cal walking down the steps, flanked by Bodie, Yan, Kelgor, and even Thangle for some reason. More Haarguard followed. He even saw Karp and Vivianne among them, the archer and inscriptionist both wearing sharp uniforms of a different shade than the guards. The Lady of Haarwatch moved over the ground like oiled silk, her Body giving her a supernatural grace, and soon she was climbing the crates laid out by Rafny's apprentices as if they were steps to a stage. Twice as tall as everyone else, Cal turned to take in the entire square, whose steady business had stopped under the weight of so many people of interest. She spread her hands and gave everyone a smile as wide as it was fake.

"Excellent! With this assemblage there is no threat we cannot vanquish," Cal said loudly as the crowd gathered closer. Felix felt a flicker of unease from her Spirit, rising in time with the curiosity of the masses. "We have been fighting ever since the Eyrie fell. Fighting the Revenants, fighting the redcloaks. All to simply live. Now, as we begin the bare steps toward prosperity, another threat emerges. The brave Haarwatch goes now to face it in the Verdant Pass, alongside our greatest of champions: the Blue Eyed Fiend!"

Cal gestured to him, and Thangle sent a stream of Mana out of his hands. As if a sunbeam had emerged from behind a cloud, a ray of light suddenly hit Felix like a spotlight from above. The crowd's curiosity and rising fear burst into full blown excitement, and Felix's exceptional hearing picked out more than a few thrilled voices talking about him. Felix did a half wave. As usual, his Affinity picked out a ripple in the harmonies around him as people's Spirits were moved by his presence. Just as Cal intended.

"We shall mount up and take our forces into the Verdant Pass and protect our city and Territory!" The crowd cheered, but Cal pushed onward. "All of you are strong and growing stronger, and Haarwatch will never forget what each and every one of you have done to bring us from the brink. Tin or Bronze, Untempered or Journeyman, you are all of you heroes."

All at once, the Haarguard stomped their feet and saluted at their Lady, and the crowd went wild. Felix was thankfully separated from them by the linen of guards that encircled the stack of crates—not because they could have hurt him, but the waves of their emotions battered against his Harmonic senses. He pulled back, closing it off for a moment as Cal climbed down from the impromptu stage.

"Thanks Rafny," she smiled at the smith.

"Don't mention it, you wanted a stage, I can make a stage," Rafny said with a snort. "Plus your equipment's in there. So have the big guy pass it out."

"Bodie? You hear the lady," Cal said. Bodie smirked and saluted.

"Alright boys and girls! Line up!"

While the big man tossed out breastplates and shields, and Cal returned to talking to her guards, Rafny gestured over to the others. At some point Elle had come out of the smithy, and she was smiling at the lot of them.

"Evie, Atar, Alister," she said with a nod. "I see you've already picked up your armor. That is good. How do you find it?"

"Comfortable," Atar said, admiring his new battlerobes. They were the same black and grey as before, but they were cut slightly differently. They looked reinforced across the abdomen, shoulders, and upper legs. "And the protection built into them is fantastic. I thank you, smith."

"You are very welcome, young mage," Elle said. "And you Lord Knacht?"

The force mage smiled broadly at the smith. "Alister, please. But yes, my robes are exceptionally well-fitted, and the dueling armor is exceptionally light. How did you make it so flexible?" He opened his blue robes to reveal a pair of greaves, a metal chest piece, and armor going over his right shoulder and arm. It was etched with interlocking lines on each segment and was far more metal than Atar ever wore. The rapier and long dagger at his side reminded Felix that Alister was more a duelist with magic than a wizard.

"All thanks to those Arcids," Elle admitted. "They alloys they were built from was remarkable. The same metals went into your battlerobes Atar and your set as well Evie."

Evie, tore her eyes from Vess long enough to give the smith a nod. She ran her hands down her leather and metal armor. It looked strong—but was noticeably thinner than say Harn's—and was segmented for flexibility and mobility. She moved her arms a little and pulled a waterskin from her waist. "It's a touch heavy, but I'll get used to it. Damn sight better than my last set."

