Unbound

Chapter Thirty One - 031

"Help them, mage," Harn pointed at the flippy girl and the mage, who was just getting to his feet. The shield warrior was helping to steady him, and Felix noticed an empty glass vial in her hand.

Healing potions? Maybe I can get some refills.

"What about you?"

The man cracked his neck, small overlapping plates allowing his weird helmet to flex. "I'll be keeping this one busy."

Felix nodded, checking his Mana.

He was still over 80%. More than enough, probably.

Felix started running toward the giant, moving as fast as he could. The lightly armored young woman was fighting alone at this point, the mage still orienting himself as he passed by at speed. The shield warrior and mage gave him a strange look, but Felix didn't bother with them yet.

"Magda! Let's do this!" Harn called, apparently to the shield warrior.

The giant was fighting in a section of the ruined city that had several remnant walls and columns. The agile fighter was weaving in and out of them, trying to stay one step ahead of the powerful creature.

Analyze

Health: 344/890

Stamina: 210/488

Mana: 15/75

Felix reached out a hand and formed shadow Mana, Fire Within on blast as he shaped the Mana internally. The twists of Shadow Whip were strange to him, not as complex as Stone Shaping perhaps, but weirder somehow. The Mana pattern felt sticky and pervasive, yet tightly compacted in a way that made him briefly dizzy. Shaking his head, he dropped his attempt and kept it simple. Once he was within range he activated the Skill as normal.

Shadow Whip!

A tendril of darkness latched outward, tangling up the giant's legs. It was like a spider web, tacky to the touch and shining dully in the moonlight.

The giant, who was running toward the young woman, stumbled and fell to its knees.

Shadow Whip is level 12!

At the same time, the young woman with black hair flung her chain around a column, tightening it and somehow slingshotting herself around it, throwing her up in to the air above the giant. The chain unraveled, pulling back into her grip as she fell like a rock onto the giant's back. The chain, which he now noticed was definitely bladed, looped around their head with a quick flick of her arm, and Felix saw her grin.

It was a manic, irrepressibly gleeful sort of grin.

Then he was at the giant himself, who reared back, suddenly leashed by the small woman on his back and shoulders. Taking the opening, Felix wound up a Corrosive Strike, blasting the Risi Warrior right in the gut. The armor dented and the giant doubled over even as the woman on its back started choking it.

The giant slammed it's hands around, smashing into the ground and throwing Felix off into a wall. The wall cracked and the ice on it sheared off in large sections.

Armored Skin is level 15!

+1 VIT

"Uugh." His Health and Stamina were both down below 60%.

Wobbling, he got back up.

The chain fighter was hanging off the giant's back, who was now on its feet and smashing blindly into ruined pillars.

Felix ran back in, this time directing dual Acid Streams at the blue skinned warrior. His acid ate into its exposed flesh, burning it with an audible sizzling.

"UGH! That smells terrible!" The warrior gagged and did a running leap over a ruined wall, yanked her chains backwards with her. Using the wall as a fulcrum, the giant was leveraged back as it flailed his arms at the chain tightening around its neck.

Felix dropped his Acid Stream and darted forward, throwing Corrosive Strikes as fast as he could into the giant's center mass. After the fifth shot, its breastplate fell apart. It swung at him, but it was simple enough to dodge back, then close again. Three more strikes and he could feel its rips crack After the twelfth shot the giant's eyes rolled back into its head and it collapsed.

Corrosive Strike is level 16!

Corrosive Strike is level 17!

Corrosive Strike is level 18!

Physical Conditioning is level 19!

The chains suddenly tightened and cut into the Risi Warrior's neck, half decapitating the monstrous giant.

A Risi Warrior is dead!

XP Earned!

"Not a fan of that," Felix blanched as he saw clearly into the creature's ruined neck meat. A leather clad blur flipped up and over the wall, landing in a perfect gymnastic dismount next to him. She turned to him, pulling her hair out of her face.

"Hi! I'm Evie!" She beamed, her rounded face appearing younger than he suspected. The girl flicked her forearm and her spiked chain unraveled from the corpse, a second flick wrapped it back around her own arm. She had pale skin, green eyes, and straight black hair that hung from a convoluted braid around the crown of her head. "Who are you?"

