Chapter Five Hundred And Thirty Three – 533
Words fly upon wind,
Broken song made whole again,
The Fiend is rising.
-Unknown
Small brown birds crowded among winter bare branches, their tiny eyes as bright as their plumage was dull. Diffuse, pallid light spread over everything, blanketing the forest in a hush that even the birds respected. Not a single chirp escaped them, though they shifted on tiny feet as they bore quiet witness to the fall of thick, silent snow.
Felix could feel them there, little sparks of life and blood Mana coiled around threads of air and shadow. With his Manasight, he picked those pieces apart just as he did the thick trunk of green-gold and dusty brown that sat at the heart of the trees beneath them. Around him, more beasts filled the still forest, far more than he would have ever guessed back on Earth. There was the fast beating heart of the hare two hundred yards away, hiding from the snowy fox that stalked it. The slumbering Glitterhogs beneath a low mound, and the family of Mana Voles atop a still-living log.
There was also the unmistakable tread of metal feet.
He made quite the target, standing at a bit over six and a half feet tall and layered with lean muscle. He was all but naked, his chest and arms as bare as his feet, and only a thick pair of leather pants maintained his modesty. Black scales covered his arms and legs, but his taloned hands were empty. Muscles bunched beneath pale skin as he shifted his stance, tracking the sound of metal even as it slowly circled him.
Theyre behind you now, chirruped a voice in his head.
Im aware, Pit.
There were no other sounds than that single set of footfalls, and even those slipped across Felixs ears as if greased. Felix pressed himself, letting sound and taste and touch swirl around him in a zone entirely too wide to deny. Nothing but the steps called out to himand he distrusted that immensely.
Theyre going to attack from two sides, Pit said.
I can handle this myself, bud.
Abruptly, snow crunched and a tree trunk cracked, a staccato report louder than a cannon blast. Metal shrieked through the air, moving so fast it drove the wind before it in a series of hazy ripples. Felix twisted and snapped his hands out, trapping the hafts of twin axes between his dark talons. Silver flame gushed, rolling off his midnight scales without effect as red paint oozed from their edges.
Really, Harn, Felix said, a touch annoyed. You were so loud.
The man holding the axes wore a full suit of platemail, including a frogs mouth helmet, and he barked an echoing laugh. That was the point, kid.
Felixs Perception flared and his reflexes took over. He rolled to the left, releasing Harns axes while behind him came the unleashed fury of a dozen suddenly-unmuffled shouts. Steel and ice and lightning coursed through the space Felix had only just occupied, ripping apart the snow and earth in a fountain of debris. Felix danced backward, spotting the Legionnaires from between nearby trees. They flinched when they met his gaze.
Someones hiding them. Felixs attention caught on something, just beyond the tree-line. He grinned. How rude of them.
More Skills rained down on him, but Felix flexed his legs, digging his clawed feet into the earth before vanishing entirely.
Hes gone!
Hes using Stealth!He cant! He said no Skills!
Felix flashed through the forest, faster than any of them could track. He knew it by the way they spun, all of them attempting to look in a different direction. Yet they moved as if in molasses, whether they were cloaked Henaari, armored Legionnaires, or bulky Yttin warriors. None of them could match Felixs speed.
His unarmed blows were soft but precise, and none escaped until the last fell into an unconscious heap. Nonlethal takedowns had been the smallest of what Felix had learned these past few months, but perhaps the most useful. As the last Legionnaire buckled beneath his hand, Felix scanned the forest, now gone silent again. He still hadnt found the mage that was muffling the soldiers.
Third Talon down. Whos next? he asked, waving away notifications of their defeat.
Me!
A blackened-green hammerblow dropped from the sky like a meteorite, missing Felix by the barest of margins as he skidded backward through the snow. Beefhammer, all seven feet of Minotaur, stomped forward to claim the space Felix had ceded. His body, more than twice as wide as Felixs own, was clouded by a haze of frost that clung to his icy armor.
Getting faster, Beef, Felix said with a wide smile. His teeth were sharp, and his eyes blazed sapphire. Not fast enough, though.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
Keratin!
Felix didnt let him finish, launching a sharp jab into his armored chest as chitinous spikes thrust from the earth. His scaled fist shattered them and blasted into Beefs icy armor hard enough to toss the Minotaur back several feet. He stomped forward, eager to bring Beef down, but was met instead by a deluge of crystals the size of daggers.
Gah! He threw up his forearm, letting the bulk of them shatter against his skin. Hey!
Back away, Felix Nevarre, Hallow demanded in her echoey voice. She stood over four feet tall now, a bundle of vaguely humanoid rocks and crystal, with small blackened green gemstones dotting her face like eyes. The next will be aimed at your neck.
Felix set himself, ignoring the surge of dull pain from the sigaldry at his feet. Despite their blows and Skills, a glowing array persisted all around them, hidden just below the snow, slowly pulsing in time with the stone disc at his waist.
