Unbound-Chapter Eight Hundred And Fifty Seven – 857

“Finally, we're alone." Felix held Vess closely, ignoring the arcanite armor that prodded at his chest.

"I would not call this alone, exactly," she said, her voice more than dry. Her one arm was wrapped around his upper back, while her other carried her glaive.

“I could get used to flying like this, though,” he said with a smile.

Vess laughed and her spectral wings sent them soaring through the air. Leaves beat at Felix's head and shoulders, but he ignored them. They were worth seeing her enjoy herself. His smile was undaunted even as they burst through the thick canopy of the Atlantes Anima—directly into the wild flight path of a hundred Hatchlings.

"Whoa!"

Felix twisted, narrowly avoiding the little Dragons as they zoomed by, in part because of his incredible reflexes, but mostly because all of them swarmed Vess.

A little bugling cheer erupted from the horde, each of them a pocket of brilliant Spirit that radiated joy and a frantic glee as they spotted the Dragoon. They bombarded her, slamming her into a tree branch that creaked ominously. Vess only laughed, reaching for as many as she could, hugging and scratching with wild abandon.

"All right, all right, get off of her," Yintarion shouted, flying down from above. His brilliantly colored scales glinted in the mystical light of hanging Spirit Fruits, which dotted the interior of the canopy like stars across the emerald black. “Took you both long enough to get here.”

“I was detained by my duties,” Vess said, struggling to stand under the press of Hatchlings.

“Same,” Felix added.

“Bah. At least the night time is good for the children. They’re very active once the sun goes down.”

The Dawn Drake looked like a sunrise captured within glinting scales, and his long, serpentine Body flexed as he walked, casting reflections across the leaves. His powerful claws anchored himself to the branch, and his diamond antlers glowed in the Fruit light. He used those antlers to nudge the Hatchlings away from his Companion, forcing them into the air once more before he swam up after them. Vess reignited her spectral wings and followed suit.

Felix found his footing further down the branch, watching them as they cavorted through the branches. Hatchlings chasing each other and Vess, their joy spilling out into a frantic racing through the twisting boughs of Atlantes' upper canopy.

A thick whoosh of air heralded Pit's arrival before he alighted on the thick branch beside Felix. The thing flexed, shifting beneath his weight, but neither of them said anything. They watched the erratic pathways of the Hatchlings.

"How juvenile,” he scoffed.

"Yes," Felix said in mock severity, "you'd never do that."

"Of course not.”

“You’re far too serious.”

“I am."

Felix rolled his eyes. "You ready to teach these silly children how to fly then?"

Pit cracked his neck. "Absolutely."

In moments they too were airborne, Felix astride Pit's broad back. Flying on channeled currents of air Mana, they blasted past the Hatchlings, nimbly avoiding their weaker frames as Pit bounded across branches and glided and swooped over patches of thick trefoil leaves. The flock of them lifted away from Vess, joining their procession and trailing after Pit.

Felix laughed. If tenku reminded him of puppies at a young age, then Hatchlings were definitely kittens. They flew with a floppy sort of grace, moving faster than they could handle, and yet their bones must have been made of rubber. The amount of times he watched them collide with branches and bounce off harmlessly was too great to be anything else.

Strangest of all, though, Felix noticed that every single Hatchling had grown. Unlike the ones in his Mind Skill, which were the size of songbirds, these were easily the size of a large dog. Same as Fafnir.

“Pit, didn’t Beef say Fafnir grew on entropic energy?”

“He did.” Pit twisted, bounding after a knot of bright-scaled Hatchlings that scattered in gleeful fear. “The swamps were full of it.”

Hmm. Fafnir had grown as a result of consuming a great deal of entropic energy, something she could only digest because of her connection to Beef. But the Hatchlings had been left alone, with only the Chanters and the Spirit Tree to keep an eye on them.

"Yin!" Felix shouted, and the Dawn Drake came up beside him. "How did they get so big?"

"I'm unsure. I've been testing them much of today, but their growth is unexpected."

“Unexpectedly good or bad?" Vess asked, flying alongside on her spectral wings.

"I suppose we'll see," the Dawn Drake said.

Over the course of the next hour, they attempted to train the Hatchlings. Despite their fondness for following Pit, they rarely maintained any semblance of formation, regardless of how much Vess and Yin commanded them. More often than not they fragmented into several groups, each rotating in dizzying packs, like enormous murmurating songbirds. If any of them dove into the fray to guide them, the Hatchlings would devolve into a wild chase, some running, some flying, while others wrestled across the trefoil leaves.

Like herding cats.

"Forward face! Fly!" Yin commanded, which only resulted in several of the jewel-bright Hatchlings unleashing their paltry flames on him. Yin roared, startling them into flight once more.