"I'd hope so, that metal all of you are wearing is likely worth thirty crowns per dram," Rafny said.

Evie spit out a mouthful of water. "Pfaw! What? How much?"

"Burn me," Atar said, looking at his battlerobes. "You charged us so little. Why?"

"Perks of being heroes, I suppose. Though if you wanna pay full price..." Rafny said, and Elle put a hand on her upper arm.

"Stop teasing them. We were happy to make them, for the experience if nothing else. But," Elle gestured to her wife. "We have some more for you two."

"Eh, Alister here already got his new sword and dagger. He put his order in a while back, actually, and didn't make me work all night." Rafny reached into a crate that had been set aside, this one far longer and more rectangular. "Here we are."

The Dwarf pulled out a thin metal stave made of dark, umber colored metal. It was perhaps five feet tall, long enough to assist someone walking but not a staff or anything. She handed it to Atar, and the fire mage's eyes just about popped from his head.

"Highest flame," he whispered. He looked between the stave and Rafny with awe in his expression and Spirit. "This...an earth array?"

"It'll replace that stave you lost, collapses just like the other one too," Rafny demonstrated and the five foot stave was suddenly a foot long. She extended it again with a snap of her wrist. "The tip is enchanted with the output of the earth array. Now it can act as your stylus even on stone or wood."

"Remarkable," Atar said, before regaining his composure and give the weaponsmith a stoic nod. "My thanks."

"Ooh ooh, me next!" Evie said, eyeing the item in Rafny's other hand. It was clearly a chain, bladed as her others, and made of a green metal with traceries of silver. She took it gingerly from Rafny and cooed. "Oh it's gorgeous. Does it—?"

"Aye. Made it from that thin construct Felix blew up," Rafny said. Skeleton? The thinner Arcid he'd fought had commanded serious strength and a sizable amount of life Mana. Felix peered closer at the chain. "It's a mite shorter than you're used to, but that's just good design. Affix your Will on it."

Evie narrowed her eyes and the short chain let out a series of clanks as links appeared out of nowhere. She almost squealed in joy, and Felix stared with his Manasight at full burn. He just barely caught a series of glyphs that activated within each link, letting them expand and collapse similar to his own Greaves and Vambraces.

"Oh Twin's teeth this is exciting! Can't wait to try it out!"

"You'll have about twice the range you're used to, at the expense of more weight. I'd suggest practicing a bit more with it—" Rafny explained but Evie waved it off.

"Just more mass to throw around, far as I care," she said flippantly before grinning. Her Spirit was a bubbling, plucky tune to Felix's ears. "Ooh. Oh perfect." Evie slipped past Felix and leaned into the long crate. She came back up with a set of engraved plates connected by chainmail and leather. "Ouf, this is heavy."

"Fool girl, that's why I didn't ask you to pick it up," Rafny grunted, taking the set of armor away from her. It was enameled with white, silver, and blue across the chest and pauldrons. "This is for the Lady Dayne, forged from the Apollyon's flesh and the last of the Scales. As is that."

The last was directed at Evie as she picked up a long, eight-foot long spear. She immediately pivoted and handed the spear to Felix. "Here. Take this and the armor and go fix this, Felix."

"What?" Felix asked as the armor was thrust into his arms as well by the weaponsmith. She was smirking despite the small shoulder slap her wife gave her.

"Fix it," Evie repeated, before turning him around and pushing him toward Vess' carriage. The young woman was surrounded by a few minor nobles that had wormed their way through the crowd and the Hand was looming nearby.

Fix what, exactly? Change her mind?

Arms full and caught off guard, Felix let himself get shepherded toward Vess, eventually shrugging off Evie's arms. "Okay! Fine. I'll go talk to her."

He walked the rest of the way, un-pushed but inexplicably nervous.

Why? I'm just talking to Vess. His hands felt sweaty beneath the armor, and the spear wobbled a bit in his grip. Why is she leaving, though?

Deception is level 23!

