Unbound

Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty One – 331

Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty One – 331

Felix's conversation with Kikri was short and to the point. While his original Title would have required him to eat her blood or something, it was far easier now. "Just hit me with some Green Shaping, alright?"

"...If you're sure...?" the Elf asked. She traded glances with the Dwarven mage Nevia, who shrugged.

"He's strong, right? That means you can go all out," the mage suggested. Felix pointed at Nevia and nodded.

"She's got the right idea. Give me your best shot, full blast." Felix walked a distance away, perhaps a hundred feet or so down the row of stone dwellings. The sounds of Mana and discharging Skills nearby pricked at his attention, but it was simple to tell that it was the Henaari setting up their own houses. Felix spread his arms wide. "Fire at will."

Kikri's face firmed as some sort of resolve settled over her, and she lifted her gorgeously carved long bow in one hand while reaching out with the other. One of the few trees in the space shuddered beside her, suddenly disgorging forth a mass of green-gold energy and pale wood. In a smooth motion, the wood formed into a large arrowmore like a tiny spearand the Elf let loose. It screamed through the air, leaving visible trails of smoke as the tip heated up into a brilliant orange that warped his vision. Like a miniature train, it bore down on him.

Chthonic Tribute!

Felix caught it and consumed it in a single motion.

The arrow and it's green-gold light vanished, and Felix let it flow through his channels and into his core space. There it tangled among the crimson-black branches of his Divine tree-thing, greenery upon the boughs. Felix could still feel the bright lights of Essence Motes and Memories fixed among the Essence clouds at the top of his weird tree, held in place by his own Will and Intent as well as the crimson-black structure. He wondered, briefly, how long they would hold there...and suspected the answer was as long as he wished. Felix's Will was not to be denied, not anymore. Not for this.

The Mana and Essence of the arrow, however, slipped from his fingers and into his cores. A short spark and tiny bump of power was all he found. Felix returned to the world, frowning. "Again."

"I'm sorry?" Kikri asked.

"Again. Do it again," Felix said. "And this time, don't hold back."

"I don't think that I"

"Are you afraid to hurt me?" he asked. "Don't be. I've survived...a lot, actually."

Kikri stopped and Nevia sucked in a tight breath. The Elf swallowed nervously. "No, it's not that. I just cannot in good conscience try and hurt you, sir. You're a Lord, for Noctis' sake!"

"Hm," Felix grunted. That was annoying and unexpected. "It's a matter of motivation. Okay. Then just try and kill me before I kill you."

"What?"

Felix exploded forward, arms swept to the side, and Kikri screamed.

Vess found Evie in the wooded hills to the east, sitting atop a high branch close enough to camp to see it, but far enough away for some privacy. She hesitated before broaching that solitude, but Vess knew Evie well enough to know when she'd prefer company.

Plus, she came bearing gifts.

"Evie?" Vess said, announcing herself as she neared. The tree she sat within was quite large, a lethan fruit tree, according to her Analyze. It had small, brilliantly colored berries, each one a slightly different shade than the next. They were meant to be restorative, and a handful would bring a healing boost to one's Aspects for a short period of time. "Strange. There are so many plants in the Foglands that have healing properties."

"Ain't so strange," Evie said from ahead. Vess could sense her but not see her through the thick greenery. "Place used to be Nymean, yeah? Those folks seem prone to helpin', from all that Felix tells us. Could be they just planted it all, Ages past."

"That..." Vess looked around them, at the forest that spread wild in all directions. "That makes a remarkable amount of sense."

"Well I ain't an idiot all the time," Evie said and Vess sniffed.

"Please. You have more sense in your head than any dozen courtiers I have had the displeasure of entertaining." Vess took a small hop through the leaves, and landed on a wide branch next to her friend. Evie was leaning against the trunk, one leg dangling over the edge. "Unrefined and unintelligent are not the same thing."

That at least made Evie laugh, and she could hear amusement crowd out the blunted pang of anger and grief. Vess was getting better at using her Harmonic Stats, specifically her Affinity, but subtleties still tended to evade her. "On brighter news, Felix has discovered how to give out Quests."

"Hm," Evie said. "He's turnin' into a proper lord, isn't he?"

