"You gave up the artifacts? For what possible reason would you do such a thing?" Isla's voice echoed off the high vaulted ceiling of Felix's apartments—not quite a shout, but she certainly wasn't being timid with her annoyance. "Those artifacts were priceless and powerful and—" "And only of use to me while remaining in this Territory," Felix snapped. He rounded on the diminutive Chanter, turning away from the servants who had gathered before him. "I could use them to enhance my Authority and powers a bit outside of the Leviathan Depths, but they are more useful here. With my Chancellor." He turned away from Isla and her startled pout. "He needs them more than me." A notification flashed in his vision again, and he suppressed it for a moment in favor of meeting the eyes of a dozen startled servants in black and gold livery. "Go and speak with Commander Reed. He needs help with provisions and equipment transfer." The servants nodded in unison and left faster than Felix expected—their Agility was quite high for being Untempered. Behind him, Isla was still grumbling but Felix sensed Zara's cool demeanor like a chill cloth against his neck. "Isla. Go and assist the healers and see to it that the transition is as smooth as possible. They will need guidance, with you leaving." "Hmph." Felix didn't watch, focusing instead on the storm outside, but his Perception picked up Isla stomping away in a huff. Zara stepped up next to him and peered up at the clouds. "That was poorly done, Felix. Isla is tempestuous, but she is a good resource for you." "You think I should trust her with my decisions before I make them?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow. "No. Not doing that until she gives me a reason to believe she has my best interests at heart. I don't even like how close she is to Beef." "She is Cantus Sodalus, Felix. I trust her with my life," Zara said. "And in this case, you'd be trusting her with my life," Felix pointed out. "I'll be the one doling out trust, thanks." "As you wish." Zara was a blank page to his Affinity; her ability to master her own emotions was amazing...and another reason why Felix felt he couldn't quite confide in the Naiad. "I believe I already know, but can you tell me why you put on such a display today?" Felix grunted. "Because the powers-that-be here need to remember that I'm here, even if I'm no longer around. Yttin in Authority was going to be an uphill battle, but at least now, with the threat of the Scepter—and of me—people will maybe think twice before turning to infighting." "Hm, a credible tactic...and a common one in the politics of the Continent. It is an approach the Hierophant excels in." Felix drew in a sharp breath, but wasn't surprised. Not really. He could still see it, the memory of himself standing bloody and armored before the terrified crowd, forcing them to listen. To obey. Even worse, he had received a new Quest immediately after. The first one in ages. New Quest! The Path of Empire! Many are the benefits of empire, and many are their enemies. Secure a total of 4 Territories under your banner and gain a reward worthy of the ancient emperors. Beware, for the higher you climb, the greater the winds that will attempt to force you from the Golden Path. Unification may be your inheritance, but violence is your birthright. Gird yourself, Felix Nevarre! 2/4 Territories Secured Reward: XP, Title(s), Advanced Authority, Varies The Quest description suggested more and more conflict in his future. That wasn't a surprise. He was on a collision course with the Hierophant, and sooner or later they would impact. Felix wasn't looking to add Territories to his collection; he was, at best, a reluctant leader. Yet when all the options he came up against were sacrificing their people for their own gain, how could he do much worse? Violence is my birthright...Felix wasn't a fan of that line. Before coming to the Continent he'd never been very contentious, not in any aspect. Sure there was the fight on the yacht, but he hadn't started that. A distant specter of anger at those idiots rose up in him, a sure sign of how unbalanced he was feeling. Haven't thought about them in a long time. Or Gabby. Or mom. Gah, that's enough of that. He shook himself, and focused on the second notification, the one he'd been putting off. Territorial Boundary Warning! Boundary Has Been Reshaped By Recent Developments! New Rivers Have Been Established With The [Ghreldan Hills]! Do You Wish To Send Inquiry To Neighboring Territory? An inquiry? Like how I could call Haarwatch from the Stronghold? He tapped his lips, and selected Yes. Establishing Connection With Authority Bearer... ... Error, Authority Splintered. No Bearer To Contact. Inquiry Failed. Felix asks Zara about it. "Zara, what's an Authority Splinter?" "Hm? Where did you hear of such a thing?" The Naiad looked suddenly alarmed. "Was it after you named your Chancellor?" "What? No, it's because of this," Felix said and sent her the warning message. "I tried to send the inquiry, but the Seal couldn't establish a connection." "An Authority Splinter is when a Territory has been dividing among many rulers. It is something that has happened in many places, and the Ghreldan Hills are notorious for it. Its Princes have cut up their Seat and Seal into nine relatively even pieces, and each one wields a small fraction of the Authority you have at your command. It is enough to control their lands, their