Unbound

Chapter Seventeen - 017

Felix rolled to his feet, small cuts all over his arms and face from another exploding stone pillar.

GWAAAARRH!

What could only be described as a gorilla mixed with a rhinoceros charged at him as it screamed. Dusty brown Mana surged around the apes arms and legs as the ground rumbled. Felix threw himself to the side as a blocky pillar of stone speared out of the forest floor.

Would you QUIT IT? Felix spit, picking himself off the ground. Again.

Felix was exhausted, this battle had gone on too long. He was covered in wounds and his Stamina was dangerously low. Thankfully, the Irontooth Ape was also on the ropes.

Name: Irontooth Ape

Type: Chimera

Level: 20

HP: 120/545

SP: 151/324

MP: 5/21

Lore: A wildly aggressive chimera born of the earth. Do not taunt.

Strength: Strength and Endurance

Weakness: Agility

Well. On the ropes was subjective. It still had plenty of juice left to clobber Felix.

If it weren't for Pit's preemptive attack against the wounded Ape, it would have passed them by. But the little Tenku got aggressive. They had been fighting out in the forest for the past three days, testing their mettle against a variety of small game. They had learned how to fight well together, but not, apparently, how to cool off. Even now, Pit was snarling and hissing, flaring his small wings wider in an effort to appear menacing. The Ape turned toward Pit, clawing at the ground with a heavy paw.

"C'mon, Magilla!" Felix suddenly cried. He stood his ground and held his arms out wide. "Come and get me, you big stupid monkey!"

The Ape turned and screamed at him, blood pouring down its shoulders from several deep cuts Felix hadn't made. Something clearly had attacked this creature previously. It slammed the ground several times, making nearby trees shake. Then it charged.

The ground exploded into plumes of dark dirt and small stones, and the Ape rushed at Felix like a train. Its weakness might have been Agility, but it had serious power. It was all he could do to brace and hold up his hands, turning his thoughts toward his Mana as he activated Tides of Vellus.

Felix had spent a lot of time working on this spell, casting it with varying levels of Mana to replicate his trick against the Orit. It was tough. Moving that much Mana and changing the flow of the Skill itself was a challenge, one that bucked against him. He had spammed it countless times against the lower level beasts that Pit would hunt down, slowly but surely raising it's level. All for this.

Crackling blue light blasted outward, focused in a cone to his left, tearing up earth and roots before catching on the heavy rocks and trees around him. Felix was thrown bodily to the right, the force picking him up into the air. The Ape kept charging, it's momentum too great to stop even as its prey zipped out of reach. The Ape hit the massive rock where Felix once stood, smashing into it with the sound of an avalanche.

Smaller boulders the size of Felix's head sheared and shattered onto the ground, thoroughly entombing the raging rhino-ape. Felix stood up, brushing himself off gently. The beast seemed quiet, perhaps dead. Focusing, Felix used his Manasight on the creature. Through the swirl of green and brown Mana that flowed over nearly everything in this forest, he couldn't make out the Ape's signature earth magic.

"Huh," he breathed, still out of breath. "Wasn't expecting that. Good." At best, Felix had figured the Irontooth Ape would gravely injure itself against the rock, or at worst, smash right through it. He looked at Pit. "I barely had anything left--"

A surge of dusty brown Mana assaulted his senses, and Felix jumped backwards, just in time to avoid another earthspike as the Irontooth Ape exploded up out of the earth itself. It snarled and thrust a hand forward at him.

"AH!" Felix screamed, forced to jump repeatedly as the earthspikes erupted wherever he landed. "Bad monkey!"

Felix held out a hand and pumped a full blast Acid Stream into the Ape. Sizzling flesh splatted as the viscous green liquid sprayed onto it, and the Ape cried out pain. Felix poured everything he had left into the blow, the stream a torrent as it pummeled the beleaguered beast, pushing it back onto all fours.

With a final grunt, the Irontooth Ape fell to the ground. Dead, at last.

Dodge is level 15!

Pain Resistance is level 15!

Meditation is level 19!

Running is level 14!

Long Blade Mastery is level 6!

Acid Stream is level 15!

Tides of Vellus is level 11!

Manasight is level 10!

+2 STR

+2 INT

+1 VIT

+5 END

+1 AGL

You Have Gained A Level!

You are now Level 13!

+3 to WIL! +2 to INT! +4 to DEX! +1 to END! +2 to PER! +2 to VIT! +4 to AGL!

You Have 5 Unused Stat Points!

Your Companion, Pit Has Gained A Level!

+2 VIT! +2 PER! +4 AGL! +4 DEX! +3 WIL! +1 END! +2 INT!

You Have Earned A Title!

Work Horse (Rare)!

You have pushed your body to the limit, drawing every measure of Stamina until you collapsed. Then you did it again. +4 END, STR, +3 VIT

Felix collapsed onto the ground, drained. Pit flopped down next to him, blood coating his normally lustrous fur. Felix stretched out a hand and scratched him under the chin, too tired to move more than that.

"You see," he panted. "You see what...you got...us into?"

Pit yipped at him, excited. Then he started to lick the blood off his feathers. Felix rolled his eyes.

