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Chapter 430
🕑 Added 2022-04-27 13:40:04 +0000 UTCEnjoy!
ToC
* * *
Atar hobbled from the temple complex alone and deep in thought. All around him his friends and allies moved past, hunched against the incessant rainfall, including Felix and his squadron of muscle. It seemed overkill to the mage, especially when the two Frost Giants trundled past, the ground shaking just a bit beneath their tread. Far more so when Atar thought on the power packed into Felix's much taller frame. He shuddered, and only partly due to the cold. The sight of Felix devouring the Altar of the Highest Flame had made him feel uncomfortable—it reminded him all too much of himself.
Atar coughed, and the wracking convulsion conspired against him. His shudder, weakened grasp, and the rain-slick stone sent his metal staff skidding away from him, and Atar stumbled...only to be caught by the warm grip of another.
"Atar! Are you alright?" Alister said, pulling the mage back to his feet. "You shouldn't have left by yourself. Here, take this."
Alister pressed a vial of medicinal restorative toward him, but Atar firmed his grip on his staff and turned away from it. "I'm fine, Alister."
"Of course you are," the force mage said, uncorking the restorative and holding it to Atar's mouth.
Brow furrowed, Atar huffed a breath that turned into another wracking cough. "Fine," he choked out and grabbed the vial. His partner was only trying to help, but that didn't mean Atar had to like it. He coughed again but kept it down, which meant Alister nodded and gripped Atar's elbow. Gently and without making more of a fuss, the noble helped him walk down the thoroughfare.
The support was appreciated, and the quiet moreso, but it only sent Atar's Mind tumbling deeper into thought. How'd I even survive? he wondered, and not for the first time. His memories were hazy. He'd told everyone that he'd leaped into the Urge's flames and then fuzzed over the rest, ending with absorbing the flames of the Highest Flame with his evolved version of Strength Ignition. Atar hadn't mentioned the Tier IV Link that existed between Felix and his friends, if only because he still didn't know what to make of it, or how it had altered him so much.
you destroyed the me that was.
A ghostly flame kindled above Atar's shoulder, white with a glimmering crimson at its center. Only Atar could see it, evidenced by the many times it had manifested itself and remained unnoticed by all save for the mage himself. It hadn't any eyes or features, much as the Highest Flame itself, but Atar could feel its gaze on him like two tiny points of heat. "You deserved it," he muttered.
"What was that?" Alister asked.
"Nothing, just...thinking aloud," Atar said. Perhaps it was the tremble in his voice that hid his clumsy lie, but Alister didn't question it. The flame, meanwhile, vanished. Somewhat sullenly, if Atar were to judge such things.
Did I truly consume the Highest Flame? An Urge? That part was the most unbelievable to Atar. That's Felix behavior, not me. But...if that weren't the case, how did I get my...passenger? Atar wasn't sure if the ghostly white flame was a remnant of the former Urge or something entirely new. All he was sure of, was that it was another symptom of his considerable distress.
During his time in the healing ward, Isla had worked among the injured, along with Vess, stitching wounds and applying poultices that had worked a lot more than they should have. The slight Chanter hadn't used magic that Atar could sense, but she utilized strange noises—subharmonics, she called them. They were what accomplished the healing, as far as the fire mage could understand.
Couldn't do much for me though, he thought as he glanced down at his hands, still quivering from his coughing fit. They were unblemished—surprising for a man who'd been on fire—but the gray coloration was disfigurement enough. Earlier, he'd managed to snag a mirror from a dead man's kit and saw that his hair had lightened, and his eyes...his eyes were red, lit from within like banked coals. It was a horrifying visage, and Atar found himself tucking his hood a bit further over his face as he urged Alister down some less well traveled streets back to the estate. Few were walking the roads after everything, but that didn't matter. Bad enough that Felix and that Fiammetta had to see him like this...he didn't need some ancient acquaintances perusing his new features. Does everyone look like this after they die?
His partner pushed back his hood and dabbed at Atar's forehead, where a small cut still bled a little. Atar groaned in annoyance. "Stop fussing over me, Alister. I'm fine."
