Unbound

The sky lightened with the hesitant touches of dawn, and while nocturnal creatures had long gone to sleep, daylight creatures were waking to a new day. The temperate forests of what was once the Foglands rustled with a cool breeze, but one that heralded an oppressive heat soon to come. It was a calm morning, all things considered, were it not for the screaming.

Mervin Cors ran for his life.

Oh Pathless protect me! Mervin heaved himself over the rocky terrain, pushing his Agility to the limit. It wasn't much, if he were being honest. If I'd have known...I wouldn't have focused...on Perception!

Mervin leaped over a fallen tree, planting his sturdy boots on the slick trunk and throwing himself forward. He'd always been more attentive than his friends growing up, and he'd thought to specialize by focusing on it once he'd started gaining real levels. He had even earned the Title: Clear Eyed as a result of that training, granting a +2 bonus to his Perception and Vitality! Now, it was all that kept him alive.

The Tin Rank ducked beneath a grip of clinger vines, and dove around a thicket, narrowly missing the large thorns he had only seen at the last instant. Sweat poured down his face and neck, his leathers already sodden with it despite the early morning chill. He had been running for fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours since he'd been separated from his patrol and Iron Rank patrol leader. He was only a Tin Rank, and a level 11 one at that. The last thing he should have been doing was running through the Foglands all alone, but he followed orders. Captain Kelas ordered them to scatter and regroup back at the city gates. So they did.

*BUZZZZZZZZZ*

The hated sound came again. They were gaining on him.

Blind gods! Mervin gasped at his own profanity. Forgive me, Trackless One. I meant..no disrespect!

It was the beasts! They tore at his mind, leaving only fear behind. The monstrosities were tireless and more aggressive than any monster he'd seen before. He'd been told about the four-winged chimeras that usually stalked the mists, but now that the land was cured of its impure enchantments, they must have come closer to the walls.

A powerful sucking sound tore through the air behind him, and Mervin flopped forward, banging his shins against some rocks and bouncing painfully against the hard earth. The acid, by pure chance, sailed over him and splattered against the thick trunk of a lethwood. The acid ate through its bark in seconds, leaving a gaping hole behind. Mervin forced himself to his feet and kept running.

The buzzing grew louder, to his left, then his right, the sound of their wings a terror to his senses. He ran, breath loud and side cramping, and entered into a rocky gully covered in moss and vines, the only place clear of the awful sound. Mervin only made it thirty feet before he realized his error. A large rockfall had closed off the entire path; the gully was a dead end.

No no no no, he thought frantically. Mervin cast his eyes to either side of him, flexing his Perception so that he might notice something, anything. The walls were too steep, the rocks too large and smooth to climb, and though there were vines the plants were fragile; they wouldn't hold his weight.

I'm going to die here. That grim thought was followed up by another. They...herded me here. Like...an animal.

He had family back in Haarwatch, family he'd never see again most likely. Already he could hear the buzzing increasing in volume. They were coming. Mervin wiped at his face and unsheathed his short sword; not an ideal weapon for the enemy, but useful in the tight terrain in which he found himself. Weapon in hand, and he started thinking like a Guilder. There were a couple places he could use his Skills, and the heavy rockfall behind him was a solid defense at his back. Large blocks of stone, quarried a long time ago probably, based on how pitted and moss-grown they were. There was even an odd triangular stone, half buried, and his Perception picked out a dark etching on the surface...

*BUZZZZZZ*

The monstrous lizards hovered into view, four of them, all level 20 and up. Mervin felt his backside pucker and his stomach heave perilously. They differed from the old Guild reports, which called them Four Wings and said they had four glowing eyes and bodies of noxious smoke, but so many things had changed recently. They were actually called Sharpwing Skinks according to his fledgling Analyze Skill. They only had two eyes and were scaled, with large triangular heads and fat tails, their dog-sized heavy bodies flying on four blurring wings. The one in the lead let out a croaking *yarp* and Mervin noticed it was at least twice the size of its brethren. It was listed as a Sharpwing Bruiser. It began to make that awful sucking noise again, and it's throat swelled.

Mervin's heart thundered, though his short sword shook only slightly. He was proud of that. If nothing else, he could tell the Pathless he died bravely. Perhaps the priests would pass that onto his mother and father.

"Pathless...anyone...if anyone can hear me," he whispered, eyes filling with tears. "Please...save me."

