Unbound

Chapter Five Hundred And Ninety Nine – 599

The rift opened up into a massive snowdrift, and his Claw members floundered in the heavy banks for several long seconds before Felix emerged. He used Rime Shaping to clear a path.

Thank you, sir, said one of the scouts between shivers. Just about drowned in all that snow.

Dont mention it

Felix stumbled, his words failing him as a sharp screeching chord cut through his attention. A notification appeared, red-gold and edged with a pulsating black.

Quest Completed!

Delicious Devour IYour Primordial Hunger has requested a reward for all of its hard work. Prey must be Tier V or higher if a monster, Master or greater if a mortal, or the equivalent in magical potency. Rewards dependent upon prey devoured.Reward(s): Doubled Significance, Varies

A conspicuous weight settled on him like a leaden vest, pressing his shoulders and chest down and inward. It expanded, doubling on itself until it was a small mountain. A Kingsrock-sized pressure that seeped into his very bones.

Sir! Are you hurt?

Hes in pain! Spread out! Find the attacker?

Thattooka while. Whats the deal?

Dead Too Long.

The Forge Knight? Felix barely got the thought out when a sizzling bar of flame ripped through his middle. Not System energy, which came from outside in, but from the depths of his dark Hunger. Red-gold flame surged through his core space, painting all of it vermillion for the briefest of instances before seemingly vanishing. That mountain had inundated his core space, but by the heaviness in his gut Felix felt it had gathered nearest the base.

Pillars Partially Reinforced!Devour More To Prepare Yourself, Unbound!

Your Next Challenge Awaits.

He blinked, snow catching on his lashes. What does that mean?

Be Ready. Ten. The Last.

My tenth Pillar? You reinforced it?

Others. Give Me More. I Protect. We Grow.

Felix straightened, catching the concerned looks he was getting from the Claw members all around him. Several had pushed outward, climbing the snow banks in an effort to clear their line of sight. Im fine. Stand down. Theres no attack.

Another notification appeared to him, and it was just as grating as before.

New Quest!

Delicious Devour IIYour Primordial Hunger has requested a reward for all of its hard work. Prey must be Tier VII or higher if a monster, Grandmaster or greater if a mortal, or the equivalent in magical potency.

Rewards dependent upon prey devoured.

Reward(s): Doubled Significance, Varies

Felix licked his lips and considered the new Quest. The completion parameters were more intense than the last, but hed faced Grandmasters before. Maybe not full-strength Grandmasters, but they had been close.

If it can get me further down the path, Im all for it. He hesitated, checking his memory. How many Grandmasters does the Hierocracy have? Felix didnt know, but he shrugged it off. His Hunger adding reinforcement to his already crazy-strong Pillarsand potentially to his tenth Pillarwas well and good, but it still left him with the task of choosing the right Skill.

Felix still hadnt progressed very far in that process.

You sound loud, Pit said, hopping through the rift behind him. Others passed the starry veil, their forms emerging through the liquid film. ...Oh. Did she finish digesting?

Apparently. Felix moved aside, idly Rime Shaping a larger staging ground for his people to occupy. The snow shifted, piled to the sides where it wasnt stamped down until it formed a thick surface of ice. And Ive got a great deal more significance built up, too. Maybe even enough to cleanse your curse.

Pit perked up at that for a moment before his tufted ears laid flat against his head. Maybe? As in, maybe youll hurt yourself if you try? The tenku shook his head, firmly. Best wait, just to be sure.

Thats fair, he said. Felix didnt like waitingPit was still in pain, all the time. But he was also older now. Smarter. His Companion could make his own decisions. But the next hostile monster we come across is getting eaten.

When hasnt that been true? Pit chirruped.

Whered we end up? Harn asked, shading his eyes. The sun seemed to have barely crested the horizon, but its light was brilliant against the accumulated snow. With an annoyed grunt, the man put his helm back on. Too damn bright to see anythin.

As his friends gathered around him and the Claw secured their position, Felix brought up his Territory Map. They were at the southeastern edge of the Hoarfrost, right before it joined with a thick forest to the east, and a tall mountain range to the south. His Map stopped there, a stark edge to his Authority, but it was a bit easier to match the terrain with the few maps Felix had studied months back in Ahkestria.

