Unbound-Chapter Eight Hundred And Forty Nine – 849

Gabby adjusted herself on the stone perch she had found. It was dry, and cleaner than she expected. With a sigh that gouged out the bottom of her lungs, she lifted her face, catching a stray beam of sunlight that filtered down from far above. They had wandered close to the surface again, it seemed. Fled, in all honesty. After days of the stale, false light of Mana, the natural sunlight was a balm to her spirits.

The tunnels were wet and dark and smelled like the wrong end of the worst sort of monsters. She could do with a little light.

She shifted herself, trying to find a comfortable way to rest. The gash on her leg was healed but still sore to the touch, and her arm felt stapled on ever since it had been wrenched at the shoulder. Gabby was whole but not hale. Sitting at all felt like hell, but standing was worse—better, however, than the marathon of battle they’d only recently escaped.

The sewers beneath Amaranth were huge and labyrinthine. For every mile that the city ran, the hidden tunnels expanded for ten more, layered atop and through one another in patterns so arcane that Gabby doubted anyone had truly planned them out. They seemed to be built on top of one another over the years, integrated into ancient drainage systems from one civilization to the next.

The same was true in the city above, where some buildings stood upon foundations of sleek, carved stone she couldn’t identify, while others were hewn of wood and slathered with paint. She had often wondered at the age of Amaranth, even in her dullard days as Imara. The trainers that had helped her hone her Body to its current pinnacle were not the talkative type, however, unless those words were curses of “encouragement.” Since regaining her Mind, she’d questioned servants and soldiers as often as she could risk it, but most didn’t even know how to read let alone anything about history.

Gabby feared asking the Hierophant anything and the woman was as stoic as any soldier she’d ever met—the same was not true of Hierei Quist, however. When the two of them headed off into the sewers, and before she’d headed off with her own forces, the priest had taken the time to “educate the brute” as she had put it, informing Gabby of a number of details about the tunnels beneath Amaranth. Most were used for waste, but far more were used for runoff.

She paused, a piece of cheese lifted halfway to her mouth. Her muscles tensed and her blood surged in her veins as the rush of water gurgled through nearby pipes. Despite her powerful Perception, she had no clue which direction it originated, only the danger it represented. Only when it faded away did her muscles loosen and the sweat beaded on her brow.

Amaranth was at one of the lowest points in the Territory, meeting around with rivers moving close by, and was prone to flooding. Much of the tunnel's additional lengths were created to prevent the streets from being awash. It had rained twice in the few days they'd been down in the dark, and the tunnels filled up faster than most could blink.

She popped the cheese in her mouth and chewed. In the near distance, she could hear low voices. If she focused, she could pick out their words, but Gabby had no desire to do so. The Paladins and Inquisitors rarely had anything interesting to overhear—mostly crude jokes and complaints. She led a battalion of Paladins and Inquisitors, and all of them were just as battered and bruised as she was. She had made sure of that.

Their mission to find the Lizard Unbound and bring him back to the Hierophant was unfulfilled. Gabby smiled, her grin sharpening as a couple Paladins swore loud enough to understand. She wasn’t particularly disappointed in their failures so far, but the Orders were infuriated.

Not at her, of course. She was still the Chosen of the Pathless, dead god notwithstanding.

After Quist had left, Gabby's need to hold up the facade of devout Vessel had faded considerably. Now, separated into her own small tunnel to rest, she let it drop entirely. She was exhausted, covered in filth, and without her target. After days of hunting, all she desired now was to sleep.

A Failure And Yet You Dare To Rest?

A powerful fear bolted through Gabby’s spine, and a blade of golden light manifested in her hands. When the shadow detached from the wall, however, she dropped it.

The Skill would do her no good against a god.

For a moment, the shadow remained just that…until power coiled within it. The dark quickened, its slick substance gaining mass until it ballooned beneath the sliver of distant sunlight. A creature pressed from the wall, more of its being slipping through the cracks as it formed into something that resembled a coiled worm covered in thorns.

“Noctis,” she said, forcing herself to calm. “You honor me with your presence."

You Remain Empty-Handed, Child. Its slick flesh parted, its face collapsing into a deep unending hole where its features should be. It was there that the curt voice emanated, echoing out of that eldritch depth. Where Is The Lizard?

Forcing nonchalance, Gabby took a swig of her waterskin. It was warm and tasted like leather, but it was a sweet relief regardless. "Got away.”

The shadow regarded her, twisting slightly in ways that were unnerving to think too much about. Do You Recall Our Agreement, Little Unbound?

