Unbound

Chapter Seven Hundred And Thirty Two – 732

Chapter Seven Hundred And Thirty Two – 732

“I suppose saying good riddance is bad form,” Alister said with a laugh. The docks shifted beneath him as his soldiers finished loading up the last of the tribute. “Though I do appreciate you lending us this ship.”

Lavin inclined her head and smiled. “It is an easy favor to grant, Lord Knacht, especially when I know the Nagafolk will return it within the day.”

She was in far better spirits now than in all the previous days Alister had known her, which wasn’t many, but still felt significant. “Authority suits you, Princess Etriska.”

“Your silver tongue is unnecessary, Alister. Or are you afraid I would change my mind about your departure?”

Alister smiled. “It had crossed my mind.”

“Worry not. I’ve enough fires to put out in this province without managing a quarry’s worth of prisoners.” She lowered her voice. “Besides, we will need to formalize our treaty sooner rather than later. The threat from our neighbors grows with each day.”

“Have you heard more from the border skirmishes?” Alister asked.

“Only that the Hierocracy has retreated from all fronts. My scouts have yet to determine why.”

It was certainly curious. The moment Alister had won his duel, they had received word of strangeness at the borders where Tevin had started conflicts with the neighboring provinces. “I suppose we can just look at it as a blessing and capitalize on it.”

“Indeed. Such is the way of war.”

In the end, there was little else to say. The princess saw Alister and his soldiers onto their ship and the Nagafolk back into the water within the hour, and only an hour after that they all approached Haestus Temple.

Alister and Etriska had spent time hammering out a treaty between Tevin Province and Nagast. In it, Alister had promised aid in the form of troops and supplies to bolster the princess’ efforts to oust the Hierocracy. Everything the late prince had wanted, in fact, with none of the subservience and power plays. They had also agreed that a council of Knights, Gallants, Menders, and Nagafolk was necessary to establish trade and to make use of the power in her province. It even afforded the Nagafolk recognition as a sovereign state within their borders.

All in all, it was a neat solution to their problems, and all that was required now was for Felix to sign it.

Ahead, the waters opened up into a swirling whirlpool tunnel.

“That is the entrance to the Temple?” Paxus asked.

“Hm? Oh, yes. It’s a magic of the Nagafolk, I believe.”

“No. Perhaps they altered it, but this is part of the Temple itself.” Paxus leaned over the railing, not actually touching anything. “Quite clever.”

After Tevin’s defeat, Alister had swiftly freed the spirit from his bondage. Angry and hurt, Paxus had insisted on being taken back with them. Which is how Alister had become saddled with a potted cutting from the Abundance Anima.

“Does this require water?” he asked, eying the plant. It was small and thin, but remarkably green.

“No. It feeds on Mana directly. Ah, here we go.”

The ship tilted forward, caught up in the whirlpool, and Alister hugged the pot tightly. The Deepking dove ahead of them, leading the way back to the Temple.

Back home.

“Come in.”

Zara slipped through the door of the Healing Ward chamber and found Isla sitting in bed. “I came as soon as I heard. Are you—?”

“I’m fine,” Isla straightened herself against the headboard, trying and failing to hide a wince. “I’m mostly fine.”

Zara frowned. “The device that Teine used...are you experiencing any ill effects?”

“A ringing in my ears. Strains of Dissonance linger in my Affinity.” Isla sighed. “I am unsure if they will vanish.”

“They should, in time.” Zara let her Perception pan across the room, taking in the ten foot frame of burnished gold that sat one bed over. “And Karys?”

“In recovery. My healers and our visiting Menders were able to remove the traces of Profane Sigaldry from his chassis. He was awake not too long ago.”

“Did he have details about how Teine was able to subdue him?”

“The device resonated with the Profane Sigaldry Karys had missed when he’d taken over the Body. With those traces gone, there is little to fear going forward.”

Zara’s eyes landed on the last person in the room, seated far away from the other two with a triple layer of wards around him. “Atar...has he woken up at all?”

Isla’s frown smoothed out, though her Spirit was worried. “No. But somehow he remains alive.”