He walked up to the small knot of nobles and tried to keep his face calm and Spirit calmer. Vess at least could hear it. The minor nobles turned and while the first instantly dismissed him—likely for the common cut of his clothes—the others quickly pulled them and others aside and out of Felix's way. He felt their Spirit's quiver and quail under his steady gaze. For once, Felix enjoyed his bit of notoriety.

"Vess, hey, uh." Felix stopped awkwardly in front of the heiress. She was decked out in an ankle-length gown with layered skirts and elegantly embroidered bodice. It—were those sigils? The entire outfit was stitched with an array. Fascinating.

"Usually people stare at my face when talking to me, Felix," Vess said. Her gentle tone had a smile in it, but her Spirit was oddly flat.

"Oh sorry. Hey," Felix said, shifting his grip on the armor. It wasn't heavy, it just kept sliding against itself. "So what, ah, what did Reed mean about you leaving? Is he serious?"

Vess hesitated a moment, her eyes flicking back toward the carriage. Darius Reed, the Hand, sat atop it. He wasn't looking at them, but at his level he certainly didn't have to; the Hand likely had Perception similar to Felix's own, if not better. "As my father's Heir, I have duties. Duties that I have not been fulfilling while I've been stuck out here. Duties to my father, and to the people I'm bound to serve."

"What about yourself? What about what you want?" Felix asked.

"I'm nobility, Felix. To be selfish is the path to Ruin. I'll not be another DuFont."

The last was said with the steady sort of conviction he'd come to expect from her. Felix couldn't really argue with her logic, not without sounding like a jerk, so he held out the armor and spear to her. "Rafny and Elle made these for you. For our, ah, expedition."

Vess' eyes lingered on his before glancing at what was in his hands. She gasped, softly.

"Truly? They are Journeyman Tier?" At Felix's nod she took them from his hands and began inspecting them closer. "Marvelous."

The armor was amazing, Felix agreed. As she laid out each piece he saw that the plates were heavier than Evie's but not quite the juggernaut-thickness of Harn's set. They were inlaid with white and blue enamel, with the silver metal shining through as well in intricate, scrolling patterns along the edge of each piece. For all of that, other than its durability and protection it offered little else. The spear, however, was something special. It was marked with twisting dragons along the haft in blue and white, and had a long, leaf-shaped blade at the end. There was an enchantment on it, according to his Eye, an array that focused air Mana atop the spear's edge, letting it stab and slash all the faster.

"It's made of Archid armor and some of my Scales of the Ravager Queen," Felix supplied. He felt a bit more even-keeled, talking about weapons instead of feelings. "They both are."

"Reminds me of you," she said.

"The...spear?"

"Straightforward. Effective. Deadly," Vess said as she ran her hands down the haft. "But spears are more than instruments of death. They are tools. They bring food from the hunt." She placed a hand on his. "They protect."

"I—"

"We will be moving soon. Thank the Coldfires for me. I am not to leave my carriage for the length of the journey. It is unfair but—well, it is difficult. Leaving." She met his eyes and he could see the freckles across the bridge of her nose, almost hidden by her skin tone. Her eyes were warm, like tilled earth, with a ring of gold around the center.

"This is goodbye, then?" Felix asked. He wasn't sad, he just felt an ache. Probably something he ate or—

"Not goodbye," Vess insisted. She smiled, that dimple showing again. "Until we meet again, Felix."

Felix managed a smile. The ache lessened a little. "Until then, Vess."

Without an idea of what else to do, Felix turned and walked away. He only made it a dozen strides, barely halfway to his friends before another presence appeared beside him. The yellow half-cape was hard to mistake as the Hand put two fingers against Felix's shoulder.

"She was never meant to stay here, Fiend," he said. His voice was calm and his Spirit was without blemish. "Training and her Reveal. The latter is done and the former I will handle. She leaves for better things, a greater destiny."

Reed met his eyes, and they wasn't any real hatred there. Just conviction.

"For once, Felix, make the smart decision: let her go."

The way down from city center was uneventful, and the only sound louder than the tap of claws on road was the clinking of rubble being shifted by dozens of workers.

