Hunger: A LitRPG Adventure (Unbound Book 3), page 14
For a brief moment, their hands all glowed with brilliant life Mana before it sank beneath the skin. Felix felt his skin tighten and prickle, but it passed. However, his friends sucked in sharp breaths or cursed loudly, in the case of Evie.
"Noctis' tits! That hurts!"
"Maybe if ya trained up yer Pain Resistance, it wouldn't be a problem," quipped Harn with a tight smile, flexing his hand slightly.
"You ok, Felix?" Cal asked, massaging her wrist.
Felix was staring off into space, a little startled.
New Skill!
Oathbinding (Rare), Level 1!
Through close observation, you've learned to bind the oaths of the willing. Costs Health, Mana, and Stamina.
"Uh, yeah," he said. "I'm good. I just learned Oathbinding."
"What?" Harn said, mouth opening. "Just now?"
"Yeah."
"Burnin' Unbound," he muttered.
Felix frowned at the notification a bit longer before dismissing it. He wasn't sure why he'd gotten that Skill so easily, when Manaship Pilot had taken a System reward to show up.
"Thank you, everyone. You didn't have to swear, but you did, and I'm… I'm honored." Felix smiled at each of them.
"So what's it like being Unbound?" Evie asked, popping herself onto the table top.
"Honestly, I have as many questions as you do about it," Felix sat down with a grunt, and the chair creaked beneath him. He looked down in annoyance before continuing. "Unbound and Nymean, and I don't know the first thing about either."
"Well, we're not good sources for that," admitted Cal. "If we were still Guilders, I'd have you try the Archivist. She runs the Guild Librarium. Best damn mage I ever knew."
Harn snapped his fingers. "Not anymore."
"What?" Cal turned to him.
"She left a few weeks ago. Got into it with a few Elders over her book system." Harn barked a short laugh. "They tried ta rearrange all her books. She ended up hangin' the new Archivist out the window of the Spire."
"Sounds about right," Cal laughed. "Where's she now?"
"Runs a shop in the Wall Quarter. Elder Leaf or something."
"Elder Crown?" Felix asked, heart sinking.
Harn snapped his finger and pointed at him. "That's the one. She'll know more about Unbound, maybe even the Nym if yer lucky."
"Yeah, that's me," Felix moaned. "Lucky."
They spoke at length about the Foglands and his time there, and Felix was happy to finally answer all questions honestly. It was amazing to not have to worry about weaving a convincing lie or telling a half-truth.
Eventually, the questions wound down, and the subject of the Domain came back up. Felix explained what he meant about getting them access.
"Atar promised to get me access to the Domain. I can see if he'll stretch that to all of us."
"How'd you manage that?" Evie asked.
"He had something that belonged to me. I took it back until he decided to help." Felix grinned, but that slipped a second later. "Still lost my poison fang dagger and sword though."
"Oh right, you had that hook blade, right? You lost that in the Labyrinth?" Evie said through a mouthful of bread. Where that bread had come from was beyond Felix. He was half-convinced she had a Skill to produce food whenever she needed it. He nodded.
"Hooked sword? Was it made of bronze?" Cal asked. When Felix agreed, she sighed. "Damn. The Guild took it. I recovered a sword and a book from the Labyrinth. That and Mags… but the Guild was in a mood. They took everything my crew and I had, did their bastardized 'tribunal,' and threw us out."
"Burn ‘em," growled Harn, taking a pull from a dark brown bottle. Felix Eyed it, though he didn't really have to. The smell alone was testament to how blindingly strong the alcohol was, way worse than the Twice-Boiled Swill he'd had in the Void.
"So you had this, too?" Felix pulled his journal from his satchel and showed it to Cal. She nodded.
"Yeah, that's the one. It was yours, too? No one knew what it said, except that the first part was in Henaari. No Henaari scholars in the Guild, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Pretty secretive bunch, them. The sword they were much more interested in. Elder DuFont practically drooled over it."
"DuFont?" Felix asked.
