Unbound

Chapter Four Hundred And Twenty Six – 426

"Hallow? Is that you in there?" Felix asked.

The bundle of crystal and rock lifted a club-like hand and grew a single, luminous crystal where its thumb should be. "Yes."

"You like it? I ended up with this chunk of rock and crystal in my stuff when I was washed outta the Tomb," Beef explained as he knelt next to the Homunculus. The thing was small, barely three feet tall, but it was bulky and looked to weigh a fair amount. A solid column of luminous crystal made up its center, with chipped pieces of dark stone clinging to more crystalline bones like flesh. Its head was a half-dome lump of rock and branching crystals, but it retained the basic shape of a person. Sorta. "When I touched it, the whole thing sparked and sucked up some of my magic. So I figured, why not give it some? Turned out to be a good idea, and my Hallow Rise activated, splitting off a chunk of Hallow's...Hallowness into it."

"A large piece of me is now here," Hallow said in that faintly echoing, feminine voice. "Much more than in my other Risen. However, this fortable."

Beef leaned in close to Felix and whispered. "She's never said stuff like that before. Been real weird, like she's growing." He grinned, and Felix noticed he had several missing teeth growing back in. "Like some sorta magic AI."

"You used to be able to summon around thirty to forty Risen at a time. How many can you manage now, while maintaining that Body?" Felix asked the Homunculus.

Hallow tilted her head, rocks grinding. "Perhaps ten. No. Nine Risen."

Pit whistled. "Steep cost," he said.

"Eh, worth it," Beef insisted. "She's got a core now. Never had that in any of the corpses, even the Multipede. Its that crystal through her center, and it can Evolve. Here." He flicked his fingers at Felix, and a blue window rotated into view before him.

Name: Hallow

Type: Homunculus (Tier 0)

Evolution: Tier 0

Lore: Homunculus are rare creatures born of a confluence of factors that result in a Vessel of such purity that it may be moved by a Spirit of sure potency. Born as little more than a core and a hard shell to defend it, a Homunculus retains the ability to grow if it is nurtured properly.

"The Body's still pretty weak right now, but after using Hallow Rise on it once it grew legs, arms, and something like a head," Beef explained. "I'm thinkin' if I keep fighting with the thing, facing down some monsters or Paladins or somethin', then she'll get stronger."

"Combat is difficult in such a form," Hallow added, lifting its nubby little arms. Suddenly, dagger-like needles of glowing crystal burst from its stony shell, like some sort of nightmare porcupine. "But the crystal proves quite sharp and durable."

She swiped her arm, and several projectiles shot outward, embedding themselves in a stone column thirty feet away.

"Impressive," Vess said, peering after the attack. "That sank a few inches into Tier II stone. Most Apprentices couldn't do that with an attack."

"See? Strong," Beef said, patting his own bicep.

Felix knelt down and peered closer at the Homunculus. "Do you mind?" he asked.

"I do not," Hallow replied, and though Felix couldn't quite feel her emotional affect, she seemed...bored.

As Beef continued boasting about the possibilities of the Homunculus, Felix ran his senses over the construct. He assumed it was a construct, much like a Golem was, animated by some sort of advanced inscriptions and buried in the depths of the Tomb. The rising waters must have knocked it free and it had ended up in Beef's hands. A simple, easy explanation...one that did nothing to account for the fact that the creature contained not a jot of sigaldry.

What? That's impossible. How's it functioning? It's made of Mana crystals and rock. He ran his fingers over its craggy surface, sliding them across razor-sharp protrusions of glowing crystal as his senses quested deeper. His expansive Perception could pick out individual grains of sand clinging to the rocky carapace and hear the faintest tapping as something inside the Homunculus expanded and shrank in steady succession. It sounded like a heartbeat, build not of meat and fluid, but silica and something else. There was a resonance to the Body, a familiar Dissonance buried beneath Beef's blackened-green magic and the earth Mana the Homunculus wore.

