Unbound-Chapter Nine Hundred And Ninety Eight – 998

"But what does it mean?" Pit asked.

Scylla peered at him as they coasted on the winds. The sky was blue and the clouds were fluffy—where they could see them through the canopy of the Atlantes. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Child of Harmony? It is a poetic name, but apt. Do you not know our history?"

"Obviously not.”

Scylla chirruped. “I sometimes forget that you grew away from your people.”

“My mom would tell me about tenku sometimes. I don't remember much, but her voice was…nice." Pit didn't like the look of pity in Scylla's eyes, and he faced forward, flapping his wings again as they flew closer to the mountain.

The Chimera had a place all of their own, but it was a bit outside of Elderthrone. A league beyond the walls where the first forested mountain rose to the east was their Eyrie, formed out of need as the bulk of the Chimera had migrated from Sunara to the capital. Elderthrone didn’t have the room to house thousands of tenku, wyverns, and harnoqs—though it could feed them easily. A secondary Beacon had been erected within the Eyrie, through which all their supplies were transported instantly from the Storage Chambers of the capital.

Scylla and Pit traversed the calm winds beneath the leagues-wide boughs of the Atlantes Anima. Myriad birds and Sprites flitted around in murmurations of feather and magic, accompanied by thousands more Chimera. They moved in dense formations, layered in barding much like Pit’s own, though each were dyed a different shade.

Platoons, he realized. They’re flying as units.

For Pit, who had only really ever fought as a pair with Felix or by himself, working with a large group of others was intriguing. Sure, he’d fought with his friends like Evie or Vess or Beef, but not like that. He watched, almost giddy, as the wyverns and tenku committed to a rolling dodge all at once. The Sylfaen and Korvaa riders clung tightly to their backs, clearly experienced as they guided a few less than stellar Chimera.

Scylla caught his eye again, though she’d stopped staring at him like he was a wounded cub. She was as graceful as ever, still less than half his size despite her recent growth. Pale of fur and bright of eye, he could not imagine anyone looking so majestic. The feathers of her crest ruffled with every flap of her wings, and her tail rippled in the trailing winds of their flight.

“A-anyway,” Pit coughed, manuevering his bulk so he got a bit ahead of her. “What about our history?”

She gave him a sidelong look that he could practically feel, but continued. "The Chimera are creatures of the Wilds—its song beats in our cores. The ancient stories, the ones that are passed down by the eldest among us, tell of our origins. Long ago, each of the Chimera rose from among common beasts, all thanks to the Primordials.”

Pit quirked his ears. “Really?”

“Their kind infested the world in that Age, turning the very land against us. It is no wonder it touched upon the life that walked it."

"The flesh curse," Pit said, understanding.

Scylla inclined her head. “Just so. Their curse spread far and fast, deforming the weakest creatures first and turning them into Blood Beasts bound to the Wills of maddened Primordials. But some resisted that fate—our common ancestors were among them. We are not sure what Skill allowed them to resist the flesh curse or how they achieved it. There is no reason for it in our histories, save chance, but having proven resilient to the curse's touch, they still found it changed them. The corruption infested their Bodies, and as a result of their Skill, the Green Wilds surged within them. When their next generation were born, they were changed. A piece of the Grand Harmony infused them, and it didn’t stop there. The effect was cumulative, with each subsequent generation Evolving as the Grand Harmony fought against the Primordial’s curse. Each generation was more resistant to the flesh curse than the last. It is said that by the time the first wyvern was birthed, the touch of a Primordial was not felt in the slightest."

Pit wasn't sure he believed that. He had been around the flesh curse before, and he had felt the sting of its heat as it tried to turn him. He shuddered. Had he not become partially Primordial himself, it might have. "So the Chimera were born of multiple Evolutions."

"Across an Age, or so the stories say. We are the children of the Grand Harmony, born of its strains, and destined to protect it."

"Destined. I'm not sure I believe that.”

“Some things are fated to be. Some moments, inevitable."