"Elder of Acquisitions. In charge of gathering operations, herbalism and the like, but really it's just looting. She held onto that blade like it was her baby." Cal shrugged. "It's in their hands now, sorry to say. Unless you plan on raiding the Eyrie, that's where it's stayin'."
Felix frowned, but tried not to let the loss distract him. "Well, I'll see what I can do with Atar. I'm gonna see him tomorrow."
There were a few more questions, mostly about his time in the Foglands. He answered honestly for the most part, giving them a rough idea of the time before he met Magda's party. There were a few questions about where he'd been for three months, but Felix found himself reluctant to talk about the Void. About the pirates, the Maw, and...and Bateo.
He deflected, relying on his Deception Skill to keep the conversation on the Foglands and Labyrinth. Eventually, the four of them wrapped it up. Outside the room, where the sun could actually be seen, Felix realized it was late afternoon. They'd been in there most of the day.
Evie walked him to the door.
"You’re welcome to come train with us whenever. It'd be good to spar against you again."
"Sure." Felix smiled. "I still owe you one, I think. You and Vess kicked my butt last time."
Evie paused near the door, going quiet. Felix stopped just before he grabbed the latch.
"What's up? Er, what's going on?" Felix asked. "You seem… less Evie than usual, if I can say that."
"She's trapped up there, you know?" Evie nodded into the distance, toward the center of town. "Vess. The Elders and her Father's Hand are keeping her on a tight leash since we did what we did."
Felix nodded. Evie had explained the situation with Magda's body, which had made Felix sick. He was glad to hear she had gotten a proper funeral. She, of all people, deserved to be honored.
It also went a long way toward explaining why they were still talking to Atar. Him working for an Elder certainly seemed to rub Cal the wrong way. Evie kept talking. "The Duke has a lotta power around here, but he's also two Territories away. With his Hand here, the Elders are keeping Vess locked up like a… like a songbird. Callie and Bodie say we can't do anything, but something is wrong. The Guild… it never felt this way when Magda was around."
Felix didn't know what to say. He looked at Evie, and saw the joy that was being crushed out of her, first by the loss of her sister, and now the loss of her friend.
"That really sucks," Felix agreed. "But what can we do about it? Break her out? The way they talk, the Eyrie is impregnable. Filled with Silver Ranks."
Evie shrugged and swiped her hair out of her face. "I know that! It's just—everything went sideways after the Foglands. I dunno."
Felix put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Somehow."
Evie smiled back and punched him on the shoulder. "Don't be a sap."
Felix grinned and opened the heavy door, walking out into the late afternoon sunlight. "I'll see you tomorrow, Evie."
"See you tomorrow, Felix."
Felix wandered a bit after that, taking the streets of the Dust without putting too much thought into it. His mind was whirling with information, not the least of which was Oathbinding and that three other people now knew his secret. And he didn't have to worry! It was more of a load off his mind than he anticipated, and Felix reveled in the sensation of freedom.
Pit chirruped in his mind, responding to his good mood. Their connection grew stronger the closer he came to the Drum Tank. It was a happy sound, a joyful call that was like the ringing of bells.
Wait.
From the spires of various buildings, bells were being rung. As he listened, more joined in, until the air was filled with the sound. Felix rushed up a nearby hill until he could get a clear view of the wall in the distance. Blooms of orange fire and blue water Mana erupted from the top of the Wall. Screams echoed in the distance.
"The Wall's being attacked." The flares of Mana sent a rumble of distant hunger to quake his Bastion. He clamped down on that as hard as he could, squashing it like a bug.
We're meant to feast, Felix. The Maw's voice slithered out from its cage. You cannot starve yourself forever.
Felix grunted and walled it off further, sealing the Maw's cackling beneath his mental tower. He didn't have time for the Maw's insanity right now.
SKREEE!
The cry came from above, and Felix whipped his head up to see five dark shapes come swooping out of the sky. Silhouetted against the evening light, he couldn't make out their details before they landed some streets away. The ground shook with their impact.