Impossibly, a brilliance suddenly kindled behind Mervin. A rainbow haze of light and dancing mist that shot into the air and glimmered with a kaleidoscopic frenzy, driving the lizards back and forcing the Tin Rank to cover his eyes in astonishment. There was a heavy thud on the ground, enough that Mervin felt it, and when he blinked away the spots in his vision he beheld...a man.

What?

Mervin's hair stood on end as the wave of powerful, chaotic Mana passed and dissolved into the air, but his skin crawled as he beheld the man before him. He was covered in blood, some of which was not red but...a dismal grey. Even as he watched, however, the grey ichor burned off him like smoke, leaving only the crimson. He wore no armor beneath that blood, just simple clothes that had seen better days. He had a head of shaggy black hair which hung about his ears, and had wide shoulders. There was a sense of weight to him that Mervin couldn't parse, but he felt his mouth go dry and his trembling increase in intensity.

"You could have warned me," the man growled and Mervin went still. The stranger shook his head and made a curt gesture. "The blood was...Yeah. I'm sure, you did."

Mervin's eyes widened. He's insane. Pathless forfend.

Insane or not, he was another body between the Tin Rank and certain death. For that he only felt gratitude. "Beware! Behind you is a dire foe!"

"Hmm?" The man turned to Mervin and blinked in surprise. He felt...naked under the stranger's dark blue gaze, as if his secrets were glimpsed in a second. Swallowing, Mervin pointed with his short sword, just beyond the man's shoulder, and the stranger turned around.

"You again?" The stranger took a step back when he saw the Skinks, before turning his head to either side. "Pit! Pit are you--? Good." He pointed at the Skinks. "Take em out."

A cry rang out in the forest, one that Mervin had never heard before. He froze instantly, and a quick notification popped up in front of him saying he was under the Fear Condition for three seconds. Then a tempest of death rained down on the lizards. Meter-long spears of ice descended from above, followed by rapid arcs of tightly woven air, both coming so fast that they filled the far end of the gully. Mervin goggled at the spells.

Who or what can do that?!

A furious squawk pierced the morning, and a russet creature with dark wings leaped from above, leading with slashing claws. It landed among the lesser lizards, taking one down to the ground. A chimera! Mervin felt his bowels quake as he considered the battle before him, and he turned questioning eyes to the stranger, hoping for some clarity. But the man were merely straightening his clothing, dusting it off and inspecting it. He held up a sleeve and peered at it before smiling and nodding to himself, apparently satisfied.

"Still in one piece." He looked proud of that, for some reason.

The fear effect had stopped, but Mervin still pressed himself as far back as he could. If he were able to, the young man would have slipped into the nearest crevasse. Out of the corner of his eye, Mervin caught the triangular obelisk glowing for a bare moment longer before the runes on its length dimmed like a setting sun. He shuffled fearfully away; he was not one to truck with strange magic.

"Pit, you need help?" The man rolled his shoulders, as if limbering up. "I can--"

A sudden squawk came from the chimera, and it almost sounded...reproachful. Which was absurd. Chimera were monsters, they couldn't--

"Alright, alright. You have your fun I guess." The man threw up his hands and turned away, tilting his body toward Mervin.

Please don't come over here, please just ignore me. Mervin prayed, unable to take his eyes off the wild battle before him. Which is why the Tin Rank saw the Bruiser dart forward at the stranger's back. "Behind you!"

The man spun, then he was gone. Wind raged in the gully, pushing Mervin further against the mossy stones, and he could barely see what happened next. The sound of a meaty slap echoed through the area, and the hulking lizard was smashed into the ground. It exploded into black, greasy smoke.

Dead. In one hit.

That was a level 23 beast! Scales sturdy enough to withstand an Iron Rank's Strength! And he just...swatted it like a bug!

Smiling broadly, the stranger turned to his chimera, who had downed two Skinks and was working on the last. "Need help, bud?"

The chimera chirped back at him in a way that Mervin thought meant 'no.' I'm going crazy. Or I died, cursed by the blind gods to...to whatever this is!

Chimera busy, the man turned back toward Mervin, fixing him with eyes that seemed just a bit brighter than they had before. He was tallish, maybe a few inches taller than him, and carried himself with a...solidity that Mervin hadn't seen before. Shaking himself, the Tin Rank shot off an Analyze at him.

Name: Unknown

Race: Unknown

Level: 25

HP: ???/???

MP: ????/????

Lore: Unknown

Race unknown? What? Mervin was new to the Analyze Skill, only having leveled it to 3 so far, but he'd yet to encounter that before. He screwed up his courage and stood.

