Unbound

Felix stood atop Haarwatch's once mighty Wall as dawn broke. It was sunken and pitted in spots, the red-gold metal having lost its luster. He looked down, at the massive rent that split the wall almost in two, where the Apollyon had forced its way through. Felix had tracked that creature's progress through the city, and the...renewed Frost Giant had indeed run right back into the Foglands.

Those dark forests were bathed in the shadow of the mountains, without a stitch of fog but impenetrable just the same. Felix turned away from them and considered the city.

Golden sunlight skimmed the tops of a thousand thousand roofs, the skies above a vibrant orange, unburdened by clouds. The heavy cover that had sat atop the city for weeks was gone, and he could even see the glimmer of a few lingering stars and moons. The Bloodmoon was the most prominent, larger by far than the others, as if it had drawn closer to them somehow.

Felix shook his head. The Berserk Blood condition had run its course, those affected having simply fallen to pieces afterward. The enhancement, however, remained. The few surviving creatures had Bodies that were greater than previously, juiced up on magical moon steroids. They had done what they could to eradicate all the monsters within the city, but it was an ongoing process once the monkeys and bugs scattered. It had only been four days since that fateful battle, but it felt like a lifetime.

With Portia and Aenea's help, the leadership had swiftly constructed an area for triage and treatment. Portia and the poorly named Fiend's Legion—those patients that had miraculously recovered during the camp's assault—they moved across the battlefield and administered what aid they could, whether tonics or Skills. The Alchemist, in turn, had transported the majority of her equipment to the border between the Dust and Sunrise; she whipped up what she could with those resources they had to hand. Luckily, with the Sunrise Quarter so close, they had a rich source of supplies.

The Inquisition—those that survived—had all fled the city entirely. Felix had considered chasing after them, but they weren't worth effort. According to Zara, the news of their activities—of the Primordial, the Authority, all of it—was already out. In a few weeks time, the Inquisition would reach the nearest city beyond the mountains, and soon after that word would reach the head of their order.

The goal now was to make sure they were prepared for what followed.

The merchants, nobles, and families of all stripes had seemed relieved to learn the redcloaks had fled. Cautious cheering had met the news that DuFont had been defeated by a Challenger, though many were concerned that it was a Guilder who once again held Authority. Some loudly proclaimed Haarwatch's time of troubles over, which had made Felix laugh. So far, it was going well. Felix didn't know what to expect from the nobility. His experiences with them were mixed, at best.

The core of the Sunrise Quarter had escaped the destruction visited on the rest of the city, and the people were healthy and well-fed, if a little wan. When Aenea had burst into their temporary shops and demanded reagents for tonics, salves, and potions, they were less than pleased. But the woman paid for what she could, and commandeered the rest; there were people in trouble. The merchants cried foul at the rough treatment, but Felix found it hard to sympathize with them.

The reagents were put to use, instead of gathering dust in their storehouses. Profit could wait for another day.

It was well the stocked up on all the did, as they'd found more survivors than expected, and not just from their assaults. Many had been gathered by the Inquisition into the Sunrise Quarter, but more still had holed up within the Crafters and Dust Quarters. Stashed in basements and root cellars, malnourished and terrified of the monsters that had prowled the streets. It took some convincing to get them out, and their efforts were ongoing, but Haarwatch was coming back to life. The city had survived.

Now the question was what to do with it all.

"I still think you shoulda taken the Authority, Felix," Evie said, kicking her heels over the edge of the Wall.

"I thought you would be happy to see Cal given such power," Vess asked. She was crouched nearby, along with Atar and Alister, inspecting the burnt out sigils along the inner edge of the battlements. Hector and a few others were down the way, further into the Wall's guts. "The Authority is better placed in her hands than Teine's."

"Hm," Alister said, not disagreeing. "How is Teine? Has he woken up?"

"Not yet," Atar answered and stood up. The fire mage wiped his hands on a greasy rag. "Portia doesn't have much hope either. Whatever those Arcids did, it ruined his foundations."

Felix winced. "What about the Wall? Can we fix it?"

"Not without some serious work," Atar said. "I'll leave the real diagnosis to Hector, but at the very least the sigaldry has to be reshaped."

"Not to mention the orichalcum needed to patch the holes," Alister pointed out.

"Can't Callie just," Evie wiggled her fingers.

"She's still figuring out the limits to her Authority, but DuFont sapped too many of the city's resources. We're running on empty," Vess said. "That's why we're here."

Below them, lined against he rent in the Wall, fifty Tin Rank fighters were in a loose shield formation. It was crude and wouldn't stop anything truly strong from the Foglands, but it was all they could manage right now. Felix rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"The Fiend's Legion will keep us safe, eh?" Evie said, a grin stretching her mouth. "I feel better already."

Atar and Vess all but laughed, though Alister had the grace to hide his amusement. They all knew how he felt about the "Legion." They were the patients from their camp's Healer's Ward, and during the previous night's battle each and every one of them had both survived and revealed their Omens. It was impressive and a little scary. Each of them looked at Felix like he was...something more.