He had gotten the hang of Meditating and fighting, but it still wasn't as effective as when he was at rest, so long drawn out battles like this were not in his favor. He was beat, bleeding, and sore all over.

But, he had to admit, his Skills were getting serious workouts.

Skills:

Resistances: Acid Resistance (C), Level 13; Pain Resistance (U), Level 15; Poison Resistance (U), Level 17

Utility: Analyze (C), Level 17; Improvisation (C), Level 4; Running (C), Level 14; Stealth (C), Level 11; Swimming (C), Level 3; Tracking (C), Level 11; Breath Control (U), Level 8; Companion Pact (U), Level 5; Dual Casting (U), Level 9; Free Climbing (U), Level 12; Exploration (U), Level 9; Herbalism (U), Level 14; Meditation (U), Level 19; Manasight (U), Level 10; Lessons of the Past (R), Level 6; Physical Conditioning (R), Level 14

Combat: Dodge (C), Level 15; Long Blade Mastery (C), Level 6; Small Blade Mastery (C), Level 7; Staff Mastery (C), Level 1; Thrown Weapons Mastery (C), Level 9; Unarmed Mastery (C), Level 3; Acrobatics (U), Level 14

Spells: Acid Stream (R), Level 15; Fire Within (R), Level 14; Influence of the Wisp (R), Level 9; Tides of Vellus (R), Level 11

In just three days he had upped many of his Skills, some nearly into the 20s. This battle alone pushed up so many Skills, and provided some much needed stat bumps. It was a fine line to walk, fighting harder and harder battles to push himself without going so far that he died. It was effective, on that he couldn't argue, and not only for him.

Felix brought up Pit's status screen.

Name:

Pit (Companion)

Level:

4

Race:

Chimera - Tenku (+2 VIT, PER, +4 AGL, DEX, +3 WIL, +1 END, +2 INT per Level)

Health:

43/70

Stamina:

10/50

Mana:

28/83

???:

???

STR:

4

PER:

21

VIT:

14

END:

10

INT:

16

WIL:

15

AGL:

44

DEX:

26

Skills:

Bite (C), Level 8

Rake (C), Level 7

Cry (R), Level 9

Skulk (C), Level 18

Companion Pact (U), Level 5

There has to be a way to increase Pit's base stats. His Agility is extremely high, but his Strength is abysmal. Companions don't seem able to gain Titles. Maybe if Companion Pact gained more levels, it'd provide something?

He had already leveled Companion Pact to 5, and aside from a sense of accomplishment, he hadn't noticed any differences in the Skill. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure what it did. He brought up the Skill description.

Companion Pact (Uncommon) Level 5

You have formed a pact with a denizen of the Foglands. Increasing Skill Level and Affinity will net larger gains from the pact, for both you and your Companion.

What's Affinity? He checked his status again, but there was no entry for Affinity. Based on the wording, it would indicate some sort of compatibility between him and his Tenku friend. How it measured that was anyone's guess.

"Another question for the list," Felix sighed, pulling out the Henaari's old journal. While filled with various notes and observations from the explorer's journeys, it was written in a language Felix couldn't decipher. It was also little more than a quarter full. Plenty of space for Felix's own notes. Using a thick grease pencil from the Henaari's pack, he had filled up several pages with all of the questions he planned to ask someone once he got out of this dang forest. He jotted down "Affinity - What is it?" onto the page.

Felix looked down at the notebook, seeing the breadth of his ignorance and felt a tightness in his chest. This place was trying to kill him. Every day he fought against creatures that wanted to eat him, and every day he made it out alive, but it was so hard. He never knew where he was going, only that he couldn't stop. If he stopped, he would die.

Breathe.

Pit nudged his hand, raven-like head pushing into his palm. Felix smiled and started scratching at the side of his neck. It didn't matter. He'd get through it. He had to.

He still hadn't made any further progress on his three quests. Felix's newest quest was a big question mark; he had no idea where to find more Blood Remnants. His Apprentice quest was...well he hadn't hit Apprentice in any of his spells, though he didn't really know what that meant. He assumed it was a certain level threshold, but what if it meant he had to apprentice himself to a wizard or something? Meanwhile, the Home Sweet Home quest had 1 of 5 eliminated, but he had yet to run into anything else the quest considered to be a "threat," though Felix disagreed. The Irontooth Ape was a gnarly opponent, and clearly a threat to Felix's well-being, if nothing else.

Felix sniffed. A scent like burning offal and hair had begun to fill the air. "Dang, I'm taking too long."

Groaning with exhaustion, Felix stumbled to his feet. His Health and Stamina were barely at 25%, but he had to move before the Ape's corpse disappeared. Already parts of it were turning to a greasy sort of smoke, the flesh rapidly disappearing. Felix walked over to the corpse and put his finger in the creature's blood, pulling back a red soaked hand.

He had attempted to activate Lessons of the Past and his Gourmand Title multiple times the past three days, trying it with various bugs and small animals that they had hunted down for meat and experience. It hadn't worked at all, though he'd gained levels in Lessons of the Past despite the failures. And while the meat part was questionable, the experience certainly racked up.