Beef stood from the ground, dirt and ice cascading from his shoulders, glowering from beneath the red-gold glow of his horned helmet. Hey, that was fast, man. You said no Skills.
And I meant it. Thatd defeat the purpose of this. Felix lifted his legs, showing the teen Minotaur and Homunculus his scaled and clawed feet. Like his hands, they had been permanently changed into something a bit moreferocious. Im staying in contact with my array.
The lack of shoes was on purposehis whole attire wasbut bare feet were needed to make the entire setup function. Lines of orange, blue, and red-gold glimmered in complex, meaningful patterns that were echoed by the array key that hung from his belt. Each time his feet came down, the key lit up and those lines pulled at him, dragging warmth from his bones and replacing it with a bitter chill. It was draining his Mana and Stamina, which in turn was limiting his Skill use. He could have used some of his Skills if he wanted tobut this was training, after all. Felix took a breath, centering himself as he let the siphon array work its magic on him.
So no Skills, Beef repeated.None, Felix confirmed, before lifting his hand and beckoning them both. Now, I dont have all day. Again. And dont hold back.
Beef grinned. You asked for it. Geir? Lets give him hell.
Aye.
As if from between frozen gusts of wind, Frost Giants emerged, ranging in height from ten to fifteen feet, and silent as the moons that currently climbed the horizon. Weapons and armor hammered out of brutal ice and steel glimmered in the diffuse winter light, and their eager breath filled the air with a ragged fog. Felix rolled his shoulders as they stepped forward, each footfall louder than the last as whatever spell had silenced them faded, until the cacophony of crunching snow filled the field.
Cmon then, Felix laughed. Fight me!
Geir and his fellow giants roared, spears and axes and clubs lifted high, as ice spiraled outward from them all. Felix burst forward, tearing furrows in the earth as he slipped between Beef and Hallow, and smashed headlong into the Frost Giants charge. Ice met flesh before shattering into prismatic shards that blasted back toward the giants even as an axehead descended on Felixs form. Flaring his Agility, he sidestepped the blow, letting it pass mere inches from his left shoulder and delivering a brutal palm strike to the haft. Steel snapped, and the first Frost Giant had only time to widen his eyes before Felixs second strike took him in the jaw.
You Have Defeated Egill, A Risi Warrior!XP Earned!
Felix flowed through them all, kicking apart their icy workings before they could truly shape into a solid defense and dropping the giants low with a single punch a piece. Breastplates buckled as readily as their knees, which was a good thing, as Felix didnt have the Stamina needed to keep moving that fast for an extended period of time. Already his steps were dragging, his motions slightly more stilted, and he grit his teeth as the last of the giants fell.
Still not used to this. Gotta go slower. More precision, less power.
Crystalline daggers pummeled into his side. They broke into pieces against his incredibly tough Body, but it still didnt feel great, and Felix slapped the last few out of the air. Those are getting sharper.
Hallow was strafing around him, her chunky stone legs plowing through the deep snow as her eyes glowed green. She didnt answer. Instead, she swung an arm and a dozen more faceted daggers hurled in Felixs direction. He dodged them easily, and walked right into the path of a raging Minotaur.
Relentless Charge!
The whole time. Evie stretched, hands pressed to her lower back. You cant imagine how many knots Ive got now. You guys took forever and went all over the place.
Evie. Of course youd snake the point, Harn said, taking off his helmet and exposing his scarred and battered face. He was beaming. Even managed to hold him for a heartbeat. Thats some impressive movement, kid.
It truly was, Darius agreed. How did you stop him?
Binding Skill. Locks folks down real quick while I hit em. Evie shrugged. Though I think it was mostly cuz I have a really long weapon. Harder to avoid, even for freaks of nature like Felix.
Felix rolled his eyes at that and, while they continued to chat, busied himself with the array key at his waist. He had no need to keep it running anymore. With a brief coupling of his Willpower and Intent he cut off his connection to the thing, which in turn sent out a sizzling pulse of red-gold energy across the snow. The array was deactivated, and Felix immediately felt his inner reserves begin to refill.
Where was my warning about Evie? he asked Pit.
She hadnt moved since you started the fight. I thought you knew.
Felix had sensed her up there, but in the back and forth between Harn and Darius, hed honestly put her out of his mind. Hed been too preoccupied with the literal army he was fending off. That Skill of hersBonds of Dominion. It interacted strangely with me. Andthat. We need to talk to her.
You talk to her, Pit chirruped, and his voice started to fade. Im sleepy.
Felix let him go, likely returning to his own core to rest. Instinctively, he checked his Companions Status Conditions again.
Status Condition: Curse of Flame
Duration: Permanent
Curse of Flame
When this Masterwork weapon deals an injury, the curse born by its blade ensures that said injury is permanent. The curse of flame is to burn, forever.