"Evie! Your help, if you please!" Vessilia's proper voice shouted out from nearby.

Felix looked at Evie and shrugged. "Time to go, I guess."

He headed toward the voice. Evie followed after.

"It's just so weird to see someone out here! How long have you been fighting these things?"

"Uh," Felix ducked under a low column. "Like a half hour?"

"Ahh!"

Vessilia landed before them, holding the mage in her arms, who was covered in a layer of frost. The slender mage pushed Vessilia away from him.

"Enough! I'm not a child!"

"You need to stay back here," Vessilia said, looking back toward the cloud of smoke and debris she had just escaped. She had found a spear somewhere, eight foot long and entirely made of metal. "That leader is extremely powerful. Not even you could take it alone, Ser Nevarre."

Felix felt their eyes orient on him, but he was too busy trying to pierce through the smoke cloud. Silvery sparks and flashes of purple white Mana flared and faded, and he could clearly hear the sounds of at least...three people moving and grunting in combat.

"Damn this fog! I can barely see my feet, let alone the giants. How many are there?" Atar's hand lit on fire as he raised it up, as if it was a torch. "It sounds like an army!" Felix looked at him, askance.

Fog? He looked around. What fog?

"Put that out! You'll draw their attention!" Evie snapped.

"No need to worry about that," Felix said, refocusing on the dust cloud. It was like watching a cartoon fight; he could only occasionally catch glimpses of the white axe or metal bodies. "There's only one left." He nodded toward the cloud.

Do I just...wait here? Those two seem extremely capable. Felix mulled it over and shook his head. There was no point in risking his life here...

"How do you know there is only one left?" Evie asked him. Felix started, not realizing she had gotten so close.

"Hm? Oh, I don't see any others? Plus, there was only four on the field when we arrived. Your shield warrior killed one of them, murderb--Harn killed another, and you and I killed the last."

"Fah, you fool," scoffed the mage. "Four? There were at least a dozen attacking us! Each of my Sparkbolts found unharmed targets with every cast!"

"I'm pretty sure your Sparkbolt wasn't doing much except annoying them, Sparky," Evie said with a smile.

The mage--Sparky? Was that really his name?--scowled. Ah, probably not.

"I am the best fire mage in all of Te'thys!" Sparky was apoplectic, a vein in his forehead pulsing against his mussed coif of blond curls.

Felix tuned them out as they continued to bicker. He flexed his Manasight, trying to watch the battle and see if he needed to run away or not. Those two seemed powerful, but if they got overwhelmed...no way was he handling an enemy like that alone.

Crescents of glowing purple-white light flashed and slashed across his senses, followed quickly by muted yellow orbs of light and silvery shimmers of metal. The attacks and defense and retaliations came thick and fast, with a Skill he likely couldn't match by a long shot.

They must be above Apprentice Tier, right? Whats that called? What kind of bonuses

There was an immense flash of purple white and the dust was blown away. Moments later, an arctic gale roared past them, frost growing in its wake. Felix crouched forward, feeling it sap his strength as he leaned into the subzero wind, barely able to keep his feet. The others werent so lucky.

Waagh! Metal clatter behind him and Felix turned to see Evie and Vessilia both falling back. The mage however, still coated in frost, suddenly ignited in a layer of orange flame. As if given new strength, he stood up against the gale and spread his arms wide. An aura of heat bloomed around him, nullifying the chill winds.

You cant...defeat...Atar Vas! The mage struggled as the winds grew briefly stronger, his flames guttering but still burning.

Then just as suddenly as it began, it was over.

Felix looked back toward the fight, expecting to see a slain giant, but only saw a metallic shape fast approaching.

"Down!"

Felix tackled the still burning mage and brought him down to the ground. Just in time; the massive shape of Harn rocketed past, shattering several stone walls as he blasted through. The fire covering the mage burned him mercilessly for only a moment before it extinguished.

Fire Resistance is level 14!

Felix stood up, pulling the surprisingly thin mage to his feet as well. You okay, man?

The fire mage seemed a little punch drunk, his burning man routine and knockdown taking a lot out of him. I-Im fine.

We need to get out of here. That thing is too strong, Felix said as the two women stood up as well. Their armor was rimed with frost.

