Unbound

Chapter Six Hundred And Seventy Three – 673

Chapter Six Hundred And Seventy Three – 673

They will not touch this place, Yin hissed.

We will not let them, Vess agreed. Fortress Fenwald! Do you have defenses?

Defenses Include:

Sealing Wards

Jagged Illusion Array

Acid Pour (Disabled)

Arctic Flash (Disabled)

Burning Lash (Disabled)

Vess, Felix warned. Were not killing them until we know whats going on

Her angry eyes flashed gold in the low light. Fenwald, deploy the Jagged Illusion Array around the intruders.

A deep humming came from the fortress around them, vibrating against Felixs feet as much as his Affinity. Before it was resolved, Vess and Yin rushed out of the hatchery. Felix and Pit followed, close on their heels.

Whoa, Pit said, skidding to a stop right outside the hatchery. Where there once was an open space, now the staging grounds was walled off by a craggy barrier that extended all the way to the ceiling. An illusion, huh?

Felix focused, flaring his Manasight as he peered through the illusory wall. There was a certain resistance but it wasnt powerful enough to deter him, and suddenly the staging grounds were entirely visible again, albeit covered in ghostly walls. Its a maze, he said. I can see everyone.

The raiders were mostly grouped near the door, which had been busted open. Pieces of it were scattered across the entryway, surrounded by around twenty men and women in cloaks and armor. One was on the ground, clutching their chest and groaning, but the rest were warily watching all around them. Most had spears, and several were leveled at Tzfell and Laur, who had clearly been captured and bound.

Felix clenched his fists.

Harn and the Eidolons were standing in the archway to the forge, staring into the maze with sour expressions and frustrated Spirits. Evie, Beef, and Archie were at the mouth of one of the tunnels, and Evies chain was swinging, testing the illusory walls. Each time it came close, the chain was knocked back, as if the maze was truly solid. Clearly annoyed, Archie ran forward, engaged his Stoneswim, and slammed face first into the illusionor rather the illusion slammed into him. Lightning coursed through his small body and hurled him backward into Beef, toppling them both to the ground.

Jagged Illusion Array. It supplements the fake walls with lightning Mana, to keep people contained, Felix said. He could see it, a bright blue-white energy that sizzled just at the edges of the transparent walls.

I cant see through it, Pit complained. Hows that fair?

Converge with me. Share my senses.

Oh right!

With a flash, a heaviness settled in Felixs Spirit. A lot heavier than usual. Felix grunted in vague discomfort.

Feeling tight in here, Pit observed.

Not a picnic for me anymore either. Youre heavier now.

Pride wafted from his Companion. Lets go fight some raideroh, Vess already did.

Across the room, Vess and Yin were stalking through the illusory maze with only her partisan and his whipping tail. Already two groups had gotten separated from the pack and were down on the ground. Felix checked them, but they were all alive. Just badly beaten. As he watched, they knocked out two more with swift, exacting strikes.

Your girlfriend is scary.

With all the stragglers taken care of, there was only the main group left. Felix flared his Relentless Resolution and blurred across the ground. The array struck at him, but he bent the lightning away from himself with an application of Storm Shaping, sending it into the ground as he sped past.

They cant be raidersbut why look like them?

Angry soldiers flanked them as they passed into inner halls that had every window blown out and across ballrooms that had been partially reclaimed by the swamp. A balcony opened up at the end of their long walk, revealing a view of the inner bailey. It was raised up and mostly dry, especially when compared to the mire at the edges of the collapsed walls. Felix spotted figures down below, many moving in and out of tents and around large cookfires. Children and their gray-haired minders were plentiful, crowded eagerly around several campfires while men and women in armor handed out bowls of some sort of stew.

Hunting has been poor in the mountains, Verona said, noticing Felixs attention. We have done what we could to feed all that came with us from the lowlands.

You fled PaxVrell, Vess said.

We did. Come inside, I can explain it all.

The Lady Verona walked past a pair of guards and through a pair of double doors set beside the open balcony. The guards were the first soldiers that had well-kept armor, and Felix finally peered more closely at their escort. Their patchwork leather and chainmail faded away under his scrutiny, replaced by well-polished platemail and stainless tunics. Even their skin was cleaner and healthier.

An illusion. Strong one too. The moment he stopped focusing, the image of unkempt raiders returned. Whos maintaining it?

Vess took the lead, walking after her aunt, but Felix and the rest followed soon after. Their escort stayed outside.

Within the chamber was a long table laid out with dozens of maps and surrounded by a great deal of important looking people. Every single one of them wore polished armor patterned with scales and wings, armor that Felixs Voracious Eye confirmed were all impressively enchanted. As Lady Verona walked through, they all turned toward the doors, and several hands drifted toward the spears that leaned against the walls.

Dearest, we have a guest, Lady Verona said in her husky voice as the double doors closed with a soft boom.

As I live and breathe, is that little Vess?

An older man stood. He had a strong chin covered by a wild beard and stout arms that he wrapped around Vess slender body. His long, aquiline nose and lighter eyes sparkled in the hovering magelights. It is a relief to see you hale.

IUncle Patrim. Vess struggled to find the right words. What is going on?

Ah, yes, I imagine all of this is quite confusing to someone who has been away for so long.

First, I would ask what is that? A man at the table asked, pointing a gauntleted finger at Yin. He had dark hair and pale skin, with a sharp nose and what looked like silver eyes. My Analyze tells me it is a Wyrmling, but that cannot be. No Dragoon would suffer a draconic Type atop her own shoulder.

I Vess voice shook before it firmed. His name is Yintarion of the Cerulean Skies. And he is my Companion.

A sharp gasp tore through the room, and hands that had hovered now clutched their spears tightly. The silver-eyed man grimaced. It is worse than I feared. Lord Dayne. Step aside.

What? You are not touching my niece, Tarok. The older man put himself between Vess and the others around the table. She is beyond your authority.

All that truck with draconics fall under my authority, Lord Dayne. Even her. Even you, Tarok said, and his silver eyes narrowed. It is our duty to protect this land from their influence.

The men and women stepped closer, spears held ready. Felix eyed them all, and though names and Races varied, they were all of them Dragoons. They were higher level, and their Temper was Adept, with Tarok approaching Master Tier. Despite their clear threat, however, Patrim was unwilling to budge from Vess side.

And it is my duty to protect my kin, he said, as Mana curled around the mans hands.

Tarok clenched his jaw. So be it.

Okay, thats enough.

Before any of them moved, Felix unleashed the full might of his Spirit onto the Dragoons. A massive, smothering pressure slammed into them, accompanied by the distant sound of a buzzing, orchestral crescendo. The vast majority of them buckled beneath its weight, falling to their knees or rears with startled cries. Tarok and a few others maintained their feet, but not without great effort.

Do I have your attention? Felix asked, striding forward. Hi. Im Felix, and no one is going to harm a single hair on Vess head. Understand?

No one said a word.

Ill take that as a yes. Now, he turned to include Vess and her aunt and uncle. Lets talk.