It became a game. Yin would chase them down while other Hatchlings would sneak behind him and douse his hide with their breath Skill. The effects varied—some splashed like water against his haunches, others like fire, while still more burned with acid or smashed into his scales in a stream of tiny rocks. None of them made a dent in Yin’s Health, but each attack drove the Dawn Drake to greater fury. This of course delighted the baby Dragons—even more so when Pit started laughing.

“Stop it, tenku!”

“What? It’s funny!”

Felix couldn't understand the little dragons, but they certainly could understand them, despite pretending not to. Having Pit’s approval drove them wild with glee, and their attacks grew more and more frequent. Vess chased after several, attempting to cajole them into following her instructions, but only a few ever listened to her, and then only for so long. They were very smart, not to mention fast, and with solid Endurances that kept them flying for the entire hour. Even as the second hour started, none looked to be flagging.

Pit and Felix stood to the side, watching the chaos as it unfolded. He considered, not for the first time, using Adamant Discord to snag every Hatchling around them and bring them back, but he worried that he could seriously harm the creatures. Not to mention, he was really enjoying himself. Pit, too, as his large Companion chuckled every time a group of Hatchlings sprayed their meager dragon breath on Yintarion.

"Enough!" Yin cried.

He sped through the air, cutting off Hatchling after Hatchling before he roared. From his jaws he unleashed a gleaming spray of his own, an ethereal fire that shone like light just peeking over the horizon. The Hatchlings fell, scrambling over one another as the fire surrounded them all in a perfect ring—until all ninety-nine of them huddled atop of a single branch. They stared up at Yin with expressions of nervous fear.

Vess clucked her tongue. "Yin, you didn't have to do that.”

"There was no other way. They must learn."

"What was that?" Pit asked.

"Dawnfire," Yin explained, pushing out his chest and tossing his mane. "It is nothing like it will be once I've evolved into a proper Dragon once more, but still quite strong."

"You didn't have that before.”

"No. I gained enough power to establish the Skill during the wild battle against the Stormwardens."

"Oh," Pit said, a bit quieter. "I suppose there was some good to come from that fight after all."

Felix tilted his head, his Perception catching something rapidly ascending the branches of the Spirit Tree. "More than a few things, I think. Your friend is here."

Pit's ears perked up just as Scylla burst through the canopy. Her white and russet plumage almost glowing in the light of the Spirit Fruits. As Yin and Vess wrangled the Hatchlings and began talking to them, Scylla landed beside Felix and Pit. She stared at them, and Felix did not imagine the pulse of anger that rippled through her Spirit before she quashed it.

"Good evening, Pit, Shaper of Chaos. And good evening, Emperor Nevarre." She bowed her head, then, after some hesitation, bent a single knee in a deeper genuflection.

"You don't have to do that," Felix said, hopping off of Pit's back. He reached out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Scylla."

The pale Tenku regarded his hand with a tilt of her head before she extended a paw. They shook.

"How have you found your stay in Elderthrone so far?" Felix asked.

"It has been…pleasant. Pit has been more than welcoming.”

“Good. Anything you’ve enjoyed the most?”

Her ears perked up. “The gardens down below are quite amazing. I find myself tempted by the bounty that your gardeners regularly harvest. Far greater than what my home manages."

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"Well, you can have whatever you like. I know we have plenty."

"That is…very kind of you," she said.

Even if Felix didn't have his Affinity unlocked, he still would have felt the tension between them. There was a faintly masked sense of dislike and distrust that textured Scylla's Spirit, rippling it with uneven chords that were just shy of hate. Felix could tell the thin layer of civility was an effort on her part, and he had no doubt it was for Pit's benefit, not his own.

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It made small talk quite awkward.

"Um," he said, clapping his hands. "I understand that Thalgrym is bringing the Guardian Beasts and others back through the Shadowgate. Is there anything we can provide—”

“To help us fight for you better?" she asked sharply. "No, we will be fine.”

Felix, what are you doing? Pit asked through their bond.

I'm not doing anything. She doesn't like me, bud.

I know, but can you, like, fix that?

Felix wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry. I can try, buddy, but all I can be is me. She needs to meet us halfway.

I was afraid you were going to say that.

Yin and Vess landed back near the two of them. The Hatchlings were sitting further up the branch, now quietly growling at one another.

Oh, thank God. "Vess. Yin. Is everything good with the Hatchlings?"

"More or less," Yin said, though his long tail lashed angrily. "It will take some time to instill a proper sense of discipline within them.”

“They are strong of Will," Vess added. "Quite literally, their Willpower is quite high compared to the rest of their stats, lagging behind only Agility. It is an enviable quality and will be a great benefit to their Skills—eventually.”