Maggie can handle it, Evie said, her tone confident though her voice still unsteady. That frost had been nasty. Some sort of Stamina sapping Skill?

Is Harn alright? Vessilia asked, steadying herself on her spear. Ice cracked and broke off her pauldrons as she moved. I cannot see where he landed.

Felix glanced back, clearly seeing the armored warrior rising from the rubble a mere sixty feet away. Ice had accumulated on his armor too, much more than a thin layer. Felix looked at Vessilia, who was still squinting in the slightly wrong direction.

Can they not see? I thought it was some sort of sight Skill but maybe...maybe something is blocking

ROAR!

The sound was deep and sharp, as if a cave had teeth. Felix whipped back toward the fight and saw the shield warrior barely keeping the monstrous leader in check. The giant was easily twice the size of the others, with the Strength that came with it. She used her shields masterfully, somehow deflecting attacks and taking blows that would have reduced his bones to dust. She wasnt particularly fast, but damn she was precise. And tough.

Her Endurance and Vitality must be sky high to tank that kind of assault. I want to help but Id get creamed if I waded in there...

Hey, punch mage, a gruff voice came from behind. Harn had walked up, ice still falling from his strange armor. He pointed at the fight. You comin?

Punch mage? Felix asked. Makes me sound like a concessions magician. Uh you need my help?

The murderbot glared at him, at least it felt like that to Felix. Cmon. Now.

Harn walked past them, thick ice still coating much of his armor. Felix glanced at Vessilia and followed.

Where in Sivas name did you find him? Evie whispered.

Felix didnt hear the reply, not that he couldnt. His Perception was high enough that it would have been easy. But it was embarrassing, he found, hearing others talk about him. He walked swiftly away.

How long?

Sorry? Felix asked.

How long have you been fighting out here? Harn kept walking, not even looking at him.

Two weeks or so, Felix estimated. Hed lost time under the mountain, he wasnt sure how much.

Ever fight something like this? The massive giant jumped onto the shield warriors glowing magic shield, causing it to flare with power. The jump actually brought it into Felixs Analyze range, finally.

Name: Unknown Risi Commander

Type: Giantfolk

Level: 35

HP: ????/????

SP: ????/????

MP: ???/???

Lore: Giantfolk are known for their great strength, boundless stamina, and poor intelligence. But there are always exceptions. The Commanders are uncommonly intelligent and excellent tacticians, in addition to their physical might.

Strength: Strength, Endurance

Weakness: Unknown

Uh, Felix gulped. No. Sorta. Does a giant weasel count?

Hoarse laughter echoed from Harns frog mouthed helmet. "You've got more ranged spells than that lightning one?"

Lightning? Oh, he means Reign of Vellus. "Yeah, a couple."

He nodded, raising his twin axes. When had he gotten those out again? "I'll go in here, cover my approach."

"Wait, how--"

Harn took off, kicking the ground and launching himself forward.

He's pretty fast. Was it his Strength or Agility that did that? Felix mused, but as the armored man approached, the Risi Commander spun away from its assault. It swung it's massive ice axe as it did and a sudden flurry of icicles filled the sky, launching in the path of its strike.

Reign of Vellus!

Felix had no intention of moving all of those icicles, some of which were the size of his entire body. Instead, he altered the pattern of the spell and focused on the narrow corridor containing Harn and himself. A spike of pain lanced across his head as azure lightning sparked and jumped between frosty spears as several dozen were acted on all at once. Felix strained, sweat beading on his brow, the icicles speeding toward Harn first and Felix second.

"YRRRRAAGH!" Felix screamed, blood pouring down his nose as his Mana drained. A storm of lightning erupted all around him, and the icicles shifted slightly to either side of both Harn and himself. Icy spears struck the ground all around him like bullets. Their impact shook the earth, splintering the stone itself and cleaving into the ruins all around him.

Fire Within is level 27!

Reign of Vellus is level 26!

"Gah!" Felix panted, gulping big breaths as a headache mounted behind his eyes. That one had drained him. His Mana was down to less than 30%, but if he used it properly it'd be enough. He hoped.

