Unbound

Chapter Ninety Four - 094

Early morning sunlight streamed into the warehouse, dusty beams that promised of greater heat in the afternoon. Moving through that light, Evie ducked a thrown blade, landing in a low crouch before springing up into a sideways somersault. She relied on her legs and right hand, her left whipping her spiked chain in a spiral around her body. Coming to her feet, Evie heard more than saw the two other blades her chain deflected. She didn't pause. She burst forward, leaping over the small half wall before her. With a twist of thought, Evie reduced her own weight, sending her body hurtling forward even faster than before. It was enough, just barely, to avoid the swing of a wooden pole.

"Cheater!" Harn growled from below, his face frowning. "No Born Traits!"

Evie landed lightly, her feet barely impressing upon the sand of the arena. "Your Born Trait is passive, Harn! Of course you'd say that."

"Haha, she's got you there, Kastos," laughed Bodie, his shoulders shaking as he rested on his own wooden pole. Both he and Harn were wearing simple trousers and boots; that was it. No armor and wielding only simple sticks. This wasn't about hurting each other, it was about pushing themselves. Pushing her, really. Evie grinned at Bodie as she retracted her chain into her hands. She at least got to use her weapon.

"See? Even Bodie's on my side."

Harn grunted, his face sour as usual. He opened his mouth to say something but there were three booming knocks on the front door.

All three of them paused and looked at each other. Evie glanced backward toward the common area, but the others looked just as surprised. After being shown the door by the Guild, they had holed up in an abandoned warehouse in the Dust , one complete with rats and a slew of squatters. Callie had gotten ahold of this place...somehow. She never really explained that, but Evie didn't care enough to grill her on the subject. She had them all fix the place up to an extent, filling it with a sandy pit, some equipment, and the bare essentials to survive. If nothing else, it was a place to train. To stay busy.

Staying busy was all Evie had.

The knocking came again, not insistent but steady. As if whoever was out there had all the time in the world. Evie looked at Harn and the man was frowning harder than usual, his nostrils flared. Without a word he dropped his wooden pole and scooped up one of his enchanted silver axes before heading to the door. The door had been replaced by Yan early on, and the man's idea of metalsmithing was to make it fuck-all heavy and four inches thick. It was sturdy, at least.

Harn motioned to the others before slowly grabbed the latch. Bodie and Evie readied their weapons, her chain slithering from her shoulder while the big man hefted a huge maul. Behind them she could hear Portia and Trendle flare some sort of Skill, but she didn't bother to check. They all knew the drill. The Inquisitors had come at them already, one of the many reasons they had come out here. The Redcloaks had questions that they couldn't answer, but Evie knew they weren't done with them. With her.

In one smooth motion, Harn pulled the heavy door open and brandished his weapon. Evie heard gravel crunch as whoever was out there shifted slightly, but there was no scream, no mad scramble. Just a faint grunt.

"Is that how you say hi, now?"

The voice was...familiar. Distressingly so. Evie's eyes widened and she rushed forward.

"How the hell are you alive, kid?" Harn asked axe still in hand, but no longer pressed against the other person.

"Nice to see you too, Harn," said the voice, and despite Bodie's warning looks, Evie slipped up to the doorway and saw a tallish boy around her age. One with dark blue eyes that flashed as he smiled.

"Felix!"

"Hey Evie. Been a while, I guess," Felix said with a half wave. His view into the warehouse was a bit limited by the narrow doorway, but he could clearly see her standing behind Harn. The latter grimaced at the girl before giving Felix a warning glance.

What does that mean?

"Noctis wept, Felix! Where've you been?" Evie gushed, her black hair falling out of some sort of tie in the back. She suddenly waved her hands in front of herself. "No, wait. Come inside. Come inside!"

Shoving Harn aside Evie grabbed Felix's hand and led him into the warehouse. The place had been hard to find, as a large portion of the southwestern corner of the Dust Quarter was composed of these dilapidated and abandoned warehouses. Felix didn't know the history, but it seemed like they had been used by various businesses that had gone bust or moved their operations into the Wall or Crafter's Quarters. The area had thus become a dense maze of crumbling stone walls and streets overrun by weeds and wildflowers. If it hadn't been for Atar's directions, he wouldn't have found the place at all.

There was a heavy clang behind him, and Felix saw that Harn had closed and was locking the door behind him. The entire space was quite large and open, with a few walled off sections in the back. Immediately before him was an area divided into several sections, one of which was a sand floored arena filled with waist high walls and a number of wooden poles. Other, stranger objects dotted the floor, things that screamed "obstacle course" to Felix, while a series of wooden mannequins were lined up along the far left wall.

"Not a bad place," murmured Felix. "Way more impressive than it looks on the outside."

"Yeah, Callie had some work done for sure. Yan and Kelgan did most of the heavy lifting though." She gestured to two men who had meandered out of the back area.