Then the real screaming started.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SCREEEEEE!!
Dust and debris filled the air, while residents of the Dust scattered in a panic. Cries of pain and fear were everywhere, nearly drowned out by the screams of the monstrosities. Heva Groktis tried to still her racing heart, searching the street for her family.
"Mama! Mama where are you!?"
A woman with dark black hair and wide copper eyes emerged from the dust, her red arms wrapped around a squirming toddler. Both were covered in grime as they stumbled from the cloud.
"Mahria! You're alright!" Heva cried in relief as she gathered up her daughter and grandson, her own copper eyes leaking bright tears. "Where is your father? I haven't seen him since..."
"He—he distracted one of the creatures. He drew it into the streets, away from Bhed," she clutched her son tight in fear, and the little boy clung to her. "I haven't seen him since, Mama."
Heva's heart broke at her daughter's words, and she turned from her to gaze back into the drifting clouds. The sounds of crashing stone and pained screams still filled the air. The creatures were nearby, she knew it. Her old bones burned. Heva raised a trembling hand to her chest to soothe the ache that jabbed against her ribs.
"How many are there, Mahria? Did you see?"
"No, I Analyzed three of them coming down our street, but we circled wide to avoid them." Her daughter scanned the street around them, the setting sun doing little to illuminate the cloudy shadows that clung to the cobbles. "I think they're a few streets over now."
Heva didn't have Analyze, never was able to learn it. Mahria had learned it from her late husband, a Guilder, before he'd disappeared in the Foglands. "Disappeared" usually meaning he'd been left for dead by the Humans. Non-Human Guilders rarely lasted long, Hobgoblins less than most. A shrill scream echoed among the buildings, and a crowd of noises filled the air.
"We have to move, we—" Heva's voice broke. "We have to run, now."
"Where Mama? I ran into Dedra, and she said she saw thirty of these things landing in the Dust. Where can we go?" Mahria's voice shook and her copper eyes flickered wildly about the street. She flinched when she saw two stout figures run toward them through the gloom, but as they came closer she recognized them.
"Jask! Oveh! Where're you going?" Heva cried out toward the two Dwarves, her neighbors for years now.
"Run, Heva! Run!" Jask yelled. "It's coming!"
HISS-SKREE!
A blurred shape, shimmering blue and green in the failing light, zipped through the haze. It was huge, easily ten feet tall at the shoulder, made up of insect-like segments and sporting six legs. It landed upon Jask, its scythe-like claws slashing down. The Dwarf's head came free from his shoulders in a fountain of blood.
Oveh's grief-stricken screams tore through the air, shocking Heva and Mahria from their stupor. They turned and ran.
"What is it?" Heva panted. She was too old for all this activity, her stats having diminished with age. She looked at her daughter as they ran. "What has come here?"
"Prismatic Wretch. Level 35," Mahria gasped as her eyes streamed with tears. She'd known Jask her entire life, a kindly man prone to giving out sweets to a mischievous child. She clutched little Bhed tightly. Her eyes found Oveh, who slogged beside them with grim determination. "Insectoid type. Fast and strong, but they have a paralytic poison, too."
"By Vellus' holy heart," Heva gasped. A level 35 loose in Haarwatch? It was the horror that kept parents up at night, of the wall falling and the denizens of the wild overrunning the city. "How did they get beyond the wall?"
Not just one. At least three. She gripped her amulet as they came around a tight corner, all of them breathing hard. Blind gods protect us, deliver us from the Night!
A rapid-fire chittering was all that warned them before a iridescent green claw swiped from around the corner. It missed them by a hand-span, hitting the building instead, and a shower of shrapnel rained over them all. Oveh fell, hit in the face by a brick. She tried to drag herself backward, pushing back with one arm and leg.
"Another one!" the Dwarven woman cried, perhaps pointlessly. The Prismatic Wretch had already emerged from around the corner, its segmented body glimmering in the dim light of the setting sun. It had a wide head with two huge, segmented eyes on either end. The bottom of its head was filled with twitching mandibles and rows after rows of needle-like teeth. It hissed at them and swung its scythe-arms forward, snapping them closed with enough force to rattle their bones. The Wretch scuttled forward and jabbed again, this time aiming for Oveh.