Meanwhile, Harn kept running. The metal bastard never stopped, turned out. Whether that was because he had faith in himself or Felix was uncertain, though Felix was sure it was the former. The axe warrior kept leaping powerfully forward, the earth splintering beneath his feet, his body low and weapons extended to either side. The shield warrior, Magda, suddenly dropped the yellow-colored magic shield she had been maintaining all this time and rushed forward. Somehow, Felix couldn't tell how exactly, Magda shield bashed the Risi Commander from a dozen feet away, throwing the massive blue bastard onto its backfoot.

Harn kept running, drawing closer and closer.

The giant wasn't a fool, though; with a roar it slammed it's immense ice axe down into the ground and a twenty foot wall of ice spikes erupted from the pitted causeway. It instantly cut Harn off from the battle between Magda and the Commander. Felix could hear the sound of repeated impact from the other side.

Shit. Can that lady survive long enough for Harn to get over this wall? The warrior had started violently attacking the wall with his axes, but aside from a slew of ice chips, the wall seemed unharmed. Can't lift him, but maybe...

Stone Shaping!

Altering his Mana flow in the pattern he'd previously discovered, Felix was able to keep the spell more efficient. But he needed speed too; so Felix dumped nearly 100 Mana into the spell and pushed.

From beneath a startled Harn, a rounded stone ramp exploded forward at an angle, shearing through the top portion of the ice wall. Harn rode atop it, wobbling as he kept his balance, but by the time it stopped growing he was already running up its length. At the top, he vaulted over the last ice spikes and landed somewhere beyond the wall with a deafening BOOM.

Felix ran forward, unable to see any of the action. As amazing as spellcasting was, he couldn't do anything if he couldn't see anything. He awkwardly navigated up the rough stone ramp, stopping just shy of tumbling off the edge. Beyond he could see the massive giant, currently in a fierce altercation with Magda and Harn. In fact, Harn was trading serious blows with the Risi Commander, coming away from them the worse for wear.

"Step back!" Magda shouted, throwing several fist sized stones at the giant. They each exploded on contact, sending a sharp rain of shrapnel in all directions. Harn and Magda covered their faces and the giant commander flinched back, but then it returned to swinging its axe.

Felix had an idea. He waved frantically at the shield warrior until she looked up at him. She seemed surprised to see someone else there at all. Felix exaggeratedly pantomimed looking at the ground beneath her. She glanced down, and Felix began to cast.

All around Magda, the ground erupted into irregularly shaped columns, each four to five feet tall and six inches in diameter at least. Shaping the stone at such a distance was painful, and it ate away at the majority of his Mana pool, leaving him with barely 5%. Felix's nose started bleeding again, the coppery taste creeping into his mouth. He gave a tired thumbs up to the shield warrior, and sat down.

Stone Shaping is level 24!

Magda hesitated a moment, before snapping off the nearest column and throwing it, javelin style, straight at the giant.

"Stone Break!"

The five foot stone exploded, littering the Risi Commander's back with lacerations. It snarled in pain, half turning from Harn who was assaulting it form the front. That was a mistake. The heavily armored warrior exploded with ferocity, swinging his axes like a machine of death, drawing gouts of thick blue blood with each strike.

"RAAAAAAARGH! AKTA RA FOLUU!" The Risi screamed, its white beard dyed blue as it literally spat blood.

Harn roared back, spinning like a whirling dervish, driving the giant backwards even as two more stone spears exploded at its back. The giant threw itself into a forward roll, smashing violently against the earth and nearly pancaking Harn. It recovered, spinning on the two warriors and brandishing it's immense greataxe.

"Korta jav riktanu, tor atta!" The Risi Commander growled, its voice so deep Felix could feel it in his chest. A haze of purple white began to gather on the icy greataxe it wielded, congealing around it like stormclouds of Mana. Felix glanced at the others but they only stared down their opponent, using the moment to rest.

"Hey Harn," Magda spoke as she rolled her shoulders.

"Yeah, Maggie?"

"Do you speak asshole?" She asked. The Risi snarled, hands tightening on the shaft of its weapon with an audible creak.

"No, can't say that I do," Harn replied lazily.

Magda grinned, her teeth very white and perfectly straight. "Good. I'd hate for anyone to say we didn't try." The two of them advanced as one, rushing across the cracked causeway.