Chapter Four Hundred And Seventy – 470

Chapter Four Hundred And Seventy – 470

Felix pulled his hands out of the shattered cobblestone beneath his feet, wincing at every movement of his Body. With a final shove of his Will, he Stone Shaped the sigaldry back out of the ground around him, effectively sealing off his access to the siphon formation. He sagged in relief immediately.

He'd only intended to use Stone Shape to gradually raise a portion of the town by reinforcing the small plateau on which the settlement had been built. It turned out, however, that the pillars he made to ratchet up the bedrock layer just crumbled underneath the sheer weight. So Felix had to reinforce them, make them of sterner stuff as he'd learned to do with his Stronghold and Bastion of Will. It hurtso muchbut in a way that wasn't physical, at least not entirely. He'd lost track during the process, but the amount of Mana that had funnelled through him dwarfed any working he'd done to date. All of his Aspects were burning like ill-used muscles, but it was a manageable strain, one he'd handled before and knew would be gone before long.

In all honesty, Felix was proud of himself. Lifting an entire town was ridiculous, and though he was sure he could do it, he hadn't anticipated having to weave four Skills at once for that long. He'd even managed to use the Chant to do it too, not relying on the System's activation to access their power. That was the real achievement. That and the Skill levels.

Stone Shaping is level 82!

...

Stone Shaping is level 85!

Green Shaping is level 45!

...

Green Shaping is level 62!

Journeyman Tier!

You Gain:

+6 INT

+6 WIL

+6 PER

Rime Shaping is level 51!

...

Rime Shaping is level 63!

Auroral Forge is level 16!

....

Auroral Forge is level 27!

Apprentice Tier!

You Gain:

+10 INT

+10 WIL

"So the Fathom is spreading. We need to talk to the Deepking. He should know more about what's going on down below." The guy was fighting against the Fathom in some sort of war, according to what he told us last time. I just hope the Naga are still okay.

Zara waved a hand. "Of course. We also need to traverse the gate in Haestus Temple, Felix. Do not forget that."

"Right. Yeah I didn't, it's just..." He looked over the town of Bogfeld, broken buildings still shiny with wet.

"Worse than this will happen in Nagast if you do not return, Felix," Zara pointed out.

"I know." Felix sighed. They had to move on, no matter how guilty he felt about flooding the Ghreldan Hills or thrusting this little town into a watery warzone. "I just need to settle up a few things, let our people rest, and we can make our way outta here."

"Very well."

"Prioress Kartez."

The man approached Alessa not twenty minutes after doing the impossible, floating to her position along the Redoubt battlements as if it were as effortless as a morning stroll. Down below, she could make out the Knights that had been sent to bring him back where scrambling across the square, calling for the gates to be reopened. The man had apparently taken off without their leave, or some such. Blue-white lightning crackled from his limbs, but not so much as to appear hostile. Instead it ruffled his clothes and made his eerie eye shine.

"Mr. Nevarre. Are you not tired after...everything?" She gestured toward the still-drying expanse of Bogfeld. Words could not do justice to what she was feeling, but awed and small were among them.

"Oh sure. Who wouldn't be?" The man shrugged away the question and Alessa's curious gaze. He certainly did not look tired. "I know we have not had much time to talk, one on one, but I do believe we made an agreement."

"Oh?" Alessa asked. She appreciated that the man floated at her eye level, refusing to loom above her very normal Gnomish height. "What agreement was that, Mr. Nevarre?"

"Well, it was with Dahria, actually." He pulled free a glass bottle, within which a bright red liquid sloshed. "Would you like to speak further on it?"

Alessa smiled. "I would, yes."

Dahria watched the Prioress walk down the battlements next to the Autarch, somewhat dumbfounded.

To be alone with such a powerful individual was dangerous in the extreme. She felt as if she should gather all the Menders to walk with the Prioress, or perhaps cajole the Knights into guarding her. Yet none of them could raise an entire town from the flood, even if they had all worked together. What, then, could she do?

"You look tense."

"Ah!" Dahria spun, finding a woman with pale hair and fair skin staring at her. "By the Light you startled me."

"My apologies, truly. I did not intend to frighten you."

"Frighten? No. Of course not. I was simply...otherwise engaged." Dahria drew in her pale robes, similar in color to the woman before her actually, and lifted her chin. "How might I help you?"

"It is more of a question on how I might help you, dear lady." The woman inclined her head and Dahria spotted a glinting tiara among her platinum curls. "I am traveling with the Autarch, and I noticed that your Menders are seeing to the sick and injured. Your Skills with Herbalism are quite impressive. I too have talents that lie in such an arena, and I would love to extend them to you all during our stay."

"Oh!" Dahria gathered herself at hearing she was a companion with the Autarch. Much as she feared his power, she could not deny it. "That is quite generous, Lady...?"

"Isla. Simply Isla is fine."

"Isla, then. How might you be able to help?" Dahria gestured to the regal woman and they both started walking down the steps toward the triage tents below.

"Simply show my your worst patients, and we shall take it from there."