"You were punched through the Altar of an Urge that you killed, by your former teacher who is a Grandmaster, while being burned alive," Alister said, ticking off each ridiculous point on his good hand. "You are not fine, and you cannot convince me otherwise. Your fancy new Title might have changed you and healed the worst of it, but I'm not risking it. The Paladins are still about."
Atar smiled, not because of the danger in his partner's words, but because not once had Alister made a fuss about his looks. He hadn't flinched when Atar had climbed bloody and bruised out of the Altar's twisted remains, half on fire. Alister had simply beaten out the flames, pulled him to safety, and had been taking care of him ever since. What made his smile falter, however, was the reminder of his Title.
New Title!
Reborn (Legendary)
You have absorbed the potency and fire of an elemental Urge, claiming a large portion of its significance as your own. Due to your Link to a Primordial and Nascent [Unknown], the attunement of your core, and your Born Trait (Heart of Fire), you have been remade! +100 Willpower, Intelligence, Intent.
The bonuses were extraordinary, but the Title itself was...suggestive. Atar didn't like thinking about it.
Almost as concerning, his Race had even changed in the wake of his confrontation with the Highest Flame. Now it read as "Human (???)" and he'd never heard of such a thing. But it meant his gains per level had changed too. Instead of a set three free stat points per level, Atar now received four free stat points...and one stat point in Intelligence, Intent, and Perception. It was a significant boost to his potential, far more than he'd ever hoped to claim, and it was exciting. Less exciting, however, were the consequences of that change.
Alister pressed the back of his hand against Atar's gray forehead and tutted. "You're burning up again. Are you sure this is normal?"
"Feels normal. No Status Conditions and my Health is at full," Atar said with a shrug and rueful twist of his lips as they stumped down the street. "Can't say any of this is 'normal' though."
His partner sighed. "Too true. It concerns me that neither Isla nor Zara can identify what is happening to you. I'd feel so much more at ease if we simply had some expectations to manage."
Atar agreed, but he only shrugged again. Even that was tough. The consequences of his change was more than a new Title and Race, it was affecting his Body itself. The Aspect hadn't changed but it felt on the cusp of it...after all, only a few more Skill levels and he would Temper into Adept in two of his three Aspects, one of which was his Body. His Spirit was not far behind, leaving only his Mind trailing by a few more Skill levels. Adept Tier could mean everything would change once again, and Atar only hoped it meant for the better.
"I need to train, Alister. My Skills...they've changed as much as my skin and eyes. I need to know what I can do, now. What to expect."
"What you need is rest," the noble insisted in that infuriatingly calm voice. "Do you think you can withstand the rigors of training?"
"...No," Atar groused, more than a little unwillingly. "I can barely walk. But that doesn't change the fact that soon we will leave here, and I need to know my capabilities."
"Perhaps gaining your Adept Tier Body will improve you. That is a thought I've had, but what if it doesn't? What if all of this," Alister said, gesturing at Atar's everything with his free hand. "What if it only worsens your condition?"
Atar tried to snarl in annoyance, but it devolved into a hacking cough. "Then so be it. I'd rather move forward than linger back in fear."
They paused, and Atar could sense Alister's conflicting emotions. Hear them. Low, staccato notes of worry and frustration intermingled with...grief. Oh, Alister. "I will be fine, you know. This can't stop me."
The force mage pursed his lips. "I don't like when you listen to my emotions. It's cheating."
"I call it creative communication," Atar shot back, smiling gently. His partner's worry transmuted into begrudging amusement. "I will be fine."
"Blood and ash, you will," Alister said. "If Yyero wants you, he'll have to face me down first."
Atar grinned.
"Come, love," Alister said with renewed vigor. He pulled gently on Atar's elbow, guiding him forward. "There are mugs of mulled wine and a plush seat by the fire beckoning to us. It would be a shame to keep them waiting."
"Hm." Atar kindled a burning white star above his free hand, and the white flame flickered around it, within it. He grunted before dismissing them both. "Wine sounds good."
* * *
"Felix? May I walk with you?"