Were just about at the foot of the Rimefangs, he said, before shaping the snow away from the southern face of their clearing. The powder split, revealing a bit of that dark forest. Beyond that, pressing into the sky like bared teeth, was a range of mountains that utterly dominated the southern horizon.

Here, in one trip? Vess voice was quietly awed. That had to have been a thousand leagues in the span of an afternoon.

No clue on the distance but, Felix tapped his hooked blade. Karys. Were out of the Passage. How long has it been?

A half-glass, my Lord, the man reported. Or thirty minutes, as you reckon time.

Felix smiled. Thanks, man. Thats incredible. Were heading into the Rimefangs now. Ill touch base with you tonight. The sword-light vanished. Lets get moving southward. We might have saved a ton of time across the Hoarfrost, but were months behind. Keep an eye out. The Hierocracy is here, and theyre on the hunt, same as us.

When we find this Gnome, what then? Tzfell asked.

High-tail it back north. Cross into the Hoarfrost and hop a ride on the ol Sailwhale, Harn said, not bothering to hide his amusement when Felix rolled his eyes. We do that, nobody is gonna be able to keep up.

That means the Autarch must remain with us, Laur pointed out.

Nope, Felix said, slapping both Vess and Harn on the backs. He may have put a bit more oomph on the latter, for no particular, whale-related reason. These are both my Exemplars. They can create lesser versions of my Passages. A little less safe, probably slower, but if it comes down to it then we have alternative ways out.

Tzfell studied the two warriors with interest. And if we are stuck within the mountains? Unable to flee?

Then we probably got a whole host of worse problems, Harn added. Tzfells mouth twisted, but she nodded.

As much as his people could have forged through the snow, time was of the essence. He kept Rime Shaping going at a low burn, an ever-present hum that gently split the worst of the snowfall from their path. It was an easy thing for him, the equivalent of scooping through foam atop a bubble bathbecause the worst wasnt the hard-packed stuff at the bottom, but the six or so feet of loose layers at the top. With firm footing, his company made great time.

In a few short minutes, they had passed from the Hoarfrost and into the Rimefangs proper. That happened about a mile into the southern edge of the forest, right as the elevation started to change. Most of the Hoarfrost was flat, save for its sudden peaks, but soon they were climbing up and down small foothills covered in evergreen trees that looked an awful lot like pines. If pines were as thick around as a young Redwood. They were tall too, which made the looming Rimefangs even more imposing as Felixs sense of scale was thrown totally out of whack.

The scouts went on ahead, all of them agile enough that the snow was little impediment to their movement. They set the trail, marking the snow in a way that Felix could easily recognize before he wiped all traces away with Rime Shaping. The landscape steadily changed around them. The ground grew more rocky, the forest a touch thinner, while the incline steadily ticked upward. Every once in a while, small, frost-coated ridges rose from between copses of firs and spruces. They avoid them, by and large, as it was clear that they hid dozens of monster dens. Not in the Domain sense, but simple dugouts where lone beasts or small family units were snuggled up against the cold.

The Claw were quiet for the most part, focused on staying in formation and eyeing their surroundings. Every once in a while someone would run low on Stamina, however, and they were transferred to the back of Hallows Multipede Body. Beef was up there, beside the perching Sharpwing Matriarch with the Homunculus wrapped around his torso like an armored vest. He made sure the Claw stayed aboard, summoning small, chitinous legs that latched onto legs and hips. Most of them didnt mind.

Felix found it kinda gross. It made Pit hungry.

Early on, the tenku had shifted into Dire Hound form and clambered up onto Felixs shoulders, complaining of too much training back on the ship. While it wasnt out of the ordinary for Pit to lounge around when he could, his drive had been amped to high levels in recent weeks. It wasnt until Felix spied Beef and Vess trudge through the snowHomunculus and Wyrmling nestled comfortably on their back and shoulders respectivelythat he realized his Companion was just a little jealous.

You could have just asked, he sent. I wouldnt have said no.

Of course not, Pit sent back. He flopped across his deltoid and nearly unseated himself. Ah!

Felix caught him with a quick Garment change; a small, boiled-leather harness snagged around his russet butt.