Pit laughed. "No. I've seen way too many ‘unchangeable’ things get turned on their head to believe that. All it takes is someone to stand up, fight back. Maybe fate is real, but I think it’s a load of excuses. I think we shape it best we can with the choices we make."

Scylla trilled, her fluting voice thoughtful as the Eyrie rose from the forest. The nearby mountain thrust upward out of the earth, cut away from the next peak by the erosion of centuries of wind and rain. Trees dotted its side, but its southern face was sheer rock, overlaid by Fiendstone. It layered an opalescent sheen to its already imposing structure, riddled with crystalline nodes that stuck outward like faceted perches wide as one of the highways from Earth. Felix had somehow shaped it together during his mad dash around the capital, and Pit wasn't sure where the man found the time.

Still, it wasn't entirely manufactured. A series of caves dotted the Fiendstone, spread inward to where the native rock bored into the mountain. Something had lived here before, though, as Pit landed amongst its widest cave, it smelled clean and empty of any monstrous stench. Whatever had dwelled in these caves was long since gone. Now, the passages honeycombed the mountain, and Pit watched interestedly as Chimeras, Sylphaen, and Korvaa all hustled through them. Some carried supplies, others were busily fitted with more of that dyed armor, and still more seemed to fly through the passages on important errands, delivering messages and odd packages in their claws. It was chaos.

Pit looked down to Scylla. He jolted slightly. The pale tenku wasn't watching the cavern. She was watching him.

"All of this reminds me of what the elders said in Aeonis," Pit said through a cough. "They spoke about a sort of chaos inside of the Chimera and the Nym. What do those old stories have to say about that?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from novelbuddy. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Mm,” Scylla watched him a bit longer, a spark of amusement flitting through her Spirit.

What’s that about?

“I’ve heard many tales of the Nym, and yes, they were always described as forces of Wild power. While the histories tell of their devotion to peace, they were undeniably geniuses in the Threnodies of War. We Chimera are similarly inclined. Perhaps that is why so many of us Bonded to them."

"It is true," a deep voice said. "Like calls to like."

Thalgrym strode over, surrounded by his people. The big wyvern had dozens of Sylphaen, Korvaa, and other Chimera vying for his attention, but he raised a wing and brushed them off as he neared Pit. The wyvern wore no crown and held no official Title, but if Ondine was their Princess, then Thalgrym was their king.

He was flanked, surprisingly, by A'zek, the harnoq Companion of the Farwalker of the Henaari. The panther-lizard Chimera stalked beside the far larger wyvern, his expression just as intrigued as Pit's own. "What is this chaos you speak of?"

"A shorthand for the ineffable nature of the Grand Harmony," Thalgrym answered. "The old tellers spoke of it in the same way. From the news that filters among the Dragoons, I imagine these Elders are as least as ancient as our tales."

"Maybe!" Pit chirruped. "There are giant Trees with people inside them. Or something like that."

"How strange," A'zek leaned forward, golden cat eyes bright in his dark face. "I would like to hear more of them. When you can. The Farwalker is always searching for new secrets."

"You mean the Raven.”

“There is little difference,” A’zek laughed.

Pit shrugged. “Sure. They were weird."

Thalgrym cleared his throat. "Ancient spirits bound to Trees. The oral histories of my people do not speak of such things. Still, to answer your question about chaos…those that the Grand Harmony sings strongly within are attractive to us."

A'zek nodded slowly. "The Farwalker was the first mortal I ever found more than a threat. Even though he landed on me boots first, there was a certainty in me that he was trustworthy. I could not explain why, but it has been proven true many times over.”

“Our instincts are sharp. They do not lie to us."

Pit frowned. Thalgrym noticed. "You disagree."

"It's just hypocritical. My instincts don't lie. But when they tell me to trust my Companion, you all scoff.”

“We—"

Pit shook his head. "I'm not here to argue about it. Scylla's told me enough about how you all feel about the Bond." He paused, clacking his beak in thought. "The Unbound are all powerful within the Grand Harmony. Is Ondine your Princess because of that attraction?"