Felix looked up from within the bristling embrace of his Shadow guards, his Authority Screen open in front of him. They had left the temple complex and headed back along the main roads to the Grandmaster's estate, and the guards apparently weren't taking any chances. Pit padded beside him, but it wasn't him who had spoken. "Make a hole, folks," he said as he closed his screens. Only then did they part to reveal Zara standing with a bemused expression. "Zara. Of course you can walk with me."
She stepped into the ring of armed guards with a quiet grace, very similar to the way Vess moved. She likely had a Skill for it, but he wouldn't have been surprised if it was something with the Chant. "They protect you well."
"I'm not sure why," he said the moment Zara erected a privacy ward. "I can certainly handle myself."
"Ah. Their loyalty is commendable, even if it is not necessary."
"Hm," Felix said, non-noncommittally. "What is it you need?"
The Chanter let the silence stretch several several paces before she answered. "You do not trust me."
Pit trilled in amusement. "Nope."
"Pit," Felix said. His Companion only shrugged and padded forward, still close enough to touch, but at least pretending not to be interrupting the conversation. To Zara he shrugged a single shoulder. "It isn't that I don't trust you. I will admit that I don't trust Isla, though. Your Cantus Sodalus either."
"We are dedicated—"
"To your own causes," Felix said. "Every organization is, and here on the Continent that seems to include an angle for more power. Can you say it isn't?"
Zara took a tight breath and expelled it through her nose. "I cannot. All of us chase after power. It is the way of the world. That does not mean I do not have your best interests at heart, Felix."
"Maybe. But agenda's shift, and I cannot trust that your order will align with mine forever." Felix held up a hand, stopping Zara as she opened her mouth. "I agree that the Ruin is a threat. I agree that we need to get the Unbound away from the Hierophant and anyone else that would manipulate or use them. But that does not mean I will be delivering any of them into the Cantus' hands."
"I see. And I cannot fault you, Felix. Your introduction to this world has been as harsh as any I've seen, and troubles continue to pile atop your shoulders." Zara folded her hands behind her back and lifted her chin as they kept walking forward. "Would that I could ease those burdens for you, but the mantle of Authority is yours by right. As much as you may decry it, might does provide authority in all worlds. That you have defeated threats beyond your advancement—far beyond, in many cases—only speaks to the worthiness of your rule."
Felix frowned. "I find the idea of 'might makes right' to be shortsighted in the extreme, Zara. Of those in power that I've seen, few are what I would call kind, merciful, or wise. Everyone chases after power—for protection, for dominance, for all sorts of reasons that I'd simply boil down to selfish. Yeah, I killed some Lords and monsters and a couple Primordials. Yeah, I took a bite out of a freaking goddess. But does that make me any more able to rule? More worthy?" Felix laughed, and it was like all of his sour disbelief and frustration escaped into the sound. Like a monster crawling out of his throat to bear its teeth. "No. I don't know the first thing about ruling, about this whole damn world. Yet here I am, piled high with more Authority than I can handle, and gearing up to go fight another war. To face off against an Empire and gods and who knows what else. Fine. I'm game. But things are changing. I won't have 'mercy' or 'compassion' be called afflictions of the weak, and if my people are growing stronger by remaining within my influence then they are damn sure going to follow my lead."
Zara was struck silent as Felix tried his best to calm down and simply breathed, letting the cool rains soak into his overheated skin. He realized he was literally steaming a little with each drop of rain that struck. The quiet persisted for a while longer, but Zara clearly had more to ask. He sighed. "What else, Zara?"
"The Primordial," she said, and this time she glanced outward at the guards around them, despite her own ward. "How did you defeat it? I noticed your explanation to the others left out specifics. Was that because of Isla and myself?"
"No, you've earned at least a little goodwill and trust, Zara. Isla has not."
"Did you...consume it, as before?" she asked.
"Nope. Couldn't."
Zara furrowed her fine brows. "What do you mean?"
"The part of me that's the most Primordial is a little patch of my core that I call my Hunger. Most of my consumed targets are rendered into Essence and stored within my core space, but when it's too much I've had to either shove the overflow into my Hunger or share it with Pit," he explained.