"He is growing into it, I believe. The Quest is a scouting mission. Hunt the wilds for plants and beasts that are useful or threats. Do youdo you want to join in?" Vess asked, smiling hesitantly. "You and I, together? We can hunt all we want and earn some bonus experience as well."

Eager amusement played across Evie's Spirit, and Vess' halting smile was matched. "Damn if you don't know how to talk to a girl's heart." She snorted and stood. "Hope there's plenty of monsters to go around, cuz I ain't plannin' on doin' this half-assed."

A sudden, ear-piercing boom shook the air and the both of them turned back toward the encampment.

"...What's all that about?" Evie asked.

Vess clucked her tongue. Through hundreds of strides of tree and branch, she could see Felix's broad, athletic back looming over someone on the ground. "He was testing his newfound Authority," Vess said slowly. "...And apparently beating up our resident archer."

"Rude of him," Evie snorted.

"And unusual. He's not the type to pick a fight," Vess said.

"Are we talkin' about the same guy? Big muscles, scales sometimes? Likes to fight gods and Primordials and maybe a few ancient constructs before lunch?" Evie stretched her back and re-slung her chain about her waist. "I'm pretty sure Felix has some aggression issues he keeps bottled up. Ain't no reason for him being as good at fighting as he is, otherwise."

Vess' mouth quirked to the side. She saw him, helping the Elf back to her feet and saying something too low for even her Perception to pick out. Kikri was shaking with fear, but looked astonished. What is he doing?

"Is this progress I see?" Evie asked in a sly voice.

Vess blinked and looked up at her. Evie was looking between the distant Felix and Vess with a growing smirk. "You've been spending more time together."

"He has...questions. About Authority," Vess said. She straightened her leathers, a needless task. They were enchanted to fit her as comfortably as possible. "We simply compared the details of our Seat and Seals."

"Ah. You show me yours, I show you mine type situation. I see."

Vess' face lit up, and she feared at how fiercely she blushed. "Nothing of the sort, Evie. Get your Mind out of the gutter."

"Gutter born and raised, I'm afraid." Evie stretched and laughed. "You'll have better luck breakin' him in than me."

Vess shook herself and summoned her silver Spears. "Enough talk. Come. We will take the Quest and do some exploring."

"You know, that'd be nice," Evie said. "First monster we see is mine though, Duchess."

"Only if you're fast enough, guttersnipe."

The both of them blurred into motion, leaving only wind and scuffed bark behind.

Some time later, after the screaming had stopped and Kikri had finally fired at him in earnest, Felix walked away happily. A new Skill was sitting in his grasp.

New Skill!

Green Shaping (Rare), Level 1!

The Green Wilds are varied and deep. You have touched upon a mastery that delves those mysteries. Where life Mana is imparted upon flora, you hold sway. Precision, strength, and speed of manipulation increases slightly with Skill level.

Felix had in no way intended to hurt the woman, but he could see that Kikri was blunting her edge both consciously and subconsciously. He'd had to put her into a life and death situation to truly get her to attack, and it had worked out wonderfully for the both of them. Felix had consumed her attack at a far higher concentration, and she had earned six entire Skill levels. By the time she had gotten over the worst of the shakes, he swore the Elf was going to ask him to do it again.

Might be a good idea, in fact, he thought. Some training for everyone.

But first, fortifications. He rolled up the sleeves of his tunic, now a rich brown accented with gold thread. He'd changed it a handful of times already, still delighted by its extremely responsive array. The sleeves, instead of simple folding back, literally shortened until they were just below his elbows. Man, this thing is cool.

Expanding his senses, aided by both his connection to the Spirit Tree above him and his Authority, Felix felt at the edges of what the System called his Stronghold. He'd already had the Haarguard go around and ensure no one was in the construction zone, but he felt compelled to make one last check. Everyone was either well within the boundaries or beyond them. A number of Henaari had taken up his Quest, and he could even sense the fading presences of Evie and Vess to the north. Good. Nothing Evie likes more than fighting. Good job Vess.

He was ready. Once more, Felix lined up the patterns for Bulwarks and Square Towers as provided by his interface and took a single, steadying breath.