Gabby stilled, waterskin frozen halfway to her mouth. "How could I forget?"

Your Fate Is Bound To Ours. Why Do You Waste Time?

"I'm not wasting—" Gabby set the waterskin down. "The Lizard is far more slippery than we expected. Even with these soldiers, we were all injured in our last encounter. Catching the guy in the first place has been almost impossible in this maze, and when we do, he’s ready for us.”

I Do Not Want To Hear Your Excuses. We Must Have Him.

Gabby ground her teeth. She was telling the truth. Finding the Lizard had been a chore and a half, and it all started over again whenever he escaped. The Unbound maneuvered through the sewers like he was born there—the guy knew every nook and cranny to hide.

“You all asked me to hunt him down.” Gabby shook her head. The Lizard was strong as hell, and he wielded his swords like a demon. “I’m working on it.”

If it were up to her, she'd never complete the gods' plan. The agreement that bound her, however, forced her compliance. If she didn't, bad things would happen. She touched her neck. There was no scar—her flesh had healed perfectly—but the memory remained strong.

We Are Not Fools, Child. We Know The Hierophant Schemes Behind Our Backs. If You Think Delaying The Lizard’s Capture Will Serve Ocalla Marzul—

"Serve her? I’m just trying to stay alive.” Gabby barked a short, bitter laugh. “I’m not here for anyone but me.”

Noctis tilted her head, as if considering words Gabby hadn’t spoken.

“You give me so little power," Gabby said quickly, hoping to override whatever was going on behind the goddess’ empty face. "Yet you expect me to face another Unbound that has had struggle and opportunity forced on him. The Pathless at least granted me a portion of his Divine might.”

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You Are Unfit For Our Power.

“So you’ve said.” Gabby clenched her jaw before shaking her head, as if disappointed. “The Lizard isn't like the Gnome. The guy was afraid and weak. He's more like Felix. Driven and far stronger than he should be."

Acting is level 138!

The shadow jerked at the mention of her brother’s name, just as she’d hoped. Noctis' Spirit, normally so vast and incomprehensible, narrowed to a point before it rippled in agitation. The Boy Who Would Be King.

It was hatred, Gabby recognized. Anger too. She made a careful note of both. "Does he still cause you problems?"

Nothing You Mortals Attempt Is A Problem For The Divine, Child. Time, After All, Is On Our Side.

Then why rush to find the Lizard? Gabby didn't understand the gods or their motivations aside from wanting to be free. They claimed to be above mortal concerns and mortal fears, but then turned around and demanded tasks be completed quickly. They're on a timetable. I just can't figure out why.

She decided to try a new tack.

"If you want me to succeed—and since you can’t give me more power—you need to keep Yyero's Plaguerats from getting in our way. They're as much a danger as the Lizard's tricks."

The shadows swirled and the goddess’ Spirit veiled itself once more. Yyero Has A Mission All His Own.

"And what's that?"

The Business Of The Divine.

Gabby pursed her lips. She was fairly certain that Noctis didn't know what Yyero was up to either, but aside from a few instances where her control slipped, the goddess was incredibly hard to read. Just keep her talking. Figure it out.

"His beasts are crowding the tunnels," she said. "There are places I can barely wade through, it's so tight. Meanwhile, the Lizard seems to know these sewers like the back of his hand. If the plague rats could work with us, that's another thing entirely. Or perhaps you could send some of your shadowbeasts down here to aid us."

I Cannot.

"What's the difference between Yyero sending his plague rats around and you sending more of these?" She gestured to the shadow before her.

Even without a face, somehow Noctis sneered. It Is An Expression Of Power Within The Laws That Bind Us All…Too Complicated For A Mortal Mind To Grasp, Let Alone Yours, Child.

Just Know That Once You Have Grasped This Lizard And Brought Him Into Our Custody, You Will Have Your Power.

“Why not now? You all promised me power for obedience. I’ve complied with your demands again and again, yet I’ve yet to see your end of the bargain fulfilled.

Only When We Have Secured The Flesh Will We Be Able To Truly Enact Our Will.

“A Vessel, you mean.” Gabby narrowed her eyes. “Why do you need a Vessel at all when you plan to shatter the chains that imprison you?"

Noctis chuckled. It was a dark, rich emotion that flowed over Gabby, nearly suffocating in its rhythms. It was the slow laugh of an indulgent parent speaking to a child too young to know the ways of the world.