Pit barked, the sound of it edged by a songbirds relieved trill. Thanks.

Dont mention it.

Perhaps two hours and a great many miles after they set out, a scout named Lenat dropped from a tree. She was Henaari, and bore a pair of short spears at her waist. My Lord. There is a settlement, just ahead.

Felix peered beyond their immediate surroundings, but another icy ridge blocked the direction she indicated. He flared his Perception, sorting through wind, creaking ice, and soft snoring monstersand found the overwhelming smell of char. He wrinkled his nose. What happened to it?

It would be easier to show you, my Lord.

Lead on.

Their company met with the other scouts just outside of a walled village. Though the height of the stone construction meant they couldnt see into the town from their vantage point, it was clear that at least part of the wall had been broken. The scouts outlined what they had found, and it twisted Felixs stomach. Someone, or something, had attacked it, knocking down a large section of the wall and burning at least half of the homes within. There was no sign of the living, but quite a few bodies lined streets that looked almost melted.

Evie whistled. That wall alone is fifteen strides thick. What kinda beast could break a hole in that?

Normally Id suggest Frost Giant raiders, this close to the border, Tzfell said. But it is clear that whoever attacked used fire or heat magic. That precludes a Troll attack, too. They cannot abide an open flame.

Beef had Hallow lower her Multipedal head to their level. Trolls? Youre saying there are actual, real life trolls here?

Evie snorted. As opposed to what? Fake Trolls?

Beef lifted his snout into the air. Obviously, youve never been on the SwordLore forums.

Beef. In your short life, have you ever tried to make sense?

Dont see how thats relevant.

Yes, well, Tzfell said, clearing her throat. Giants and Trolls can be a problem in these border towns because theyre generally left on their own by the clans.

What about in the event of a raid? Felix asked.

The walls are so sturdy for a reason, but most of these towns are decently defended. Most have at least a handful of Journeyman Tiers in residence. If that wasnt enough, they would send word to the nearest outpost, requesting aid from the Ironclads.

The Henaari scout cleared her throat. My Lord, there is a distinct trail headed southwest, further into the mountains. It is clear that the survivors fled en masse.

Felix nodded. Thats good to hear. Any idea where theyd be headed, Tzfell?

Same place the Ironclads would have been dispatched from, Lord Autarch: the nearest Clan Hold. Tzfell peered at the town from a distance. Look. That flag. Clan Red Shield. It means were closer to our goal than I anticipated.

Felix knew that name. Clan Red Shield was where one of his earliest visions of Imara had taken place, where she had fought some Dwarves outside a mountain. He directed his next question to the scout. Lenat, does your tracking Skill tell you hold long ago they were made?

An approximation. Between four days and a week.

Well before I made them swear a cease-fire, Felix noted. It could have been a giant raid.

Giants do not drive off the Ironclads with the mere mention of an attack, Tzfell insisted. If it has been that long, than the Ironclads arent coming. Something else is going on.

Is it the Corrupted One? Laur asked.

The other Unbound lady? Beef craned his neck, as if he could spot her somewhere in the distance. Pit shuddered against Felixs neck.

Imara. Felix looked around again, taking in the same details in a new light. Those stones I can see are melted. Was it the same for the houses in town, Lenat?

The wall was collapsed inward, like someone just shoved their way through it. However, near the break there is a wide span of empty stone. Only on the borders of that patch were there houses, and those were burnt to a crisp.

That tracks for someone using heat, light, or fire Mana, Felix noted. Any of them could melt stone and consume entire houses if they use enough.

So either a dangerous Unbound or multiple battalions of redcloaks, Vess listed. The Chanters did say this Imara was expecting reinforcements.

Lets hope for the redcloaks, Evie said. I barely got to stretch my chain in the frostlands, and theyre good target practice.

Redcloaks would be a damn sight better than a crazy Unbound, Harn agreed. No offense, kid.

Felix snorted.

These mountains are full of blind spots and narrow trails. I am not eager to meet either by chance, Vess added.

Until we know better, well treat it as if it is the Unbound. Harn, Evie, gather the Talons and keep them tight. Lenat, you and the scouts stick close too. Ill hold the company under stealth and pave the way. Well follow the townsfolk toward this Red Shield Hold.

Aye, sir.

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