Felix's memory was entirely too perfect to miss it: the cadence was the signature of the Primordial of Withering Dust. Was it one of the "confluence of factors" that created the Homunculus? Felix's heartbeat sped up, as if readying him for a fight, but the Homunculus didn't suddenly sprout fangs and claws and attack him. In fact, as he pressed his Affinity and Perception to their limits, he found not a single trace of the flesh curse in the Homunculus. Apparently when he had eliminated the curse previously, it had been a thorough job.

He stood up with a grateful sigh. It's remarkably magical and strange, but it's not gonna magically infect everyone around it. It's safe.

"Quite the amazing find, is it not?" a new voice asked. Felix looked up to see a small blonde woman step closer, her pale blue gown covered in a stained, once-white smock. Her hair was still up and immaculate, still bound by a silver circlet on her brow, as if she were some princess from a fairy tale. "When Michael brought it to me, I immediately knew it should be developed further. I imagine a...person such as he can truly take advantage of its strengths."

"Isla. You seem in good spirits," Vess said with a slight inclination of her head.

"Were that I was better. The procession of wounded never seems to end. More and more people are being brought up from the lower layers with truly gruesome injuries." The Chanter sighed and shook her head as she cast her gaze across the sea of cots and robed figures moving around them. "The defectors of the Flame have been quite useful. I believe their guilt drives them to excessive helpfulness."

Felix saw them, clad in white robes embroidered with golden and orange thread. A number of them had picked out the stitching on the flame that dominated their backs, so now it was an amorphous mess of orange, yellow, and golden lines. They were leaning across the sick and infirm, applying ointments and administering vials of various potions. Pit, who had ranged a bit afield, sniffed a gooey looking poultice one of them had just laid. He snorted, pawing at his nose when the acrid scent stuffed itself into his nostrils. Felix could admit it was nice to see not all of the Temple's adherents were so blind as their leaders, even if he also didn't trust them very much. From the way Isla was watching their progress, she did not either.

"And you, Felix? How goes your recovery?" Isla asked. "Last I knew you were in the throes of some considerable System backlash."

"I'm fine," he said.

"Are you sure? Perhaps I should inspect your channels, to be safe," Isla suggested, lifting her hands toward him.

A burning annoyance flared in his chest, and the Chanter stopped, her face paling even further than usual. "I am fine," he repeated.

The woman licked her lips once and dropped her hands with a queasy smile. "Of course. How foolish of me."

"That's what I keep saying," Beef said, before loudly whispering to Felix. "I think she listened better when she was Naos."

Isla smacked him. "You seem quite fine, Michael. Has your masochism reached its end?"

Vess raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

Beef blushed, though it was hard to tell through his thick skin. "Just been experimenting with Hallow's new form. She can shift her shape a bit, so I thought, why not have her be armor too? Then I could hide the Homunculus Body until its needed and bam!" He slapped his hands together, hard enough that a wave of air kicked back the cots around him. People cried out. "Oh damn, sorry. Sorry!" In a much quieter voice, he repeated himself. "Bam. Surprise Hallow."

"And it is cutting you up? That's where your injuries are from?" Vess asked. When Beef nodded sheepishly, she laughed. "You two are very much alike. I once saw Felix shoving his arms into a basin of acid just to raise his resistance Skill."

"You saw that?" Felix hadn't thought anyone had been awake then.

"The smell was hard to ignore."

Beef put his fists on his hips, looking proudly at Felix. "It's a cool idea right? Living armor and hidden weapon?"

Felix nodded. He couldn't deny it. "It's very cool. Just don't hurt yourself too much."

"Eh, I'm like stupid sturdy now. After that Link thingy, most of my Aspects pushed close to Journeyman. I even Tempered my Body."

"You did? This happened after the battle?" Felix asked, his good mood fading. He could almost feel Isla's attention sharpening the longer they spoke. "How did you get an Essence Draught?"

"Pit gave me one of yours," Beef said. "We were on that Yttin boat and I just couldn't hold it back anymore. Guy saved me, that's for sure. Though it was real nasty."

"One of...mine?" Felix asked. The only Essence Draughts he'd carried with him were the unattuned ones. The ones that weren't fit for anyone but him to use. "How'd that go?"