people, but not truly enough to keep them safe. For that they must rely on their Knights, or other outside forces." Felix grunted. "Sounds like a great place. So I can't reach anyone because they don't have enough Authority to receive the call?" "Essentially, yes. You bear an ancient version of Authority, Felix. Your Seat and Seal in Nagast is more complex than any I have ever had the honor of witnessing. A master painter compared to a child's finger painting. It has likely afforded you a greater Authority than others of similar stature." "So I've gathered," Felix muttered. It had allowed him to challenge the Grandmaster for Ahkestria, he was pretty sure. "Well if it's not working, we'll just have to see what the big deal is when we get there. I want to leave by nightfall. With luck we'll hit the Caleph Pass within a day, two at the max." "I'll see that your soldiers are ready to leave," Zara said, inclining her head. "Thanks." Felix's gaze snagged on Vess' from across the chamber, and as Zara walked out of his apartments, he strode closer. Vess was directing a number of servants out of various doors, all of them taking things at a run. "Hey." "Are you alright?" she asked, immediately. Felix blinked, thrown more than a little. "Am I—? I'm fine." He spread his arms, showing his unbroken silk jacket. "See? Not a scratch on me." "You and your clothes heal from scratches," she pointed out, just as the last of the servants scurried off. "Your plan worked, but I saw you after. Felt you. You did not like doing it." Felix grunted. "You've been practicing your use of Affinity on me?" Vess blushed, which darkened her already dusky skin. "It is a poor habit I have developed, I will admit that. But my concern is not misplaced. You hurt." He shrugged. Felix wasn't sure what he was feeling, except overwhelmed. "I'm tired. Tired of being stuck here, and of the way people flock to power and squirm under its weight. Tired of being...I've killed a lot of people, Vess. I've come to terms with that. There wasn't much choice at the time, and I don't regret it exactly...but I'd," Felix groped for the words as he stared up into the vaulted ceilings. "I'd like to stop, someday. Explore the world, maybe. Go to sleep without having to figure out how to fight a country of zealots, the gods, and some eldritch brainwashing abomination." Felix sighed and let the emotions coiling around his heart dissipate. He breathed in and out, slowly. "I'm sorry about last night. You wanted to talk, and I got caught up with," he gestured. "Everything." "Apology accepted, Lord Nevarre. I cannot say I was pleased, but upon learning the cause, well, some things cannot be avoided." She smiled at him, one of her cheeks dimpling. "I would be quite unreasonable to assume otherwise." "What a life. An assassin ruined my day," Felix said, then grinned. "How about we ruin his?" Vess smile widened, showing off her million-watt grin. "A grand idea." "Only a few among the crowd were injured," Vess told him as they jogged lightly down a set of steep stone steps. The air was distinctly cooler now, as if they had slipped through some invisible boundary beneath the Grandmaster's estate. "And of those, they were healed rapidly. Our people made it quite clear that the healing salves and potions came from you and the Chancellor." "That's good. He'll need all the goodwill he can get. I assume the potions impressed?" Felix ducked beneath an archway at the final landing, the door clearly made for shorter people. Vess followed without an issue, her height being just shy of six feet tall, a full half-foot lower than Felix. He still found that weird. "They did. I could pinpoint a number of covetous hearts and calculating gazes. I ensured the healers gave out the potions in the presence of the nobility." "Even better. They'll see how good our products are, and that'll lead them right back to the Chancellor." Only a couple of his Shadows hung around them, and they moved smoothly to open a heavy, iron-banded door in advance. Vess and Felix moved through with a nod of gratitude. "Maybe he won't have to threaten everyone like I did." They drew abreast of another door, this one manned by six guards: three of the Claw, and three Yttin in chitin armor. All of them saluted, fist to heart. "Lord Autarch. Do you wish to see the prisoner?" "Yeah. I have some questions." The guards didn't hesitate, but unlocked the door rapidly. A metal key in their hands lit up, six of them in fact, and a complicated scrawl of sigils appeared atop the metal door. The sigils rotated, spinning like a combination lock before depressing with a loud clunk, the sigaldry vanishing in a chaotic puff of vapor. The door was opened, revealing a wide cell with nothing save for a single metal chair...and a man in chains, and a simple, silver collar. "Been wondering when you'd come around," he said through a full beard. "Autarch." "Sworn." Felix bent his neck to get into the room, but once inside found he had more than enough space to fully stand. "Or should I say Mikhail Nesben?" The bearded man looked far different than he had in their prior encounters. He had been stripped of his lacquered armor, his black half-mask, and every weapon they could find. In fact, he was completely naked, which was a bit of a surprise. "So you got someone good at Analyze. Did you get my level and Tier in that scan too?" He smirked and jangled his chains. His arms were bound behind