"Wh-who are you?" The Tin Rank managed to put his short sword between himself and the level 25 stranger, though he doubted it'd do much. "Why are you here?"

The stranger took a step backwards and regarded the blade between them. He seemed...not afraid, but cautious. Then his eyes flared a bright blue and Mervin felt suddenly exposed, as if the man had seen into his soul. Mervin shuddered, and his blade dipped. With a sudden cry, the last Skink was dispatched and they were alone.

What have I gotten into?

He's a demanding little cretin, isn't he? The Maw sniped from his left. Felix didn't bother to respond or even look at it. He was still pissed at how their crossing had gone. The Maw claimed it hadn't had knowledge of how much blood the gate would take from him, but Felix was down to a mere 5% in both Health and Mana. Whatever the gate had done, it had taken all of Felix's strength to make it happen.

Refusing to show weakness, even though Felix's entire body ached after that wild ride through the bloodgate, he focused on the boy. He wasn't in the mood for twenty questions, but maybe this guy would have some answers for him. He regarded the teenager in front of him, estimating his age at somewhere between 17 and 20, at best.

Voracious Eye...

Name: Mervin Cors

Race: Human

Level: 11

HP: 63/75

SP: 13/171

MP: 52/52

Lore: Humans are multitudinous on the Continent. They are statistically weaker than most Races, especially at lower levels.

Strength: High Perception for his level.

Weakness: Strength and Willpower are both lower than average.

He's just a kid, and his stats seem awfully low. Why is he out here alone? Felix didn't entirely disregard the weapon in Mervin's hands, it was a sharp blade after all, but if Felix could survive Harrowing talons he doubted he had much to fear from a Basic Iron Shortsword.

His icons flashed at him again, and Felix suppressed them with a grunt of annoyance. He'd have time to look them over when he figured out what was going on.

"My name is Felix, and this is Pit," Felix gestured to the tenku he sensed trotting in their direction. "We're...travelers. Can you tell us where we are now?"

The boy gave him a confused look. "What? You're in the Foglands."

Felix pursed his lips, not entirely surprised given the presence of Skinks. Always with the Skinks. He squinted around himself and activated his Manasight, but the usual fog didn't appear.

"Where is the fog, then?"

"Where've you been? The fog's been gone for three months," Mervin swallowed nervously. "How could you not--"

Felix didn't let him finish asking his question, but instead jumped out of the rocky gully in which he found himself. Landing heavily at the top, he found himself in a wide valley, with huge, strangely hued trees surrounding him, thick with undergrowth and flowering plants. It reminded him of the lake and waterfall area to an extent. It was familiar enough that he could be in the same forest, though he knew how huge the Foglands supposedly were, so he doubted that. He flared his Manasight again, but there wasn't even the barest hint of fog.

So it's really gone. Why? Felix scratched his chin.

Perhaps it is because a great lummox impaled himself on the Essence Anchor that provided the enchantment. The Maw floated up before him, its diaphanous dress flowing as if underwater. Its eyes bore into Felix's with a renewed animosity. Congratulations. You're back on the Continent. Fool that you are, you won't make it ten minutes once you reach a city. Those who know anything aren't fond of the Nym, you see.

It cackled delightedly, and Felix growled. With a brief effort, he imagined it boxed into his Bastion of Will, deep beneath his mental fortress. He imagined shutting the door and locking it.

Like a popped soap bubble, the Maw disappeared and her laugh cut off completely. Felix let out a relieved sigh and smiled.

Some peace, for a little bit. He hopped back down into the gully, startling the boy again. He grunted at the landing. "Sorry. Had to check where we were."

"S-sure," Mervin stammered, and Felix moved away to give the kid some space. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"Over here," Felix gestured back down the gully, where Pit was sitting on his haunches. "Just have to sort out some Status stuff."

Mervin nodded and sat down, but his terrified eyes didn't leave Felix for a second, even when the Nym reached Pit and ruffled the tenku's feathers playfully.

"We made it buddy. We're back." Pit let out a happy chirrup and went back to preening his bloody feathers. Felix grimaced and then took a whiff of himself. "Oof, first thing we have to do is get a bath, the both of us. It's been...two weeks? Gross."

Felix sat down with a sigh on a protruding rock ledge, keeping the Cors kid within sight at all times. He seemed harmless enough, but the guy had a sword and was out alone in the Foglands; Felix doubted his situation was at all that simple. However, he might be able to lead them to a settlement or, if his guess was right, Haarwatch itself.