"Oh dude, it was rough. One time I broke into my dad's liquor cabinet and drank his favorite whiskey. This felt like that but, like, ten thousand times worse. Like glass in my throat and chest." Beef shuddered. "Hit me like a ton of bricks too. After four of them I felt wrung out, but it got me a new Body. Called the Savage Riot Body. Increased my Strength by 200 points! Even my Endurance and Vitality have gone over a thousand now, can you believe it?"

Felix could believe it. The Minotaur had a considerable advantage on his Body, and he'd been a great help in their battles together. But the kid was always lagging a bit behind, unable to keep up with the punishment and speed that Felix and Pit showcased. He might not be much faster now, but his durability had vastly increased. Frankly, Felix was relieved. Beef would be able to keep up with him in the future, and the Essence Draught hadn't just ripped his core space into pieces. While he hadn't the same advantages of constitution Felix did, nor a Hunger aiding the process of digesting such potency, he was Unbound. Apparently that had been enough.

"What is truly interesting about this 'Link' that Michael speaks of, is that his Skills have also increased," Isla added. "How did such a thing come to be?"

"Oh yeah, Hallow Rise jumped like ten levels and Tempered into Journeyman too. My first Spirit Skill to get so high," Beef said with palpable excitement. "I've got more Mana too, though my Willpower didn't increase too much. That's a little strange."

"Hmm," was all Felix offered. He wasn't in the mood to explain anything to Isla. In fact, he wasn't sure that he trusted her all that much. The Chanter's order, the Cantus Sodalus, hadn't proven itself to him yet. He was still sore about Zara Marking himessentially planting a gps tracker on his Spiritwithout his knowledge or consent. Felix had removed it, but he wasn't too quick to trust again...and Isla was a mystery. What she wanted was anyone's guess. "Beef, you mind if I take a look at your core space? I can make sure nothing too squirrelly when on when you Tempered."

"Oh, uhm. I'd, uh, nah. That's not something you have to do," Beef said.

"I mean, it's relatively easy for me," Felix said with a shrug.

"It is?" Isla said. "When did you learn to Delve?"

"Here and there," Felix said, but kept his eyes on Beef. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. I'm totally fine," Beef said, smiling wide.

Beef's Spirit twisted, an atonal squeal that spelled out the lie. He wasn't fine, but Felix wasn't sure why. And with Isla right there, he didn't want to press the issue. "Alright. Let me know if you change your mind."

"Sure."

"Isla, where is Zara?" Vess asked into the brief lull in conversation. "We are seeking her out."

"Oh she is off dealing with that hulking Reed and his soldiers. Why did you think there would be changes in young Michael's abilities?" Isla asked, undeterred.

"We fought a lot of enemies in the Tomb, not to mention the dead Primordial down there," Felix said. "Things were chaotic, to say the least. I just want to make sure everything went smoothly, and I have a little experience with checking core spaces. Besides, a Primordial's flesh curse is insidious, even if the thing was dead."

"But have you not conquered the flesh curse?" Isla asked. "You are able to cleanse it, after all."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear that?"

Vess spoke up. "She aided us in distilling a portion of the Primordial's curse to use against the Highest Flame. She was told about your ability to cleanse our people of the curse." And little else, her gaze told him.

Felix nodded slowly. "Right. Well, I can cleanse it, which is part of why I want to inspect his core space. Making sure it's safe."

Beef waved his hands. "I'm fine. Better than fine. Hallow and I just finished rebuilding a whole crafting house. Took a while, but Hallow's got a new knack for stonework."

"I am pleased with the capabilities of this new Body," the spirit said. "I only wish to see how we fare in battle, Michael."

"Eventually. We've been told not to meddle with the Paladin hunt," Beef explained to Felix's questioning glance.

"You're too precious to risk against those fools," Isla said, patting Beef on the shoulder. "Both of you." With a swift motion, the Chanter discarded her stained apron and gathered up her fine blue skirts in a fist. "Now come. You said you were looking for Zara? I can take you to her."