him, connected to his legs by more chains that were bolted to the floor. "I've been at this a long time. You won't break me before I die." Felix closed the door behind them with a firm pull. "I never said I was gonna kill you. That would defeat the purpose of my visit." He stepped closer, and the Sworn laughed. "Not going to kill me? Then I'm on easy street. Torture doesn't work on us, Nevarre. We're inured to it since birth." Vess produced a glowing silver spear, hovering it in the air level with the man's eye. He yawned. "Hold still, Sworn. This will only take a few minutes." "What will—?" The Sworn's words were lost to a ragged gasp, as Felix's hand clamped over the top of his head. Oathbinding! Adamant Discord! The world exploded into light. Lightning crackled in vibrant arcs and a silver radiance infused the very air. All around Felix, once invisible strands manifested. At first they were everywhere, connected to everything; walls to floor, stone to stone, air to their lungs. Relationships of meaning, described by forces Felix still couldn't grasp, but he could see them regardless. Too much. Felix narrowed his focus, flaring his Affinity. The random connections dwindled, fading from sight as those specifically connected to the Sworn came into clearer focus. Felix cast out his Intent like a fishing line. A lasso of his need to know. Show me. A brilliant silver thread appeared, thick as his thumb and coiled tightly around the Sworn's chest. Felix followed it with his eyes, activating Manasight as his Affinity traversed the length of the connection through walls and ceilings and muddy ground. It emerged at the edge of his range, still heading somewhere into town. "Hm, not quite," he muttered, and removed his hand from the Sworn's skull. The man's voice returned to him in a stuttering scream that he mastered moments later. Felix reached down and shattered the chains holding the man in place before grabbing him by the arm and hauling him to his feet. "I need to get somewhere higher." "W-what are you—what did you do to me?" the Sworn asked, stumbling behind Felix like a dazed child. "My head...my chest...I..." Felix quirked an eyebrow up, but his strange "thread-vision" saw the silver connection twisting tighter around the Sworn's chest. It was constricting him like a snake. "I—I can't b-breathe!" the Sworn gasped. "Felix?" Vess asked. "It's not me," he said, before looking closer at the silver cord. Complicated knots had formed across its length, redoubling with every passing second, and likely had been since he started observing it. Is this a warding? A trap to prevent their people from revealing too much? "The connection is changing. The Oath you gave. Who did you give it to?" "N—not gonna—tell! Can't!" The man was looking purple, his face and upper chest darkening as air stopped flowing inward. His neck bulged with veins and his mouth opened uselessly. "No," Felix growled. He reached out, coating his hands in his Intent and attempted to take hold of the connection. His hands passed right through it. "Dammit! Adamant Discord!" Felix had never attempted to manipulate an Oath link before, but he hoped it wasn't any different than grabbing at the air or earth. It was, and yet it wasn't. The silver cord fought against him, writhing away from the electric touch of his Skill, but Felix applied all of his Intent behind his effort...and this time his hands grasped it tight. He pulled at the cord, allowing the Sworn to take an abrupt breath, before looking at the complicated knots securing the connection. They were woven in eye-bending loops that defied description, folded in same ways around and through itself. Frustrated, Felix wrenched his hands in opposing directions. The Sworn's scream was deafening, but the System rang out in equal fury. A bell tolled, vast and deeper than anything Felix had ever heard. So deep it felt like his soul was being shaken apart. New Title! Chain-Breaker (Legendary)! You have proven yourself dedicated to violating the very laws of Creation, and in so doing have voided an Oath of another through sheer force of your monstrous Will. +Skill Evolution Potency surged into Felix's core space, a tight hurricane from the System itself, slamming through his dual cores and into his Oathbinding Skill. With trilling fanfare, the vibrational pattern shifted, twisted into a complex and menacing sound an entire octave lower. Oathbinding Has Evolved To Skein of Fate (Legendary)! Level Is Maintained! Skein Of Fate (L), Level 46! You have broken the bonds that Siva holds most dear. Not only on yourself, but on another against their Will. You carry upon your shoulders a dire potential, one that others will not be pleased to witness. Be wary, for to weave the Skein of Fate is to invite calamity, Felix Nevarre. Bonds can be formed and broken at Will, ease of creation increases with Skill level, ease of breaking them increases slightly with Skill level. "That...that doesn't seem good," he said, while the silver cord in his hands writhed like a viper. "Felix!" Vess cried out, and batted the Sworn from his grip. The man fell, his skin bubbling into liquid smoke as his final scream filled the chamber. He hit the stone floor and shattered, his form turning to blackened smoke that Felix instinctively grabbed and consumed. When it cleared, all that was left was a single collar of dull silver, spinning slowly on the floor. "What in Siva's name just happened?" Vess asked.