"Here goes nothing."

The patterns burst alight in his senses, become suddenly real. Visible only to him, a strange set of vibrating cords erupted from the earth, almost like wire-frame models made of light; System Mana began to pour into them and the dirt and stone beneath slowly rose.

"No no, not that," he said. Felix reached out and fixed his Willpower and Intent upon the fortification patterns, all of them at once. The energy from the System squealed.

WARNING!

System Construction In Progress!

Do You Wish To Take Manual Control?

Y/N

Felix grinned. Yes.

The squealing stopped, and the earth quietened beneath the still-visible patterns of wall and towers. Fearful of losing a moment, Felix he sounded his own Skills.

Stone Shaping!

Rime Shaping!

Green Shaping!

Cardinal Flame!

Mana drained from Felix like a sieve, thousands of points in seconds, as stone turned liquid before crawling upward all along the edge of his Stronghold. At the same time, a variety of seeds beneath the earth, inert or hibernating, suddenly burst into frenetic life. Flowing trunks, vines, and branches all sprung upward, tangling among the liquefied stone as dusty brown and green-gold Mana met and intertwined. Through it all, he laced the crystalline formation of ice, laying it out in accordance with the patterns he'd memorized, and burning sharp-edged sigils and glyphs within each distinct coating.

Felix began to sweat almost immediately, and his Body quaked as if he were physically lifting every inch of the growing wall himself. It was maddeningly difficult, far more so than he had expected. Felix's powerful Intelligence sped up his thoughts while his Perception flared in order to keep all of it in view at all times. It was a powerful burden, and had he known how much, perhaps he would have started with just a single wall at first. Too late now, he grimaced.

But his stats were well above the Third Threshold now, and his Mind and Spirit worked in smooth concert with one another. Standing stock still, Felix directed power to the edge of his nascent Stronghold, and the world around him changed.

Congratulations!

You Have Built Your First Fortification!

XP Earned!

Your Stronghold Has Improved!

Continue Improving It To Increase Its Rank!

Stone Shaping is level 69!

Green Shaping is level 2!

...

Green Shaping is level 19!

Rime Shaping is level 2!

...

Rime Shaping is level 22!

It was done.

Felix hissed a breath through his teeth and wiped sweat from his brow with a shaky arm. He felt like he'd been doing hard labor all day, and his muscles quivered with sympathetic strain. Looking up, Felix considered it well worth the aches and pains. In what felt like hours, but was likely only five minutes, a huge wall had risen from the depths of the earth. A dull roar of amazement, wonder, and a dash of fear sounded in Felix's ears, both physical and not; but he paid them all little mind. He was far more interested in the wall itself.

Just as the pattern had indicated it, the wall was forty feet tall and thick. It all appeared to be made of a glassy, dark blue-black stone veined with a faint, luminescent red-gold. The towers were fifteen feet taller than the top of the wall, and both featured those same crenelations along the edge, as well as a parapet where guards could walk the length of it. At the base of each tower was a door made of a darker stone, and arrow slits were formed into the walls. Unadorned steps were interspersed along the wall to provide access to the tops, and all of it was seamless. There were no visible blocks or joins, no mortar or clever junctions. It had been risen as a single, monolithic fortification.

Felix opened his Stronghold menu and checked the overview again.

Stronghold Defensive Strength: 40%

Stronghold Offensive Strength: 5%

The offense rating of his Stronghold was unchanged, but seeing the huge jump in defense made Felix's heart soar. "Karys, you seeing this?"

"I am. It appears your efforts have been rewarded. The effects of your manual control were overwhelmingly positive. Hm," his sword buzzed. "Likely because you fused it all into one piece. Was that intentional?"

"If I say no, does that make it less impressive?" Felix asked with a tired grin.

Karys laughed. "No. But please keep in mind that efforts like this put you at risk. If this were a proper settlement, you would have engineers to worry about construction like this."

"We have the Henaari now, so perhaps engineers aren't quite so far off," Felix mused. That largely depended on how well the Henaari integrated with his people, and what exactly Felix's plans were, going forward. "What's next on the agenda, then?"

"You wish to make your Stronghold safer, yes?"

"Of course."

"Then next must come the Forge."