More than a few people had started to come forward, and Felix smiled at them all as Evie led him toward the obstacle course. She let go of his arm and leaped atop a pommel-horse thing with enviable ease. For the first time Felix was able to get a good look at her. She looked the same as ever, just...tired, maybe. She was wearing a loose linen shirt, pants, and no shoes at all. A light sheen of sweat covered her face, and if it weren't for that he'd have thought she had been lounging around. But all of this equipment, the sand sticking to her feet, the sweat. He'd interrupted a training session.

"How did you find us?" Harn asked. Felix turned toward him and smiled reassuringly.

"Atar told me."

"Blasted boy," Harn muttered. "He shouldn't have told anyone. Were you followed?"

Felix shook his head. "Not a soul. Though I didn't know you were hiding. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, not to be impolite, but who are you?" A gentle voice came from the side, and a woman with a blond pixie cut stood alongside Yan and Kelgan that Evie had pointed out. All three of them were giving him stares of varying levels of distrust. Felix smiled, as kindly as he could, and scratched his jaw.

"I guess it was kinda rude to barge in like that," he cleared his throat. "I'm Felix. We..yeah, we met sorta. I was with Harn and Evie during the rescue."

"Oh! You're the climbing kid!"

Another voice chimed in, this one feminine as well though less gentle than the other. A stocky Dwarven woman stepped forward and slapped Yan on the shoulder. "That's the kid I was talking about. Climbed up the side of the building, no fear."

Yan flinched as the woman hit him, before looking at Felix again. "Oh right. The kid that fought the giants. Siva's teeth, I can't believe you're still alive."

Felix's smile waned slightly at the reminder, crystal clear flashes of ice and blood stabbing through his brain like lightning. "Me either."

Someone laughed, and it was half a second before he realized it wasn't anyone in the warehouse. Stop it, jerk, or I'll shrink your cage.

The laughing cut off.

Evie suddenly hopped down and shouted. "Introductions! Everyone! This is Felix! He's good people. He helped save all of you!"

By this point the area was starting to fill up. In addition to Harn, Evie there were seven others. Yan was a short man with a spade-like goatee of black hair and a completely bald head. He wore simple leather armor and had two shortswords belted to his waist. Kelgan stood next to him, his beard full and light brown, and he wore a simple tunic and pants without any ornamentation. He held a spear loosely in his grip, though that was true of every one of them. All were armed in some way, whether they wore armor or a bathrobe in one case.

Portia was the pixie-cut with a staff, and the Dwarven woman was Vivianne with a tumble of bright red curls. Unlike Eldrunna at the smithy, Vivianne was all sharp angles and wiry strength. There was also a giant named Bodie, a Human close to seven feet tall and packed full of more muscle that Felix thought was on the human body. He carried a war hammer the size of Felix's head, surmounted by a nasty five inch spike. While rounding out the crew was Karp, a bearded Human man leaning on a very tall bow, and Trendle, also Human, and fairly large with just a tremendous mustache. It was so impressive Felix almost didn't notice the bandolier of wooden spikes across his chest and hips.

Evie led Felix through the introductions, though she didn't say much else except his name and that he'd been apart of the rescue operation. Eventually, though, Felix noted two absences. "Where's Callie? I assume she's with you folks, right?"

"She's around somewhere," waved Evie nonchalantly, and she gave an awkward shrug. "Callie's a free spirit."

"Aye, she's that," rumbled Bodie good-naturedly before his voice turned harder. "She had some tasks this morning. Same as all of you! Let's get back to it!"

Bodie clapped his hands and the sound alone was enough to stagger Felix. The others all peeled away with varying levels of grumbling, each to their own business presumably. Bodie smiled pleasantly at Felix before he headed into the sandy combat arena, where both Yan and Kelgan were waiting.

"They seem nice," said Felix as he twisted a finger in his right ear. "Certainly in better shape than before."

"It's been three months, Felix," Evie made an exasperated noise. "I'd hope they'd be healed up by now."

"Three months...yeah." Felix considered the warehouse again as he thoughts touched on his lost time in the Void. "Atar told me about Vess. Have you really not seen her in all this time?"

"No," Evie shrugged again, though irritation was plain on her face. "Not that I expected a ducal heir to be hobnobbing with folk like us for long. It's just the way she disappeared, what with the Sworn an' all---"

"Wait," Felix stopped her. "The Sworn? What happened?"

"She was taken," Harn said from behind him and Felix jumped. The man smiled when Felix gave him an annoyed look. The damn man was quiet as a shadow, especially without all his usual armor. "While we escorted the prisoners back to the tower, Vessilia was kidnapped. Someone drugged em and dragged her off."

"What? You know it was the Sworn that did it?" Harn nodded at him. "Then what happened when you got back? Isn't that illegal or something?"

Harn laughed and Evie's face soured. "Oh sure, if ya could prove it. By the time we got back with everyone, Vessilia had been holed up in the Eyrie fer a week. The Guild claimed she'd 'made it back on her own' somehow."

Felix gave him an incredulous look and Evie grunted. "We haven't been able to see her since. Kept to the Eyrie and the Inner Ward, from what we hear. The Duke even sent his Hand to protect her, train her."

"That's...damn. That sucks," Felix managed. "Atar mentioned her being secluded, but not all the rest."