“So long as they live that long,” Yin added with a growl.

Scylla peered at the gathered Hatchlings. "Do they have many Skills?"

"Oh, hello again, Scylla,” Vess said with an easy smile. “They do have a few Skills. Their breath weapon, of course, the ability to fly, as well as some Skills for biting and clawing. The earth attuned Hatchlings even have a Skill to create rocky clubs with their tails."

Felix hummed to himself, thinking. "Is it normal for so many different attunements in a single hatching?”

Yin bobbed his giant head. "It is not uncommon, especially as their eggs were derived from multiple nests. There is a heavy preponderance of wind and metal attuned Hatchlings, likely due to the Little Dragoon's efforts in resurrecting them all. The rest are pretty evenly split amongst the common elements of the Green Wilds."

“Given time and training, they will be formidable Drakes,” Vess said proudly.

“A good deal of both will be required,” Yin growled. “But they will make fine Companions, if they choose that for themselves.”

"They’re certainly bigger than I expected, and their Skills are farther along too. Still, I don’t plan on having them join our efforts any time soon. You know this, right?”

"Of course. I would never put them in jeopardy, Felix. When I speak of Companions, it is a far off thing. These Hatchlings are my people's future."

"Yeah. Good." Felix said with relief he didn’t bother to hide. "I'm not about to put babies into a fight. They can stay here, under the protection of Atlantes, while we handle the worst of it. Maybe by the end, we’ll have made the Continent a lot safer for them to grow up."

A faint wafting of confusion and relief percolated from the pale Tenku behind Felix, but he tried to ignore it. He also tried not to be annoyed at how surprised she was for refusing to enlist children in a war.

A crimson-scaled Hatchling flew up from the group, fire puffing around its mouth. It landed at Yintarion's feet, tripping over its own tail before it righted itself with a gurgling snort. It growled and huffed at the Dawn Drake, and Yintarion answered back in a similar tongue.

"What's it asking?" Pit asked.

"He says he's hungry, and I told him that food will be coming soon," Yin said.

The little Hatchling stomped its feet adorably, fire spurting from its nostrils. Vess knelt down beside it.

"You are so big and strong,” she praised the Hatchling. “Is that why you’re hungry?”

It grunted and squealed at Vess, leaning into her caresses as it bumped her knee with its nubby horns. Vess, however, paled. She looked up at Yin, who had a frown fit to shatter iron.

"What's happening?" Felix asked, glancing between the two.

"What fruit are you talking about?" Vess demanded.

The Hatchling shied back, looking worriedly between the two of them, before growling out several syllables.

"Spirit Fruit," Yin said with dread. "They all ate Spirit Fruit. Burning skies!”

"Okay," Felix licked his lips. "We can cleanse them. I did it before for Pit. I just need to know where they ate them and when, so I can test the current growth. Chances are the Spirit Fruits have changed as the Atlantes has matured."

Vess clenched her jaw as she listened to the Hatchling speak. "He says it came from the far end of the tree, near the ‘star building,’ whatever that is."

My Shaper’s Sanctum.

In a moment he was airborne, though it was only a powerful leap upward. He passed through branches and leaves, pushing himself forward on hands and feet before alighting on the other side of his Spirit Tree. There, in the hollow of branches further down, he found his Shaper's Sanctum. It was beautiful and intricate, woven through the tree itself as if it were grown and riddled with star shapes cut into the stone and wood walls.

Glowing blue fruit hung all around it, smaller than the white varieties that filled Atlantes’ branches, yet brighter. Felix could feel them, like weights leaning against his chest, even from a distance.

Felix reached up to one, but did not even have to try his Unseen Beholder, for Atlantes offered no resistance.

Name: Nascent Fruit

Type: Food

Lore: Produced by the Atlantes Anima to strengthen the Green Wilds, these fruit contain the nascent power of its affinities as well as a measure of Essence, Mana, and significance.

The others landed behind him, they all gawked at the structure before lifting their gazes to the fruits that lit it up. Scylla batted at one that was lying on the ground, turning it carefully.

"They're powerful," Felix said. "They're packed with Essence, Mana, and significance."

"The Tree's significance?" Vess asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. "Atlantes! Why do these exist?"

A series of impressions rolled through him, filling Felix with the sound of creaking branches and images that were just shy of true language. He saw birds flying, each the color and substance of gemstones, and breathing flames as they grew larger and larger, until they were big enough to swarm around the Spirit Tree itself. The visions kept coming, the images expanding, pulling back until Felix could see multiple Spirit Trees, all sprouted around in an enormous circle, all of them protected by Dragons.