"Hunger. Hm, and does this Hunger have a will of its own?" Zara asked.
"It does, or something like it. After my unsuccessful fight against the Grandmaster, it had finally reached a saturation point. The thing refused to take any more Essence in, which meant my core space began to act up and my Chthonic Tribute wouldn't work right."
"I was unaware that could happen. Was it resolved when you Tempered to Adept?"
"It was," Felix said with a nod. "It seemed my Hunger needed its own upgrade, and its apparently tied to my Aspects. Body most of all."
"Fascinating. But you said you could not consume it...so you had not completed Tempering when the Primordial was defeated?" Zara asked.
"Yeah. I had to get creative. Sovereign of Flesh to rip it apart, tearing free the flesh curse—which, by the way, was a Divine curse I found out—and then I had to divide the Essence and significance up with some volunteers." Felix grinned as Zara's calm demeanor faltered. "What?"
"Divine? The flesh curse that spreads a Primordial's influence like a disease is caused by the gods?" Zara let her hands go and planted them on her hips. "How do you—no, explain that later. You divided the Essence and significance from a Primordial...with whom?"
"Those that wished to help," Felix said. Seeing Zara flounder a bit improved his mood quite a lot, he'd found. "I gave them all a choice."
Her eyes skipped to Pit...and then in the direction they had both seen Atar leave. "You didn't. Is that why—?"
"Sorta with Pit. He's actually a Primordial now, in addition to his new Evolution. But for Atar...I actually don't know why he looks like that. I wanted to press him more during his explanation, but he looks like he needs to take a nap for few days. I'll ask him later. But yes. Him, Pit, Vess, Evie, Harn, and Beef all helped out by taking a portion of the Primordial of Withering Dust's power." Felix marveled at that a bit. Everyone had helped him, without hesitation or question. "I think they've all changed in some way, but other than Vess I haven't had much confirmation. I still need to check out her core space, let alone the others."
"Yes, that should be a priority and something we can do together later this afternoon. I think resolving any lingering questions there would be the wisest course of action," she said. "How did you do such a thing? Other than Pit, who you share an extraordinary bond with, only Beef was nearby. The rest were literal miles away."
"Tier III Links. Tier IV now, actually," Felix said by way of explanation. When Zara's face remained just as confused, he sighed. "Damn, I was hoping you would know more about them. The connections that I've been sensing since becoming...this," he gestured at himself. "Well they kicked up a notch. Now the System is calling them Links, and I can apparently send power through them. Not sure if I can send more though, like my Mana or Stamina or something. I recover those so fast, it might be useful if that were possible."
"Links. You are correct in assuming that I have not heard of them. So much as been Lost, but I have not heard of even the greatest of Sorcerers utilizing their Affinity in such a way. I believe you are right. It must be something to do with your Primordial nature. The Unseen Tide." She said the words, and Felix felt a sudden and faint pressure from them. It was gone in an instant, so fast that had he not possessed perfect recall, he would have doubted it had happened. "And perhaps that can be used in our favor, to find the other Unbound. We must do the ritual again, and soon."
Felix nodded. "I'm all for that. Sooner we can find those poor people, the better off we all are."
"If you can continue to strengthen those Links, perhaps we may have a way to reach out across the Continent. Dreams and shared experiences are one thing, but direct communication would make our job far easier," Zara added.
"Later," he said. "If we can get this city stuff resolved, then we can get moving back to Nagast as soon as—"
An enormous sound ripped through the sky, like the bugle of a horn the size of a skyscraper. It even drowned out the constant thunder. What followed was a bloom of fire and light to the north, high enough to be visible over the six story mansions around them.
The guards pressed closer, weapons drawn. "My Lord! We need to move you off the street! Someone is attacking—!"
Lieutenant Errol turned and found Zara standing there, smoothing down her dark robes. She was alone, save for the crackle of lightning around her feet. "The Autarch has taken a personal interest, it seems." As one, the Shadows all looked up at Felix as he rose atop a pillar of brilliant, blue-white lightning, with Pit at his side. "I would suggest we follow. Quickly."