Evie scowled. "Atar wouldn't have. He's been avoiding us too, ever since we got back. Makin' nice with the Elders and the nobles."

Harn spit and grunted. "Sparky did what he thought was best for him. Can't blame em, not after the tribunal's decision."

The sound of a slamming door came from the back of the warehouse, muffled but entirely audible to Felix. He paid it only half a mind, instead looking at Harn. "I heard some of that too. Demotion and all. I'm sorry, Harn."

The stalwart man shrugged, but absently touched his neck. "It is what it is, now."

"That's bullshit, Harn. And you know it," growled Evie, who hopped back up onto her perch. "Guild needed a scapegoat and used you and my sister to do it."

Evie's eyes were bright, but no tears came. She made a slashing motion with a hand. "Yyero blight their balls! It was wrong. Is wrong."

"What are we arguing about now?"

They all turned toward the new voice, and Felix saw Calesca Boscal striding into the open warehouse. She looked like a new person, sleek armor and a slew of sharp weapons about her body. Her tawny hair was still short, cut at the nape of her neck in a style slightly longer than Portia's, and her face was clear of bruises and blood. She did look tired, though, as dark circles accented her eyes. She paused for a just a moment when she saw Felix, but it was barely a stutter in her step.

"Felix," she walked up to them and nodded at him. "You're alive."

That last part sounded more like an accusation than an observation to Felix. He blinked and looked at Evie. She didn't meet his eyes.

"I am," he admitted before rubbing his chest in a flare of phantom pain. "I'm sorry."

Callie's eyes softened slightly, and she cleared her throat. "I have questions. Let's talk in private."

Felix nodded and followed her as Callie went back to one of the separate rooms in the back. He could sense Evie trying to follow, but heard Harn hold her back.

"Let 'em talk, kiddo."

"I gotta be honest Felix, I saw the aftermath of what happened in the Labyrinth." Callie sat down at a table in a back room and gestured for him to do the same. "I don't know how anyone survives that."

Felix grimaced and sat down. The room she had guided them to was spartan, containing only a rickety table and four chairs. The rest of the space was dusty flooring and brick walls. It felt like an interrogation room, and he had no doubts about Callie's intentions. He preferred to cut to the chase.

"You saw the giants?" Callie nodded and Felix continued. "They had attacked us right as we reached the center, the vault door. Did you see that? Magda thought we needed to get inside and turn off whatever artifact was powering the fog. Maybe that would get us out of there."

Felix took a deep breath. "Grimmar and his people attacked us before we could. We...we were surrounded and hurt and the door was closing. Magda was injured...she couldn't stand. I tried to drag her into the door, but we weren't gonna make it..."

He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, shoving it back from his face. "Magda Shield Bashed me into the vault. Said one of us had to make it through. She...uh--"

Speaking of it raised the phantasms of his memories, clear and as sharp as broken glass, but Felix pushed them away. His throat ached. "She saved me, Callie."

Callie didn't move nor speak for a time. They both sat there in silence, neither really look at one another for a while.

Eventually, however, Callie stirred. "Call me Cal. Callie is...Cal is fine."

Felix watched her jaw flex, as if the woman was chewing something over. Making some sort of decision.

Ah, wait. Felix fished out something from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"She asked that I give this to you, when I made it out."

Atop the rickety wooden table was a beaten triangular locket on a fine chain. The chain was broken, but Callie--Cal--didn't care. She reached out tentatively and touched it. In his Manasight, Felix saw a bloom of white-gold Mana flare gently around the locket on the table as well as beneath Cal's gambeson. A sympathetic bond, Felix noted. Some sort of air Mana mixed with...a variation on life Mana?

Cal gently lifted the locket and cupped it delicately in her hands.

"Thank you. This--" She swallowed. "I didn't find it when I found Magda's body. She was torn up so badly that...I thought it had been lost."

"It was important to Magda that you get it back. I lived...somehow, and when I found out where you were I had to bring it to you," he said.

"Shit, look at me, all weepy." She laughed and wiped at her eyes with her wrist. "First bit a'good news I've had in months."

"I can't imagine it's been easy. With the Guild and everything," Felix offered.

"Ugh, blind gods, no. It hasn't," Cal growled and tucked the locket into a pouch at her waist. "Can't even access the Domain for training and harvesting. Those conniving bastards won't be happy til I'm dead or out of town. And with the Inquisition lockdown, the last ain't happenin' too soon."

"Damn," Felix said, scratching the back of his neck. "I was hoping you might let me tag along when you left. But if the Inquisition isn't letting people out..."

"Yeah, we're all screwed for now." Cal paused, pursing her lips and considering him a moment. "Your free to tag along if we make it out. You seem good in a fight."

"What about the Domain?"

"What about it?" Cal raised an eyebrow. "We can't get in. Like I said, we're pariahs from the Guild now, even Harn, Bronze Rank or no."

"What if I could get a way in?" Felix offered.

"Then I'd say you have some wild delusions, kid. But I'm listening." Cal leaned forward.

Felix bit his lip and shook his head. "It's more of a maybe, but...but first I have to tell you something. It's important and...we're gonna want Evie and Harn in here for this."