He said three months though...It felt more like three days, if that. He ran a hand over his face roughly. He was so tired. Focus. Notifications now, everything else later.

Felix opened his blinking notifications and felt the symphonic blare of the System thrill through him.

Quest Complete!

Escape the Void!

You have managed to escape the clutches of the Void with only minor physical impairments!

Rewards:

+1 Title

+1 Skill

+1 Level

New Title!

Voidwalker (Epic) - You've walked the dark realms of the Mind and survived. +10% WIL and ALA when in the Void. +10% Effectiveness to All Void Skills.

New Skill!

Manaship Pilot (Rare), Level 1!

You've proven your mettle through a trial by fire in the hostile Void. You are now able to utilize Manaships with a greater degree of finesse and efficiency! Accuracy increases with Skill level, Mana exchange rate decreases with Skill level.

You Have Gained 1 Level!

You are now Level 26!

+3 to WIL! +2 to INT! +4 to DEX! +1 to END! +2 to PER! +2 to VIT! +4 to AGL!

You Have 25 Unused Stat Points!

Your Companion Pit Has Gained 1 Level!

+2 VIT! +2 PER! +4 AGL! +4 DEX! +3 WIL! +1 END! +2 INT!

You Have Found A Hidden Quest!

Shrines of the Broken!

You have found and recognized one of the Lost Gods' Temples, reactivating its Shrine and taking a step forward upon the Broken Path. Dare you go further?

Rewards: Unknown

Exploration is level 26!

Exploration is level 27!

+1 Bronze Chest awarded!

Quite apart from the streaming notifications and flares of orchestral majesty, a very real, very heavy chest materialized in front of Felix. It thumped to the hard-packed earth and kicked up a trace of dust. Felix's eyes widened with delight. The chest was made entirely of smooth sheets of bronze metal, molded into a eye-pleasingly curved chest with a hefty black lock on the lid. When Felix touched it, the lock unlatched and the lid popped open.

You Received:

+500 Gold Crowns

+Far-Afield Boots

+Valdarian Satchel

Felix lifted a thick leather purse with the weighty feel of money in it. The pouch clinked satisfyingly in his hand as he shifted it and lifted the second item out. They were dark leather boots with bronze plates on the toes and up the front, while the bottoms were heavily textured as if designed for hiking. More importantly, they were in far better condition than his current pair. Felix kicked off his own ratty pair and laced them up. They fit perfectly, which both surprised him and didn't; he'd just got them as a magical reward for completely a insanely difficult quest. The least they could do was fit properly.

"Now I just need new pants," he muttered while admiring the shape of the boots. They came up with mid calf and laced at the sides. The bronze plates on the toe, heel, and front of the foot felt like armor. It would probably be good for kicking.

I should kick more often, he mused.

Last but not least, Felix fished the Valdarian Satchel out of the chest and held it up. It was a simple enough bag, similar to the Hanaari bag he used to have, made of dark leather with bright silver clasps. The moment it was out however, the Bronze Chest simply vanished between eye blinks. Felix scanned the area before him, but the chest had dematerialized without a trace, save the four slight divots in the ground. He shrugged after a moment; it didn't matter really. He'd gotten his reward. He slung the bag over his shoulder and put the money pouch inside it. Before he could give his boots and bag a once over with his Voracious Eye, the boy interrupted.

"Blessed be, did you complete a System Quest?" Felix turned to find the teen standing a lot closer than before, his dark eyes shining as they took in his boots and satchel. "Those are quest rewards, right?"

"Uh, yeah, they are."

Mervin's mouth gaped. "I thought I saw a Chest manifest! I've never seen a proper completed System Quest before, just the usual Guilder kind. Wow."

Felix's head tilted. "System--? Wait, Guilder? You're in the Protectors' Guild? Are we near Haarwatch?"

Mervin blushed slightly and nodded. "Yes and yes. Newly made Tin Rank, sir! Joined up after all the troubles."

"Troubles?" Felix called for Pit and the tenku stopped preening to step closer. "What troubles?"

"You must've been really far away, sir. Everyone's been talking about it." He swallowed and nervously smoothed down the front of his tabard, which featured a shield crossed by a sword and spear. "The Foglands lost their fog, but then the monsters went mad. Magic gone wild they say, sir. It's why the Inquisition's been called."

"The what?" Felix asked, but he feared he wouldn't like the answer.

And he was right.