Thalgrym made a sound in his throat. Something between a grunt and a grumble. "We feel the chaos in her and all the Unbound. There is a kinship there. It is that magnetism that draws us to the Emperor. Our core yearns for that connection, no matter how foolish we think the Bond."

The Wyvern shuffled, his massive feathered wings rustling as he repositioned himself to stand straighter. Chest upthrust. Chin lifted. "Ondine is different. The power she holds as an Unbound is undeniable, yes, but her ability to rend open the Realms is only part of it. Her nobility of Spirit was proven early on when she saved Chimera from the monster hordes in Sunara. There was no benefit, and in fact doing so put her in direct danger. Yet she did it anyway. Well before the godslaves came to call, Ondine was our protector. So we protect her in turn."

"A Bond in all but name," A'zek pointed out.

"Without its weaknesses," Scylla stepped forward.

"Nor its strengths." A’zek lashed his barbed tail and sat, licking his paw. "No matter. It is your choice, after all.”

"Yes," Thalgrym tapped a claw on the Fiendstone floor, releasing a thump edged by a crystalline ring. "We follow the Princess, and she follows the Emperor. That is enough for me. Now, we have preparations of our own to make. Training must be completed with the newly instated Guardian Beasts, and the Dragoons must be taught our flight patterns."

"I would like to see those," A'zek said, eagerly standing back up.

"You are welcome to attend. Pit. Scylla," Thalgrym gave them each a deep incline of his wedge-shaped head before he beat his wings. A rushing gale lifted him up, ascending through the honeycombed mountain tunnels at rapid speed. A'zek followed, no less speedy as he bound straight up the walls.

Pit watched them leave, unsure what to make of their interaction. "I don't think he likes me.”

Scylla laughed. "He likes you fine. More importantly, he respects you. You are strong. And you've proven yourself an asset, not just to the Chimera, but to everyone around you."

Pit's feathers ruffled along his neck—he had to make a conscious effort to smooth them back down. "Oh. Thanks, I guess.” He glanced at Scylla, only to find her pale green eyes locked on him as before. "What? Do I have something on my beak?"

"No. I asked the Princess once why she follows your—our—Emperor. Not as a criticism,” she corrected quickly before Pit could even open his mouth. “Just so I could…understand him better.”

“What did she say?”

“That what a person sacrifices when things grow difficult is telling. She told me the Emperor risked everything to save his love, headed into that nightmare in Amaranth to pull her free. Tooth and Claw, he fought a war against the Hierophant just to save his sister.”

“Felix will risk everything to save his friends." There was no question in Pit’s Mind about that. "I don't understand why everyone seems to think this is strange. Everyone would do the same, give the chance. The more power I have, the more I can do."

“That…isn’t how everyone is.” Scylla’s tail wagged, its white and russet catching his attention like a brandished flag.

“It should be.”

"Yes, I understand that about you now, Pit. Just like I am certain that Felix would break the heavens to keep you safe. And that is enough for me."

She stepped forward, bumping her head against Pit's wide chest. He froze, unsure whether to move or to curl his wing, and settled on curling his four wings forward. Scylla cooed pleasantly as he enveloped her.

"There are a great many dangers ahead, Pit, and an uncertain future. Knowing that the Emperor is there with you on your mission…it brings me peace.”

“Oh. I’m glad. But really, I’m there to keep him safe—”

“And you will doubtless do so. I…I am headed with the main army, acting as one of the generals beneath Princess Ondine.”

Pit swallowed. He didn’t like that he was leaving her behind. Or maybe that she was leaving him…either way, it made his stomach feel weird and his wings felt hot. Twitchy. “Ondine will keep you safe too…right?”

“We are not Bonded, but yes. The Princess would protect us with her life, as we would do for her. She has grown ever more powerful. But we don't know the future. And for this moment, right now, what I truly need is to be here with you. Will you…sit with me for a while?"

"Of course." As uncertain as Pit may have been about everything when it came to Scylla, there was no question in his mind then. "We can go find the Beacon. I heard they just got some roasted Glitterhog in.”

“That sounds lovely.”