Chapter Two Hundred And Eighty Six - 286
"Local Authority. Huh." Harn looked up at the night sky, thinking.
They were seated around a piece of splintered statuarya hand, closed around a broken swordbetween the tall Nymean sentinels. Those monstrous insides were glaring down at them all, the Henaari having decided to spend the remainder of the night in the shelter of its wardings. They were minor, but were clearly driving away wandering beasts and unwanted eyes.
Handy, that.
Built to celebrate our people's pact of trust with the folk of the Continent, offered Karys. There are a number around the land. The Guardians face outward with orbs of power, while within are contained the horrors that would ravage the world.
"What horrors?"
"What?" Evie asked.
Many kinds. I know that you've encountered some already, though how you purified the Primordials' flesh curse is remarkable.
"What flesh curse?" Felix asked.
"Hello? Felix? Are you talking to the sword guy now?" Evie said, waving her hand in front of Felix's face. He blinked and looked up at the others around them.
"Oh. Yeah, Karys was telling me some...things." Felix smiled, banishing his concern for later. "Now's not the time." He refocused on his team, all of whom were spread around in the shadow of Pit's extended wings. Evie, Vess, Atar, Alister, and Harn were to his right while the Haarguard were to his left. All of them were looking at him with confused expressions.
"A sword spirit," Kylar said with a breathless sort of glee. "I never thought I'd see one."
"Still haven't," Nevia reminded him. "The Fiendsorry, Felix said it was a ghost he bound to the blade. Not the blade's own spirit."
Felix considered correcting her wording, but decided it didn't matter. "Karys is a boon. He's helped me a bunch and we've only known each other for an hour. But more to the point, this proves I can take Authority."
"How? Didn't the System try to kill you last time?" Atar said. Too late, he glanced at the Haarguard and snapped his mouth shut.
"What? Why would the System try to kill you?" Vyne asked.
Felix waved his hand. "Not important. My friend here tells me it's because of...circumstances, that I was able to take this location."
"What about other Nym ruins?" Harn asked. "Can you take those too?"
Provided you take proper control, yes most likely, Karys said.
"Should be able to," Felix said.
"We can see that as a win, at least," Vess stated. "It means that, maybe, we can secure Authority over the Temple before the Archon reaches it."
Who is
"How far out are we?" Atar asked. He had wrapped his cloak tight around himself, as the night had grown unseasonably cool. "A week or two?"
"Thereabouts," Harn said. "Should only be a couple days until we reach Shelim, provided the way's clear."
"And the Farwalker said the city is occupied by our friends," Evie said. "So we go around the city?"
Felix nodded. "I think that's for the best. We'll circle the city and head directly into the mountains. Hopefully we can find a way through them without alerting the Archon."
Felix found the Haarguard staring at him. "What will you do?"
"Do, sir?" Vyne asked.
"It's gonna get even more dangerous in the coming days. If you all want to return to Haarwatch, now's the time to do it."
Vyne and others opened their mouths, their Spirits all flashing with denial and no little bit of fear. Felix held out a hand, forestalling them. "Think it over. Let me know in the morning. There's no shame in admitting if a fight is beyond you."
The Haarguard gave him thoughtful nods, even Kylar. "Let's all get some rest while we can. We'll set off at dawn when the Henaari pack up." Felix stood and stretched. His muscles actually felt tight and a bit sore after his fights.
The others spread out, grouping up and chatting. They didn't have to worry about doing any sort of watch as the Henaari more than had that covered. The nomad people had insisted his team relax after driving off their would-be murderers, giving them the rest of the night to rest before they set off in the morning.
The Henaari and Felix's team would part ways then. When he'd arrived on the back of his Companion, the Farwalker and a surprisingly subdued Matriarch had welcomed him with open arms. The gathered Henaari had cheeredin Spirit, at leastand the Farwalker explained their plan. The wandering people would head for one of their nearby redoubts to the north, near where the Hoarfrost abutted the Foglands. There, they hoped to escape the Archon's creatures.