Evie and the others had pestered him for details, but Felix didn't feel like talking. Within minutes, the call had come to mount up and ride east, to the Sunrise Quarter. Felix had mounted Pit and the others all hopped astride their own avum, and their train of sixty-some men and women rode down the steps into the eastern-most Quarter.

The streets weren't clogged with people so much as debris, the terraced platforms and once exquisite stonework marred by massive gouges, burn marks, and jagged slashes—the evidence of a violent, Skill-fueled brawl. Still, people were out and about, all of them either working to transport materials up to the storage houses or working on excavating the homes all around them. Felix felt a slight twinge of guilt when he saw the rich mansions on this side of the city, not little more than hovels due to his direct involvement. They had at least been empty when an empowered DuFont and Felix had crashed through them, and later when the Elder-turned-Inquisitor had set fire to the whole city block.

The guilt vanished when he realized none of the people picking apart the fallen mansions were present. Instead he saw liveried servants leveraging stones bigger than they were, sweating under the summer sun and mounting heat. All of them were dusty and dirty and quite a few were bloodied as well. Meanwhile, Felix had no doubts that the nobles that owned these plots were sitting comfortably down by the Sunrise Gate. A place that had been fortified against all the worst the Primordial and then the Archon had to throw at the city.

Nobles, he scoffed. He hadn't met many, but the few he had gave them a bad name. Lilian. Dabney. The Hand. Sure, Alister was a good enough guy, had even risked his life for Felix once or twice. And Vess—

Vess is something else entirely. Evie was clearly annoyed that he hadn't told her how their talk went. What did she want him to say? Vess had made her choice, and Felix couldn't really fault her. Wasn't he trying to do the same thing? To be responsible, to protect those that couldn't protect themselves? How could he punch holes in that argument?

People stopped and stared as they passed, like they were in a parade. Fear turned to curiosity, which transformed back into fear when they realized this sizable force was heading into the Verdant Pass. Felix could almost see the gears turning as they regarded the east and the wide, vital fields that stretched beyond the Sunrise Gate. From their heightened position, Felix could just make out the dark woods that enveloped much of the Verdant Pass. The sound of claws on stone increased, as a large piebald avum sidled up next to Pit.

"Talk to me," Evie begged, struggling a bit with her reins. "She comin' with us or not?"

Felix held back a groan and Pit let out a warning growl that made Evie's avum squawk in alarm. Stop that. It's fine. "I don't think so," Felix said. "She's going home."

"Home? To what? Sit in her castle and die from boredom?" Evie squinted her eyes at Felix. "What'd you say to her?"

"What? Like it's my fault?"

"Usually is the man's fault," Evie said.

"True," Alister added.

"Like I said, you should have asked to court her weeks ago, Felix," Atar said while rubbing his hairless chin. "She didn't want to wait any longer. Clearly you missed your chance."

"My—okay, it's not like that. And even if it was, it's not your business," Felix said through a flush.

"Of course it is! Friends meddle in each other's love life. That's what friends are for!" Atar said with a chuckle.

"Oh? How's it going with you two then?" Felix said, pointing between Atar and Alister. "Have you picked out an apartment together yet?"

"I—I don't know what you're talking about!" Atar said indignantly. "We are simply—"

"No, not yet," Alister said, smoothly. He grinned at Atar's incensed stare. "Property values in Haarwatch are a bit shaky right now. Maybe after the Lady has the Territory under better control."

"Alister," complained Atar, now flushing himself.

"Oh come off it, Atty," Alister laughed. "It's not like we're trying to hide it, are we?"

"Well, no, but—"

"And clearly they already know," Alister added. Atar looked at Felix and Evie who both grinned and nodded. "See?" Alister turned to them and said in a stage whisper. "Atar comes from a backwards place, it seems. Courtships aren't usually announced until the half year mark down in the Expanse."

"It's simply proper etiquette!" Atar all but screeched, which sent Evie into a fit of laughter.

"Hey, Atar," Felix said, reaching over to pat the man on the back. "It's what's friends are for."