Regardless, he had to try again. His gains from Lessons of the Past and Gourmand were too great to not attempt this whenever he could, though he stood by his decision to not eat the Orit's blood. That thing had been nasty.

Aware he was just stalling, Felix shoved his finger into his mouth.

And nothing happened.

"Dang," he looked down at Pit, who was eyeing the Ape corpse hungrily. "I guess you can--"

The world turned grey.

It was like a wave rolled out through the ground, the trees and leaves, even the air. Then a pulse of sickening vertigo upended his vision like a glass of marbles, his senses bouncing and scattering in all directions.

Even still, Felix burned.

You Have Gained A Memory From An Irontooth Ape!

Would You Like To Review It Now?

Yes/Yes

Felix could see the notification even though he couldn't even feel his legs. Couldn't see his legs either, or any of his body. Quickly, he selected the only option he had.

Reality swirled, like a waterfall spinning into a black hole. Like a tornado inside a teacup. Like nothing and everything he had ever seen.

Then he was somewhere else. Someone else.

Balfur was running, slamming his heavy fists and stout legs into the earth as he barreled through rugged terrain. Large monolithic stones rose up all around, surrounded by a pervasive fog, thick as soup. A scream sounded from his right, then cut off. Another one was taken. Balfur sped up, heart thudding in his chest, breath pumping like a bellows as he fled.

"Aktu et rakna!"

Voices from the fog, deep, powerful, cruel voices. Fear ran through him, fear like he had never felt. All his life, none were strong enough to challenge him. Now, he ran, bloody and broken.

Another few screams of his brothers and sisters, all cut pitifully short. They were coming. The blue skinned hunters. The giants had returned.

Minutes passed, but nothing had caught him yet. As he reached a rise, he risked a look back, toward home. Stone spires rose up out of the fog like small mountains, piercing the sky with their impossible, dangerous heights. His family had only kept to the bottom of those hollow mountains, preferring to keep steady earth beneath their feet. Now, he feared he'd never see them again; his home, or his family.

A guttural cry sounded, not far off. They were closing in.

Balfur turned, eyeing the dark cavern before him. He had no choice. If he were to survive this day, he must enter the Other's den. Snorting, he stepped within the cavern and turned around. He faced the fog drenched valley that had been his home all his life. Then, with a grunt of effort, called upon the Mother's Gift. She answered, and a dozen stone columns rose up and sealed off the cavern opening.

Only one way out, now.

Balfur trudged into the cave, taking dangerous paths long forbidden by his people. For hours he walked, smashing any blind creature that groped for him, and ultimately avoided the Other. How, he did not know, only that the Mother had given him her blessing. For eventually, he saw the light of day shining upon another forest, thick fog swirling just like home. Balfur trudged through the wood, seeking a new home, somewhere it could recover from its many wounds.

A yipping growl caught his attention, and then a small winged shadow attacked Balfur, raking at him with tiny claws. The thing's attack caught the edges of a wound, tearing it further.

Balfur roared in anger and pain. Rage boiled in his blood, and the Mother's Gift answered.

This time he would fight!

The darkness lifted suddenly, and Felix gasped a desperate breath. He tripped and fell backwards, sitting down hard on the packed earth.

That was intense. Felix looked down at his hands, marveling at his human skin and clothing. Just like the grub. I felt like I was the ape. But this one was...Felix looked up at the Irontooth Ape's corpse, which had almost completely dissolved. It had been intelligent, sapient even. He had killed it in self-defense, but still...

Felix stood up and approached the remains. He knelt down by it's head, its expression gone soft in death. "I am sorry, Balfur. I wish..." Felix looked up, sniffing and seeing the trees dance in the afternoon wind. "I wish it could have been different."

He sat there a long time while the remains of Balfur dissolved into nothing.

Ultimately, Felix felt hypocritical.

He had been seeking these challenges and monsters, using them to level up and improve his Skills so that he could survive. It hadn't bothered him too much, the killing. But then, he had never become someone he had just killed. It threw him, and Felix wasn't beyond admitting that he felt less after killing it.

He had sat in that clearing for an hour, digesting everything. By the end, he didn't have an easy answer to his dilemma, only more questions and moral ambiguity. But he had a plan. He had to reach people to answer his questions, and while the Ape didn't recognize them, Felix certainly did. Those hollow mountains were stone towers.

There had to be people there, right?

The Iront--Balfur, was chased from its home, a valley covered in heavy fog and accessed by a cavern. The Memory contained Balfur's journey through the cavern, and his Keen Mind Trait held a perfect snapshot of it. The only confusing part was where he entered Felix's neck of the woods. He had a general idea of a mountainside with a deep crevasse, but Balfur saw thick fog encompassing the area, much like his home valley.

Felix hadn't seen a single speck of fog since he'd been here. For all that this was the Foglands, it's been mostly clear and sunny. It hadn't even rained in the past week.

Not really important, I guess. Felix checked his satchel and made sure he had enough food packed away. He didn't know how long he'd be underground, though it had only seemed like a couple hours in the Memory. What is important is that I find civilization and get out of this death trap.

With a sharp whistle, Felix started off. Pit trotted behind, his tail swishing happily.

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