He had to stop himself from grinding his teeth. Too much activity took a lot out of Pit, though hed gotten a lot better than before. Felix tried his best not to dwell on it, but it was hard. There were downsides to sharing his every thought and emotion with a Companion.
Alright. What do you want? he said, distracting himself and clapping his hands to get Evies attention. Her, Harn, and Darius turned to him, and the same look of discomfort crossed all their faces. What?
Its just weird, Evie said. Seeing a mans clothes crawl around him like a snake.
Felix glanced down. Oh. His Garment, reacting to his thoughts and renewed glut of Mana, had reconstituted into a tunic and thick, woolen jacket. Youve all seen that before.
Just unsettling, is all, Harn said with a shrug. But you were talking about prizes, eh? What was the reward for hitting him once?
Free reign in the Storage Facility, Evie said, an eager gleam in her eyes. I heard you found some interesting items in that Domain near Shelim.
Felix sighed. Fairs fair. Go talk to Karys about letting you in. You can take one thing. Justdont make a mess, Evie.
The woman raised hand to her chest, a pantomime of shock writ large across her face. I would never!
Get outta here. Felix shooed her away, and she gave him a mocking curtsy in her leather armor before leaping back up into the trees. Beef?
Ungh, yeah yeah. Im up.
Felix had heard the Minotaur trudging toward them well before he came into view. He looked worn but he wasnt limping or bleedingFelixs Voracious Eye confirmed he was fine, just bruised. Hallow was at his side, lumpy hands lifted as if to catch the far larger Unbound. Can you rouse the rest of these folks and get them back to the Stronhold?
Beef stretched his lower back and something popped. Yeah. I got it. Dang dude, you hit me hard. How many trees did I go through?
Five, Hallow answered.
Tch, man. Beef turned and started stumping toward the fallen Henaari and Frost Giants.
Felix watched them go with a rueful smile. Now, unless you two want to follow me to a meeting with Zara, youd best get back to your normal duties.
Harn shrugged, as if either option didnt bother him much, but Darius didnt move. He sheathed his ridiculous sword behind his back and put his hands on his hips. We have not trained your Sword Forms in days, Felix. I had thought you would ask that of us, instead of thisgame.
It wasnt a game. I needed to test my training array and youre the best fighters here. Felix shrugged. Made sense to me.
Then why not use a sword. We could have achieved two objectives at once.
Mans got a point, Harn agreed.
I wont always have a sword on handand honestly, with my stats I dont need to focus on technique. Not against anyone here, at least. Felix winced. He didnt like how arrogant that sounded, but Darius and Harn just bobbed their heads in agreement. Erm. I need to know how to face opponents with superior techniques and of a superior Tier, but the latter are in short supply. Felix gestured to the array key at his waist. This training array is meant to make fighting a lot harder for me. Level the playing field, so I dont dominate with sheer stats. I cant exactly go out and find something in my weight class that wants to have a friendly spar.
Darius considered him a moment longer before nodding. Hm. I understand. Without another word, the man walked off.
For his part, Harn just chucked Felix on the shoulder. The sound of his steel gauntlet on Felixs shoulder was like hed punched a rock. Whenever you want me to come and try to kick your ass, you just holler, yeah?
Will do. Ive some tweaks to make to the array, plus some alchemical ideas to try. Are you going back to the Forge?
I am. My apprentices have been workin on some side projects, and I need to check them before we try and complete their Quests. Harn sighed happily, looking at the blasted landscape around them. It was good gettin out here and doin some damage. A nice break from bein Forgemaster and all theeverythin that requires.
Yeah. I get it. Felix had a lot on his plate too. When I get my next version working, Ill come find you, man.
See that you do, kid.
Harn followed after Darius, jogging slightly to catch up with the far taller man. Felix watched them go, then turned his attention to the trampled forest. He checked his Mana, finding it just about full already.
Not gonna leave things like this. He focused, plucking at the Skills that revolved within his chest. Green Shaping.
Mana spun out of his core, a great swath of it that looped through his channels, out of the Mana Gate in his feet, and into the earth itself. The Skill, sounded by his Affinity and shaped by his Intent, sang of green-gold life and life answered. The broken boles and shattered trunks of those trees closest to him bloomed with sudden roots, and the thick tendrils wound around their open wounds like patchwork bandages.
His Manasight traced the fading core of life Mana in each tree, and tracked them as he pumped more Mana into them. Felix had been practicing with his shaping Skills a whole lot these past three months, but this wasnt something hed perfected. It was a bit sloppy and certainly didnt look great, but it worked. Life Mana spread, hitting more and more trees in an ever widening circle, until all of the trees that his spar had knocked down were replanted and alive.
Green Shaping is level 83!
There. Felix took a steadying breath and let his Mana recover. Hed spent a lot, and just because it regenerated fast didnt mean it wasnt tiring to use, especially when the process was so complicated. Ugly as hell, but itll do.
Lets go see what Zara wants, Pit.
Distantly, he heard a soft, agreeable chirp.