They moved quickly, approaching the Sunrise Gate at a solid clip. Felix had to slow Pit down several times as the rambunctious chimera tried to overtake the avum before them. Merchants crowded near this part of the Quarter, their stalls filled with expensive trinkets and novelties that few had the coin to buy. Folks were far more interested in food, water, and shelter than what silks or spices were brought from the Continental Interior. Still, there were those that browsed the stalls, enough that the makeshift bazaar was a mess of sound and smells. The clatter of talons and jangle of harnesses barely cut through the clamor, yet still their procession was met with the same gasps of excitement and worry.

The Sunrise Gate came into view, a massive metal behemoth, equal to the Wall's own. It was, however, decidedly less magical. His Manasight could pick out agitated flows of power through the structure, overlaid atop the regular flows of the metal and stone itself. Everything being made of Mana made identifying spells trickier, but Felix was getting better and better at it. He could see a few defensive works, such as a shield to project from minor projectiles and a few more complicated arrays whose purpose weren't entirely obvious. It was made of simple granite and steel, which accounted for its limited enchantments. The material typically defined how many arrays could be inscribed, and always determined their potency. As they approached, two burly Hobgoblins in dark Haarguard uniforms began turning a massive winch.

The gates groaned, slipping open as the huge wheel turned. Chains rattled slightly, and the gates—engraved with mountains and a rising sun above them—swung open. Beyond was a continuation of the stone-lined road, following the curve of the Ianus River that breached the wall here as well. It had it's own gate, a portcullis that kept the water flowing but prevented anything bigger than a baseball from entering. With a rattling bang, the gates fully opened and revealed a Naiad astride an extremely ugly looking avum the color of mud.

"Follow," Zara said before wheeling her mount around and trotting into the meadow.

They did, Harn and Kelgan close behind at the lead of the procession. The meadow just outside the city were filled with lush grasses and gentle knolls—flat enough for defenders to see across—before it terminated at a line of dark, temperate trees. As they moved, they picked up speed, until their convoy was fairly flying across the expanse.

Felix could smell the waters of the Ianus, the wildflowers and crushed grasses beneath them, and the wide, swirling scent of the wind itself. Evie, despite Vess' decision, was grinning at the speed and thrill of the run. Alister too, though Atar was barely holding onto his own. Felix took a deep breath as Pit stretched his legs in a run that more than matched the avum. It had been too long since either of them had been out of the city, and the world felt alive in a way it never did around tamed stone and wood.

Tamed—? Where did that come from?

From out of the sky, just at the edge of his Perception, a brightly colored bird swooped down. Faster than Felix could blink, it had alighted on his forearm: a jewel colored kingfisher that regarded him with a single, wide eye.

"Keru," Felix greeted one of Zara's familiars. Companion, maybe, though she'd never confirmed it. "What's up?"

The kingfisher hopped several times until it was atop Felix's shoulder. "I've a message from Zara: you are to break away at the treeline," it said in a piping voice just loud enough for him to hear it. "Utilize your Stealth and cover your path. Good luck, and may the Harmonies smile down on you."

The bird flew away without another word.

Felix exchanged glances with Pit, before quietly relaying the message to the others.

Darius sat next to the carriage driver while they were within the city, watching for dangers from her "friends." The Hand hadn't yet been able to anticipate the wild things she had grown close to, especially not that chain-wielder. The Fiend was less of a concern, but his power alone made him a threat to be considered. Darius believed the boy understood and accepted the way things had to be; he wasn't an idiot despite the Hand's original opinions.

He has accepted the will of fate. Darius let out a pleased rumble from his chest as he climbed off the coachman bench and down onto the side of the large carriage. They had reached the forest now, and with the cover of the trees he let his guard diminish just a touch. If anything were to attack now, it would be monsters or perhaps redcloaks; nothing the Apprentice Tiers couldn't handle.

He opened the carriage door. "Destiny rolls onward, Lady Dayne. In a few short weeks we shall see the spires of Setoria and then—"

Darius' eyes widened and his powerful Body began to shake. He wasn't sure if it was anger or terror.

The carriage was empty save for a neatly folded dress.

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