He wasn't a fan.

"At least they're useful, and with the minor threats coming out of the Foglands they should rack up enough experience to get more dangerous quickly," Felix said, pushing aside his unease. "As long as the threats stay minor."

The sun rose higher, bathing endless blue skies with the warmth of high summer. Felix basked in it, closing his eyes as it warmed his skin. He still stood on the Wall but the others had fled to various projects and training, though Hector still toiled somewhere below. Felix had been helping him, trying to keep his mind busy and away from the thoughts that tugged at him.

He opened his eyes and looked west, away from the ascending sun and toward the Foglands. It had gone quiet the last few days, as if it were simply a boring forest from Earth. But Felix could feel a presence out among the dark branches and hidden ravines, a mingling of threads that twinged ominously in his senses. The Archon was out there, too close for comfort.

Felix touched the weapons at his waist, seeking them for comfort. Both the Femur of the Envoy and the Blade of the Fang had been recovered from the rubble, both untouched by the tons of wood and stone that had buried them.

If only my clothes were so durable. He was wearing a new set of clothes again. New boots, too. They were all without enchantments, destined to be torn apart, but it was fine enough for now. The tailor that had made his Khellish garments had turned up alive, so Felix was hopeful the man would be able to make him some new ones.

Distractions. Felix chided himself, just as the sound of feet on metal echoed up a nearby staircase.

"I had thought to find you here," Zara said.

"Yeah, well, people don't like to come so close to the Foglands, now that this thing is ripped open," Felix shrugged. "And the crowds are getting to be a bit much."

"The price of fame," Zara said with a smile. Felix let out a very Harn-like grunt. "Do you believe the Archon defeated?"

Felix laughed. "No. I barely know the thing, but from what I've seen, he's not the type to give up. We cut him off at the knees here, but we barely survived."

"He wants to escape his Domain," Zara said. "We both know that such a thing is possible. If he were to burst the bounds of it, he'd be set free. From what I felt when he inhabited the Apollyon, he is not something we want to face directly. Not yet, at least."

"We aren't ready," Felix agreed. He leaned against the crenelation. Already more soft light suffused the metal, though it was hard to tell in the daylight. "We barely survived this time, and who knows what other crap he has planned. Bad magic."

"Bad magic, indeed. We should grab any weapon that comes to us then, yes?" Zara smiled and out of the corner of his eye, Felix could see her pull something from her hip. "You left this in camp. It is quite the complement to your growing arsenal. I was surprised to see you had discarded it."

She held out a hooked sword made of bronze. It had a simple cross guard and a wire-wrapped hilt capped with an oblong pommel. His sword.

Felix eyed it a moment before taking it in hand again. The moment he did, he heard a trilling chord and the corner of his vision began flashing furiously.

Zara tilted her head, as if hearing something. "Did you just receive a System notification?"

Without answering, Felix toggled the blinking icon.

Hidden Quest Completed!

Inheritor of the Key!

You've proven yourself worthy in a trial by combat with a Master Tier existence! The Key is yours by Right and Might! Seek out the Temples to discover its true purpose and unlock its power.

Rewards:

+1 Level!

+Title!

New Title!

Inheritor (Unique) (Evolving)!

You are the master of the Nymean Key! Evolve this Title by seeking out Nymean Temples!

You Have Gained A Level!

You Are Now Level 49!

You Gain:

+2 to PER! +2 to VIT! +4 to END! +5 to INT! +6 to WIL! +4 to AGL! +7 to DEX!

You Have 27 Unspent Stat Points!

Inheritor?

"Do you know what this sword is, Zara? What it does?" Felix asked, muscling down the rise of System energy in his core. It was becoming easier with single levels.

"I saw DuFont use it to unravel spells cast upon her, and it is made of an exceedingly rare metal. It has enchantments that are hidden from me, which I assure you is not a common occurrence, and it came from the Foglands." Zara spread her hands, palms up. "Did I miss anything?"

Felix nodded, holding the sword aloft. It felt good in his hand, and the longer he held it the more his Wild Threnody pulsed inside his core, as if pushing him to use it. To fight...and more. That was why he'd left it behind; he didn't need anything else in his head.

"It's a key," he said. He twisted the Crescian Blade in his hand, tilting it back and forth in the mid-morning light. "It opens a door into a Nymean Temple deep in the Foglands."

"Truly?" Zara said, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "And what is within that Temple?"

Hidden Quest Discovered!

The Door Of The Lidless Eye!

Seek out the Temple you once took refuge within, Ascendant. Dire secrets dwell within, waiting the Inheritor. It is your duty to prevent the darkness from escaping into the light. Do not tarry, for the Archon is close, and the darkness closer.

"What else?" Felix said, whipping the sword down and sheathing it opposite his club. "Bad magic."

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