The Dwarven woman screamed, but her body wouldn't move any faster.
A burst of fire slapped against the monster's chest, a ball no larger than a Human skull. The Wretch flinched backward, swiveling its head to find the attacker. It screamed in fury as it saw Heva, standing twenty feet away with her hand outstretched and still smoking.
Heva swallowed, sweat pouring down her crimson skin. Her daughter looked at her with wild, confused eyes.
"Mama, you can't fight it," Mahria pleaded. "It's stronger than us both. We-we won’t—"
"Run, my heart. Take your sweet boy and run." Heva smiled at her daughter and kindled another ball of flame in her hand. "I'll buy you time."
Mahria's eyes filled with tears, and Bhed started to whimper. "No, Mama. You can't."
"Go! Now!" Heva turned and hurled her flame at the Wretch again. It splashed off its head, making it screech in annoyance. She didn't turn when she heard the sound of running boots, but her eyes glimmered with tears. "Come, you damn bug! I've more for you!"
The massive insect skittered forward again, its six legs easily maneuvering through the debris-strewn street. It passed right over the prone form of Oveh, and Heva breathed a sigh of relief. Then Oveh growled and thrust her hand up, causing a spike of stone to burst from the cobblestones. It stabbed into the Wretch's underside, scoring a deep mark in its chitin.
SCREEEE!
The Wretch ran at the Hobgoblin. Heva gathered more fire, letting it pool in her hands like water, but she was trembling. It was a minor Skill meant for starting cookfires or lighting candles. Yet it was the closest thing she had to an offensive Skill, well-used despite not even being Apprentice Tier. Heva knew it was useless.
Vellus protect and Noctis preserve my family, she prayed as the Wretch closed the gap. She closed her eyes and felt her tears fall. Let this be enough.
*WHUMP-CRSSSHHH!*
Heva flinched at the noise, but there was no pain. She cracked open an eye and gasped.
Before her, among a cloud of stone dust, the road itself had been sundered. A crater had formed beneath the Wretch, and it scrabbled ineffectually at the sides of it. After a moment, her ears registered the sound of flesh on stone, a rhythmic cracking punctuated by shrill screams. A dark figure was astride the bug, unleashing a flurry of strikes down into its carapace, and streamers of green gore splashed outward with each hit.
The Wretch screamed again, but Heva noticed the change in timbre.
It was terrified.
A sudden crash, and the Prismatic Wretch went still and silent. The figure stood up from the creature's back and leaped out of the shallow crater they had made, landing heavily a short distance away. Heva gasped and took a step back. The figure turned toward her, and in the failing light she could only make out the shine of bright blue eyes beneath a heavy cowl.
"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was a pleasant tenor, not as deep as some, but definitely male. "Are you hurt?"
Heva shook her head, then turned into the distance. She gasped in renewed terror. "My friend, Oveh, she's back there!"
The man turned, his cloak flaring with him. "Shit. Another one." He turned to her. "Uh, wait here, please."
The ground cracked beneath him as the man launched himself upward, easily clearing the dead Wretch and its crater and landing halfway to her friend. Another insect had scuttled from the shadows and fought against the Dwarven pottery master. Heva was surprised to see her friend put up such a good fight; the woman was throwing small spikes of stone out of the ground itself, each one from a different angle. The monster was forced to bat them away constantly.
However, Oveh was clearly slowing down by the time the man landed nearby. He hit the earth with a loud crash, sending a spray of cobblestones into the Wretch. The creature reared back, but recovered nearly instantly; it lashed forward with its huge fore-claws, viciously hissing. The man didn't move, but the air pulsed in front of him, and a series of lightning bolts speared up from the ground and into the insectoid. The Wretch's momentum was halted, though Heva could tell it strained against whatever power the man used.
Then he punched it.