"You wanted to help them grow," he said aloud. "To have them protect the Grove." A rustling affirmation rolled through the branches around them. "Are you saying this is safe?"

The moment he asked the words, it was clear Atlantes did not truly understand Felix's meaning, so he reshaped his Intent. He projected images of the gem birds falling out of the sky, filled with poison, a wasting rot that tore up roots and withered trunks. He imagined the blue fruits, split open and filled with a black corruption. The Spirit Tree recoiled from those images, before a powerful sense of rejection flowed through Felix.

He loosed a heavy breath of relief. "Atlantes says they're safe.”

“Does a tree really know the difference?” Vess asked, her voice tight with fear.

“Well, only one way to be sure." Felix plucked a Nascent Fruit. Empyrean Embrace!

Ethereal jaws snapped around the fruit, and it was gone.

"What are you doing?" Scylla’s Spirit was equal parts panicked and surprised, far more so than anyone else. “What if the Tree is wrong?”

Felix stood there, frowning at his belly as he worked through the sensation of the Nascent Fruit. His core space swirled, the Fruit’s power passing through his Divine Tree and into his rotating cores. They snatched it up, immediately absorbing the power without consequence.

"It seems fine," he said at last. "I'll do some tests in the Alchemical Lab to be sure, but this is like a refined Spirit Fruit. All the issues with raw consumption seem to be gone…if you're a monster, anyway."

"Does that mean I can eat it?" Pit asked.

"No," everyone said, including Scylla.

“Boo!”

"Let me run tests on it first, Pit, but this could be a good thing. Atlantes developed this to provide protectors for him and the Grove I’ve established. If it goes well, maybe we can give this to the Hatchlings more often. The significance alone inside each fruit is decent, though I don’t love that it’s giving up its own power to make them.”

Just as he finished speaking, a fleet of images flickered through his Mind, pressed into him by the sound of creaking roots and breaking soil. He was aware of roaming creatures, varied in size, aggression, and Tier—he saw them perish, struck by dark brown roots.

Felix shook off the images. “You attacked monsters?"

“It can do that?” Scylla asked, shying away from a few dangling branches.

Atlantes creaked, the feeling of sunshine on warm leaves passing through Felix. The Tree was as proud of this feat as he was of the fruits themselves.

"Well, I guess I know where the significance was coming from. Not from Atlantes, but monsters it killed. I gotta talk to Paxus about this.” First, the spearing roots of Altissima, and now this?

Pit chirruped and Yintarion nodded, clearly impressed. "Let us know what you find, as soon as you can."

"Of course.”

“In the meantime, let us return to training." Yin and Vess took off once again, flying back to the Hatchlings.

Scylla, however, cleared her throat. "I should return."

"Oh, of course," Pit said. "I'll fly you to your room."

"No, Pit, I mean, I should return to Sunara. Thalgrym and the others could use my help. No doubt the logistics of his compromise are holding him longer than they should."

"Pit mentioned what Thalgrym wanted to do,” Felix said, tapping his lips. “If you like, I can send one of my Legionnaire Captains along with you, and they can guide the Manaships across Sunara and then Pax’Vrell to reach Amaranth by a faster route.”

The pale tenku narrowed her eyes. “That route is circuitous at best and would only waste more time.”

“No it wouldn’t. I have a Skill that—the specifics don’t really matter. The captain can act as my Exemplar, using the Dark Passages to shorten the length of your journey by weeks.”

“Can the Dark Passages handle one Manaship, let alone several?" Pit asked.

"Void Nexus has changed them for the better." Felix nodded. "They'll handle a few ships."

"Um," Scylla clearly didn't know how to respond. "I am overwhelmed by that offer. It would solve many of the issues holding up the Chimera and Guardian Beasts, and it would allow my people to feel as if they could be of use in this fight to retrieve our princess. If you are sure—"

Felix inclined his head. “Of course. I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”

Scylla smiled. "Then yes, I will happily accept your offer on behalf of my people. I'll head back now and let Thalgrym know immediately."

She bowed, and this time she bent her knee until her beak touched the bark of the branch beneath them.

“I’ll have the captain meet you at the Shadowgate in half a glass.”

“Very well. Thank you.” She spread her wings and flew off.

Pit, at his side, gave a cheerful chirrup. "I think she likes you now!"

"I hope so, buddy. But I didn't do that so she would like me. We could use the Manaships."

"That's what she said," Pit clacked his beak. "Are you worried?"

"I'm always worried, buddy. But we'll make it work. Go. I'll let Karys know you're coming and to send a Legionnaire down.”

With a final squawk, Pit flew off, catching up to the pale Tenku and leading her back down to the Shadowgate below.