Laid out on a stone bed was a skeleton of blackened bones. There wasn’t a single scrap of meat on his frame, let alone vital organs.

He was covered by pure white flames.

"We cannot put them out," Isla explained. "I...I think they are all that is keeping him alive."

Gabby opened her eyes to find herself laid upon a plain of dusty soil. It was gray and lifeless, and as she sat up and looked around, she saw only more of the same. Mountains rose in the distance, but she was unsure how far away they were. Everything seemed unreal. Her limbs were heavy but her head was floating, as if she were hovering above the terrain and looking down.

She looked up, and a scream tried to crawl up her throat, but died before it could became anything more than a heavy, panicked breath. She tried to look away, but couldn’t. The sky was black, burned almost, and there were no stars.

Someone else started to talk, but Felix growled until they shut up. “Believe what you want, but your people need to be protected. As far as the kingship goes, I took control of the city so I could utilize its advanced defenses and oust the Hierophant’s Subordinate Seal...but I don’t plan on handing it back. Too much is at risk, both for your people and my own.

“Today was a victory for many, but I lost something important, and I’m not planning on resting until I get it back.”

“But—”

Before the councilor could continue, Felix went blind, deaf, and dumb. He doubled over as a paroxysm of agony punched through his stomach and chest before expanding through every inch of his Body.

Through his bond, Pit also shrieked in distress, but it was a fading, distant thing. The sound of System energy flooding his core space overwhelmed it.

Notifications flashed before him, the only things he could see.

The Pathless, God Of Light And Order, Is Dead!

XP Earned!

You Have Gained 25 Levels!

You Are Now Level 99!

+500 to STR! +550 to PER! +550 to VIT! +650 to END! +600 to INT! +700 to WIL! +650 to AGL! +725 to DEX!

+500 All Harmonic Stats!

You Have 450 Unused Stat Points!

Your Companion Pit Has Gained 20 Levels!

Pit Is Now Level 96!

He Gains:

+200 STR, +180 PER, +80 VIT, +220 END, +140 INT, +200 WIL, +400 AGL, +400 DEX!

+200 AFI, RES, and REI!

He Has 1100 Unused Stat Points!

Senses returned in a potent rush. Sounds blared at him and only the feel of the cold floor centered him. Felix pressed his hands against it, fighting past the pain...and the polished stone shattered beneath his touch.

Vess leaned close, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Felix? What is it? I can hear—something. The sound of...so much.”

The gathered councilors muttered, concern and fear threading their tones. Felix could practically hear them sweat.

He sat up. His Perception flexed, drawing in everyone around him as if he were viewing them through a telescope, but he fought it down until he could see normally. He stood, carefully, “The Pathless is dead.”

Stone silence met his words, but he felt their disbelief. Annoyed, he shared the notification with them all. Someone in the back fainted.

“Did you kill him, my Lord?”

“No,” Felix grimaced. “I wanted to, but he was alive when he vanished.”

“What does that mean?” Beef asked from the side. “Sorry for interrupting. But a god? Holy...heck,” he looked at the well-dressed nobles nervously. “That’s huge.”

“And good news for us,” Archie agreed.

“Not if it was the other gods that killed him,” Felix said. He had no proof, but who else could have done it? “That means the other gods are stronger now. More of a threat than ever.”

Vess’ father stepped forward. “You and your companions saved our city. The entire Territory. That is a debt that cannot be repaid, but I must try. How might we help?”

“Hear hear,” cheered an old jowly lord in the back.

“I appreciate that,” Felix said. He wanted to smile, but all he felt was grim determination. “War is coming. What we need are warriors.”

He looked at Beef and Archie and held their gazes. “All of them.”

Understanding dawned on them both at the same time, and Felix was glad for that. The Pathless might have been dead, but the gods still had his sister. That could not stand.

The gods had to die, but he couldn’t fight more than one at a time so long as he weakened them first. What he needed was an army just like him.

He needed the rest of the Unbound.

And he knew just where to start.

END OF BOOK 9