Unbound

Chapter Seven Hundred And Sixty Nine – 769

“Calm down,” Alister said, moments after Atar began to panic. He walked out from a curved hall to their right. “I am here.”

Atar hurried over to the man. “Where’ve you been?” He looked closer at him. “Are you alright?"

"Later." Alister planted a kiss on the mage's cheek. "I see we're just about ready to go."

Indeed, they were. Descending the spiral steps were the Henaari, led by two Chimeras. It was a large group, dwarfed only by Pit's enormous Tyrant form. A’zek, by comparison, was much smaller, but still the size of a small horse. As they reached the bottom, he and A'zek pushed their way through the crowd, though no one truly stood in their way.

Behind him were the Henaari in their distinctive leather armor, layered with feather details to represent the Urge they revered. They were all tall and willowy, both male and female, with high foreheads and serious expressions. Carried at the forefront, just behind the Chimera, was the Farwalker, escorted by robed figures wearing fine, mithril chains draped across their heads. He was set down and bowed from his seat.

"Autarch, the Henaari will join you," he announced. His face was hidden in the shadow of his usual enchanted hood as he gestured to the warriors behind him. "Our most highly trained warriors across all thirty tribes, the Dawnguard, led by the Farhunter."

Felix recognized quite a few of them. Ifre, Tyrk, even Isyk, mixed with over three hundred faces he'd only seen in passing, or not at all. At their lead was another familiar woman with scars on her cheeks. Wyvora, the Farwalker's apprentice and one of many women who had once tried to kill Felix, now bowed to him.

"Greetings, Autarch. I put myself and my people under your command."

Felix inclined his head. "Your presence is welcome. All of you are."

A’zek stepped forward, a low, growling rumble in his panther chest. "I will join them," he said. "My Companion wishes to know more about the wider realm, and I would aid my cousin."

Pit chirruped happily, though at his size, the sound was deep enough to rumble through everyone's chest like a subwoofer. "Road trip!"

Felix smiled wide at the phrase, and the harnoq nodded seriously.

“Do not count out the north!"

Right behind the Henaari came the Frost Giants, led by Battlelord Ari. They, too, were geared for war, bearing swords and axes and spears made of dark ice, their armor made of the same ice ore they'd seen previously, though a few were covered in a dark crimson armor that Felix had only seen a few times.

"If you allow us, Colossus, we will be joining the fight. We wish to travel with the Kyria."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Kyria?”

“It is Irontongue for 'destruction's metal.’ A worthy title for the battle-daughter,” Ari clarified, inclining his head toward Evie.

Felix looked at his friend. “Are you good with that?”

Evie was clearly startled by the development, and her Spirit tumbled through a couple of emotions too quick for Felix to process. "Um, yes," she cleared her throat. "Yes, that's fine."

Felix smiled and addressed the giant. "Your aid is welcome, Battlelord."

The Risi all let out whooping cries that were powerfully loud, echoing across the antechamber and sending ice crackling across the distant walls.

Atar leaned close. "What are they calling her?" he asked.

Beef picked up his empty mug and checked it with a sigh. There wasn't a drop left. "Maybe they're confused.”

"No confusion," Harn grunted. "Evie's been working with the giants, fighting and training with ‘em. Sides, they owe her a debt."

Felix understood. "Magda?"

"Aye. Seems the Witches want to balance the scales."

"Glad to hear it," Felix said. "Zara, I believe it's time to begin.”

"I agree."

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With a gesture, Felix lifted the stone beneath himself, marshaling his Skill as it sang in his channels. Partly due to the Skill itself, its level, and his own Temper, he was finally able to shape the material of the temple. Now, he rose high above the crowd on a platform drawn from the earth until he could see everyone and, more importantly, they could see him.

"Today," he said, voice resonating through the antechamber, now packed full with almost every ounce of fighting force they had, "Today, we will separate into three teams, one led by Lady Dayne, another by Commander Kastos, and the last by me."

There was no talking or even faint murmurs during his speech, but the Spirits of the audience fairly trembled with emotion, excitement, anticipation, and a small tattoo of fear.

"Each team will be handling a particular assignment, but the thrust of it is the same: a rescue mission. I'm sure you're all curious as to who would warrant so much to save them. The answer to that is complicated, but the first part of it deals with something about me. Some here know it, certainly those in positions of leadership, but I think it's time to stop hiding.”