All Power Comes With A Price. Laws Bind Us As A Consequence Of Our Ascension. Even Outside Our Prisons, We Are Limited In What We Can Do Without A Vessel Through Which We Can Enact Our Wills.

"What's this, then?" Gabby asked, pointing to the shadowbeast before her.

I Did Not Say We Are Helpless, Child. The Nym Once Assumed As Much, And They Paid For Their Ignorance With Blood. With A Proper Vessel, We Cannot Be Stopped. That Is Why We Have You.

"I'm not your Vessel," she said with a scowl.

Correct. You’re Broken. Your Long Acquaintance With Our Brother Has Tainted Your Spirit With His Light. You Are No Longer Suitable For Use.

“Then how are you going to keep your side of the bargain?”

Trust That We Will.

It took effort to keep from rolling her eyes.

In Gabby’s experience, the Divine couldn’t answer a straightforward question without a dozen prevarications and when they did…that was the time to start worrying. They didn’t lie, not typically, but they were masters of avoiding the truth. Unfortunately, save for rare instances, their Spirits were utterly unreadable. Too vast and eldritch to grasp, let alone make sense of, the gods could tell her the sky was green and she’d only spot the lie if she could see the horizon.

Instinct, however, insisted that she was being played.

"So you need all four of the Unbound to free yourselves," she said. "The Kobolds, the Sylphaen, and this Lizard.”

They Will Suffice. They Have Not Been Tainted As You Or Wretched Nevarre.

“Because he devoured Siva?"

And More. Noctis said, a growl emanating from the empty hole of her face. Not To Mention The Foul Abominations That Once Nearly Ended This World. Neither Of You Are Fit For Our Needs, But Fate Awaits You Both.

Her empty face pressed closer to Gabby's, and the light from above bent away from her form like water over oiled steel.

Yours Is To Serve, And His…Is To Die.

Gabby veiled her Spirit with all the affinity and intent she could muster while schooling her face to bland impassivity. "I…see. Let's say I manage to capture this Lizard without killing him. What happens when Felix comes for them? You saw what happened when Siva faced him down, and she was nearly at her full strength. What will the gods do then?"

Noctis went still, but her eldritch Spirit sharpened like the wedge of an axe a mile wide, poised above Gabby's neck. No Matter His Stolen Power, The Boy Will Die. He Cannot Face All Of Us.

The goddess's stolen face twitched, red liquid dripping down into the abyss that stared at her, at Gabby. What Will You Do, Child, When Nevarre Comes Knocking?

"I will serve.”

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Moving faster than she could track, Noctis slammed Gabby back into the wall. She cried out, her shoulder screaming in pain as claws of shadow flesh dug into them, but the sound was devoured by cloying darkness.

Will You?

"I will serve!" Gabby held her Spirit as closely as she could and harder than ever before. Those shadow claws dug into her flesh through armor and steel, and the wards that lined both. "I will serve!"

Acting is level 139!

Noctis twisted, filling up the circumference of the tunnel. Those claws pressed Gabby even harder as new limbs secured her arms and her neck, until she could barely breathe at all. You Would Do Well To Remember—

Noctis' empty face snapped to the side. To the west. Her shadow flesh trembled, and the grip she had on Gabby slackened.

No.

The word was a whisper, but it struck Gabby straight through her heart. She could feel something else too, echoing across the bargain she had made with the gods.

"What is that?"

All Hail Emperor Felix Nevarre, First Of His Name!

Let This Be The First Day Of The Empire Of The Fiend!

The notification was bold and too bright in the dark sewer, casting no light but still nearly blinding.

Felix. You're an emperor now?

Noctis' Spirit boiled. Its movements clearer than ever before as the goddess fought to master herself. Find The Lizard, she snapped. Or Our Bargain Is Rescinded.

She vanished, and the beast she inhabited was unmade, collapsing into foul ichor that drained away into the once dry tunnel. Gabby fell back, no longer supported by innumerable claws. She stared at the foul liquid that rolled down the inclined sewer. She had felt something from Noctis that startled her, even as it made her heart thud in anticipation.

Fear.

Gabby touched her neck before inspecting her fingertips. Blood smeared across them. Noctis was on edge, and that meant something about Felix's new empire spoiled their plans. Gabby paused, considering her options.

She could feel the echo of Noctis' departure, much as she had before. It was a path that blazed in her wake, but it was fading fast. Gabby chewed her lip. She needed more information in order to act, but it was a risk.

The worst they could do was kill her. Probably.

"Fuck it." She closed her eyes and followed after.