Felix understood. This wasn't their fight. As the Farwalker put it, "the Great Raven empowers us to challenge the dark for the thrill of the unknown, but she does not send us to death." And to face the Archon directly was...well, it was toeing that line.
Felix wandered the area.
An insidious bellowfelt, rather than heardshook through him. The hunger dug in its heels.
If you let it go, I promise I'll get you something much bigger and more powerful to eat! Okay? Just! Let! It! Go!
Felix could feel Pit approaching, but before the tenku could converge with him, there was a sudden slackening of the abyss' pressure. Surprised that even sort of worked, Felix didn't hesitate: he hurled the Memory straight into the liquid flame of his [Thunderflame Core].
The world pulsed, and Felix was somewhere else.
Felix stepped into the Escher-like mental space of the Arcid's Memories, and saw before him the expanded existence that was Boilerface.
He focused his Intent, his need, spearing through the convoluted mind space without hesitation. He needed to know what the Archon was up to, what he knew. In a flash, he'd reached a more pristine version of Boilerface and collided with him.
The world shattered.
He was standing in Shelim, though it looked strange without the fog. He was among a number of other Arcids, all of them looking like armored humanoids but with a strange twist to each. One was a pale, white-green color and had blade-like wings emerging from its back. Air-attuned, clearly. Two appeared as almost liquid, one covered in a viscous black goop while another was literally armor floating in a gel-like body of virulent green.
Between them all, were dozens and dozens of Wurms, Hoarhounds, and Reforged warriors.
"The Henaari are interlopers in my realm. They are not welcome, and neither is their foul godling." The Archon stood tall before them, resplendent in golden armor. He was bigger than any of the Arcids, though many of the Reforged dwarfed him in size. They could not, however, approach the strength of his presence. Felix could feel the construct radiating power like a damn sun. "More importantly, they have the key to the Temple. Find them. Find the key, no matter what."
Felix tried to keep himself small, despite it being a Memory. The last time he tangled with the Archon, the guy somehow realized he was in a Memory, likely because of his Mark. Felix didn't want that happening again. He watched, but out of the corner of his eyes, careful not to focus too much on the Archon.
"What does the key look like, Master?" the winged one asked.
"You will know it when you see it. We have no idea what the key should be, just that there is one, and that Henaari's corpse radiated traces of the key's power." The Archon growled the last. "That such a pathetic creature thought it could steal my birthright...well. Worse shall happen to its kin."
Felix shuddered at the sense of unhinged hate and bile that brushed against him. The Archon was insane.
"What if they don't have it, Master?" The gel-like Arcid cringed as it asked the question, clearly expecting displeasure. Yet the Archon's mood merely twisted toward a dire glee.
"If the Henaari do not have the key, then we shall take them to the Forges. There we shall bend them to my Great Purpose, and the Henaari will find it for me."
Dread sank into Felix's gut as the assembled horde raised its voices in exultation.
"Nothing shall stop my ascension! You hear me, Herald!" The Archon jabbed a finger into the sky. "I'll tread the Broken Path! I'll conquer it!"
Felix snapped back to his body like a recoiling rubber band. He gasped, panting for breath and sweating like he'd run a marathon.
Pit was there immediately, pushing his beak at Felix in concern. Felix clutched at his friend's feathers, fighting to stabilize the sense of terror and hate that had almost overwhelmed him.
"What the hell was that?" he panted.
You were influenced by the Memory you examined, Karys said. I would have warned you, but I did not know you were capable of accessing such things. He paused. How did you gain a Memory from this creature?
"...Ate him," Felix said.
Oh. Oh! Then that explains this next part.
"What?" Felix asked, before his vision was inundated with notifications.
You Have Fully Consumed Your Opponent's Essence!
Thief of Fate Title Engaged!
You Have Learned A New Skill!
Incendiary Shell, Rare, Level 1!
Channel fire Mana in a burst attack that damages all foes around you for thirty feet.
Synergy Detected!
Incendiary Shell (R) and Mantle of the Long Night (R) Are Compatible!
Do You Wish To Combine And Evolve?
Y/N