Felix straightened his spine and looked out over his people. "I am Unbound."

This time, the crowd did make noise. Gasps tore through the Legion, Henaari, and even some of the giants—the only group unaffected were the Chanters. Emotions rose like a flooding room, fear among them, spiking in ways that made Felix uncomfortable. Yet greater still was a sense of wonder and excitement, especially amongst the Legion.

I suppose that's better than the alternative.

"Questions are likely bubbling up in your minds, so I'll head off a few of them," he said, and the murmurs died away. "Yes, I am from another world. No, I am not an evil demon."

“No, you’re the Fiend!” someone shouted, and a few laughs split the silence.

Felix smiled. "That I am. And I am still concerned with keeping this and all of my Territory safe. Most importantly, though: there are other Unbound."

An expectant hush came over the crowd at those words, and they watched him with wide eyes and eager Spirits. Felix had already talked to Beef and Archie about this part. Beef had, of course, been completely down with the idea. Archie had been the one who needed some convincing. He liked his anonymity, but agreed when Felix had pointed out that he was a highly visible public figure now, and the information would get out eventually.

With a gesture, the Minotaur and Delven were lifted on their own stone platforms to join at Felix's side. "Beefhammer and Archie Ross are both Unbound, same as me. Same," he said, "as our targets."

Felix nodded, and one of the Chanters lifted their hands. Illusions swam into being before them all, recreations of Felix's visions that he'd painstakingly described. A woman in leather armor with sharp features, large eyes, and grand, multicolored wings. A pair of young lizard dogs wearing mismatched armor, heads covered in fur and scales, with a pair of short horns sticking out between their upright ears. A woman with a deer's head and antlers wrapped entirely in mage's robes. And finally, a powerfully built lizardman with green and orange scales, bearing two glowing short swords.

"Five Unbound," he said. "These are the people we are going to rescue. Each of them is in terrible danger from the Hierophant and her armies, and the gods themselves."

"The gods?" someone asked in a faint, terrified voice. To Felix, it was as clear as if they'd shouted.

"Yes. Word has likely spread now that the Pathless has died." Appreciative murmurs and lifted Spirits answered that for him. “During the battle of Pax’Vrell, the gods interfered. They were the ones who killed the Pathless, and they are after all of the Unbound as well. They won’t have them. We're going to save them. Because it's right…and because they are necessary to face what comes next."

Felix paused. He'd considered how to broach this topic a number of times. Even in his head, it had never ended well.

"The Ruin is coming.”

Confusion reigned among the crowd—the Ruin was a boogeyman as much as the Unbound were. Still, among some of them, there was a spike of terror. Deeper and more profound than the shallow fear he'd felt before. Far greater than it had been for the Unbound.

"The Ruin is real...?"

"...didn't think so..."

"...it will kill us all!"

Felix lifted his hands, and silence descended on the army. "Yes, the Ruin is as real as the old gods…and just as dangerous. We don't know when it will arrive, or where it will hit first. All we know is that the Hierophant summoned its attention, setting it on a collision course with the Continent, and that it poses a massive threat to everyone. Our only hope of stopping it is with the help of all of the Unbound.”

Felix paused, letting those words sink in. He could feel their disbelief like a barrier between his words and their Minds. “I'm telling you this not to scare you, though I don't blame anyone for being afraid. I'm telling you this because I will not allow any of you to enter into this danger without the full knowledge of what's at stake. If you wish to back out, you can do it now, with no risk of punishment or censure."

The antechamber was deathly quiet and stone still. Felix clenched his jaw. He'd almost hoped people would back out, if only to relieve his guilt.

"Since coming to this land, I've learned a lot. I've learned that the world isn't fair, that death can't be predicted, that there are people who would like to see us burn for nothing more than being in their way." Felix shook his head.

"But what I've come to know, deep in my bones, is that it is our choices that define us. The Hierophant chose this course of action when she summoned the Ruin. The gods could have sat back during our battles against the Pathless. They chose to interfere. Now both, together, are threatening not just our territory, but the entire Continent.

"They'll regret it," he growled, and the Legion shouted in sudden agreement. "Every attack, every invasion, every meaningless death will be answered for. We will not stand idly by and let an apocalypse tear us apart.

“We'll save the Unbound," Felix said, voice booming. "We'll fight Ruin itself. Together, we'll show them that all choices have consequences."

The crowd did not speak, but it roared—and the Grand Harmony thundered along.

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