With little else to do, Felix and Vess found no reason not to agree. Isla soon led them across the open amphitheater and down through a series of doorways. Pit, Beef, and a stumping Hallow followed behind them. After a while, as the chambers kept coming, Isla began talking. She spoke of small things, engaging Vess in a conversation about the efforts at producing enough potions with their limited supplies, while Vess spoke on the continued threat of the Paladins. It was a back and forth that Felix left slide past him just as the doorways and corridors swept across his path. But ignoring the conversation only earned him a jolt of surprise when the Chanter addressed him.

"So Felix, can you explain to me how you can cleanse the flesh curse of a Primordial?" she said, as casually as if she were asking about the weather. "It is an affliction that no one in the history of the healing arts has ever cured. I am simply amazed that you've found a way."

Felix wasn't sure how to answer that, so he simply didn't. He knew it made him come off as boorish and maybe even an idiot, not having some pithy come back to distract or divert the question, but he had nothing. His ability to cleanse the flesh curse was a function of his Transcendent rarity Skills: Unite the Lost and, most recently, Sovereign of Flesh. But answering with that would lead to more questions, such as where those Skills had been learned or what they could accomplish. Instead, as his own silence grew a touch too heavy to bear, Felix said, "What can you tell me about weaving Pillars and the Tapestry Stage that follows?"

Isla tapped her lips as if he hadn't ignored her and awkwardly changed the subject. "Ah, well. One requires anywhere between five and nine Pillars, and each one represents a piece of your foundation. Weaving them is quite important, especially weaving them well with Skills that have been properly Tempered with useful and potent Features. Most make it their purpose to Weave all of them once they hit Adept Tier, but few manage to complete such a monumental task. Typically, one is well into the Master Tier before their Weaving Stage has reached its end."

Felix perked up at that. "Really? Why do some have more Pillars than others?"

"A matter of Tempering and, to be honest, care," Isla said. "There are always those impatient to climb the steps to power, and it takes a long time to properly weave one's Pillars."

"I see," Felix said, glancing at Vess. She was watching Isla as if she were memorizing every word that came out of her mouth, and likely was; information like this was hard to come by on the Continent, even, apparently, for duchal heiresses. "And making your Tapestry is...?"

"A worry for Master Tiers," the Chanter said bluntly. "One cannot advance into Grandmaster without completing one's Pillars and beginning the weave of one's Tapestry. More than that, I cannot say."

"Because saying would influence the process," Felix said, nodding in understanding. Karys had said the same.

"What? No, because I have not yet reached that stage myself. I am only at the beginning stages of Master Tier, though my Pillars are almost completely formed."

Oh. That was surprising. The woman felt a lot more powerful than Felix, but he was only a few steps behind her in core formation. Does weaving Pillars help so much?

"From what Zara has told me, you are growing quite fast, Felix. Two Pillars already, and while still a Journeyman. That is remarkable...and foolhardy," Isla said.

"What? Why?" Vess demanded. "Felix is clearly stronger than many. He was able to defeat a Grandmaster, in his own Territory no less," she continued, expression more than a little heated. "Everything he is, he was forced into in order to survive or save the people around him. That is not foolhardy. That is admirable and noble and" Vess suddenly cut off her words when she met Felix's gaze. A faint redness flushed the very tops of her cheeks.

Isla held up her hands, perhaps to forestall another outburst. "It is foolhardy because it invites disaster. Quick growth is the surest way to outpace your own foundation. This is why I've ensured Michael has had only steady gains throughout this past half year. All of you Unbound must be molded so that you do not extend yourself beyond reach of our ability to save you; that is one of the priorities of our Order. Grow too fast and your foundation will not be solid enough to carry you into Grandmaster and Paragon." They came upon a another set of double doors, these carved into complicated geometric patterns and plated with polished gold. Felix could faintly hear the sound of fighting on the other side. "For it is in those Tiers that you and your fellows will truly prove useful to the Continent."

She shoved open the double doors and walked out onto a wide stone landing. Above them the storm roared, discharging lightning and a torrential rainfall that filled the night with a wet haze. The patter of water and crashing thunder nearly drowned out the sound of close to a hundred men and women engaged in a brutal, bloody fight, just feet below them.

The Chanter shook her head, as if the fighting were pointless. "Only at that point will you have the potential to perhaps stand up against the Ruin."

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