“Unbound?” Kade asked, looking to the group for answers. Edwin held up a hand to forestall him.
“There’s much you need to know, but even less time. I ask for your patience,” Edwin turned from him to focus on his team. “Nicky, you have less than ten minutes before the Soul Manifestation breaks down entirely. Don’t put yourself at risk, but you might get lucky–you know what we need.” Nicky wasted no time; pulling her hood up, she charged back toward the sleeping giant, moving at a pace Kade had trouble following.
Edwin turned to Alara next, “It’s even more of a long-shot, but there will be countless lesser manifestations drawn by the ritual, see how many you can tear through before real trouble arrives. I’m not expecting much, but even if you only find supplies, I suspect we’ll make good use of them.” Alara nodded, then turned to move in the opposite direction from Nicky. She walked at a steady pace, and Kade noticed the air had begun warping around her strangely. By the time she was disappearing into a thick forest nearby, Kade was certain that he could see sparks bursting around her.
Finally Edwin turned his attention back toward an anxious Kade, and seemed to consider him and the chains undulating around him. At last he spoke again, “There’s too much to teach you right now, so I’m afraid we’ll barely have time for the basics. Your chances of survival out in the Chaos–even if we do find a Mana Fragment–are next to nothing if you can’t defend yourself. Since those chains are your only weapon, you need to figure out what you can do with them.”
Kade opened his mouth to explain that he certainly did have more weapons, but found that his earlier need to spill truths was nothing compared to the overwhelming urge for secrecy at that moment. Not knowing why, he stopped himself before mentioning the anomalous energy, and instead responded simply with, “I won’t waste any time then, tell me what I need to know.” Edwin nodded, then continued.
“Graves will watch our backs while I play professor. First of all–bonds. The priests of Karthas will cover the whys and the philosophy, but here’s the practicality. We, the Children of Korthos, all have access to our Soul Cores, and their manifestations. However, this is only the first step on a journey to reclaim our true Heritage; the rest comes from Bonds–so called because the most common method of progressing your physiology is to Bond different Fragments of Power to your Soul Core. Keepers like my team are required to be fully Bonded, but what you need now is a Mana-Bond to survive the Chaos–”
Edwin stopped and ran a hand over his face, “I’m skipping enough that this borders on blasphemy.” Kade noticed that Edwin’s hand again grasped the pendant around his neck, possibly a religious symbol of some kind. Edwin took a breath and continued, “If you don’t even remember Chaos…Okay. Iros–this world–is one of endless power, and it manifests in a raw form of magic that we call Chaos. Chaos is deadly to the unbound; your body has no natural mechanism to process it, and it will poison you from the inside out. That’s the Chaos Sickness that was eating your body alive when we found you.”
Kade reflexively touched his bare right arm, remembering the blacked veins with concern. Edwin seemed to understand the reaction and nodded slightly before continuing, “Most people in this world are unbound, meaning they need to stay in areas of Calm to survive, areas like where we are now.” He gestured back at the vast, sleeping woman. “Calm is created when a mana-bonded Soul Core absorbs Chaos. It’s like breathing: we take in the Chaos, and release the Calm around us. But for an average Bonded the area is too small for anyone to benefit from it.”
“So I guess a piggy-back ride is out of the question,” the joke slipped out before Kade caught it, and he saw Edwin glance to his wrist in confusion before nodding.
“Correct. Graves is the only one of us who’s gone beyond Elevated, and even he couldn’t protect an unbound for more than a few minutes. Usually it takes an Elder, even a small one like Altera over there–” he gestured back at the ponderously large woman. “...to create an area of Calm large enough to protect anyone. Even still, walk for a few minutes in any direction and the Chaos will begin to overwhelm you. Living Elders create a larger area of influence, but we’ll only be seeing the dead ones until we reach Karthas.”
Kade couldn’t help himself at that revelation, “Wait, that giant woman is dead? But her…Soul Core is still in there, creating Calm? Is that what your ritual was about?”
Edwin sighed, “I honestly can’t begin to explain how mortality works right now. The only thing you need to know about the Calming Ritual we performed is that it’s currently attracting Manifestation of Chaos for leagues in every direction, which is why we’re in a hurry.” At that moment Nicky seemed to materialize right behind Edwin, throwing back her hood. Edwin turned, despite her approach being utterly silent.
“Did we get lucky?” he asked?
“Not lucky enough,” she replied while passing him a small, white shard. “It was in the room where we found this guy; looks like an Elevated Manifestation was killed in there. Recently.” When she finished she turned her gaze onto Kade, and there was nothing of the playfulness she’s shown earlier.
“One more mystery to discuss later,” Edwin said with finality. “This feels like a Might Fragment, and a Lesser one at that.”
Nicky nodded, her attention back on her leader, “It’s Bone. Better than Muscle, but it doesn’t solve our problem.” Edwin nodded his agreement before handing the strange object to Kade.
“Use it anyway. It’ll slow you down a bit, but at least it might help you survive if a Manifestation looks at you the wrong way.” As Kade inspected the shard, which did seem to feel like it was made from bone, Nicky spoke again.
“Are you sure we should waste that? You know he can’t leave this place; I don’t like it anymore than you do, but stronger bones won’t stop the Chaos. Someone else might be able to make better–” Edwin silenced her with a glare.
“If he doesn’t leave, I don’t leave. Now go help Alara, we’re running out of time.” Kade wasn’t the only one shocked by Edwin’s show of conviction, and Nicky seemed to want to respond before she looked at the man’s determined face. Finally she turned and ran into the woods after Alara.
“Use it,” Edwin said simply, turning his full attention back onto Kade. “The time for talking is almost over. What you have in your hand will progress your transition–albeit slightly–toward your Heritage form,” he seemed to struggle for a moment to find the right words, then sighed, “This is so reductive that it’s practically just wrong, but you’re effectively transforming your body so that it works similarly to an Elder. You’ll see the effects of that in time, for now you’ll have to trust that there are few, if any real drawbacks.”
Kade knew that he was long past deciding not to trust these people, and he also had to acknowledge that he’d done worse to his body with far less information since waking up here. Shrugging, Kade brought the object to his chest, where it melted into him in a blink. Expecting agony after his previous experiences, he was surprised when it just felt like a shiver running through his body. It lasted only a moment, but left him feeling much heavier, as if gravity had just doubled.
Edwin nodded in satisfaction, “Your bones will be much stronger now, and will naturally absorb ambient magic to function and heal. You’ll want to find Blood and Muscle Fragments eventually, in order to complete the physical side of your transformation. For now, we need to focus on your Soul Manifestation. I promise you an exhaustive education when we reach Karthas, but for now we need to [pig-liquor-cabbage-cottage-frangle!]”
Kade’s face screwed up in confusion, “I’m sorry, did you just have a stroke? Or did this bone thing finally break my brain.” Edwin glanced at him then put his hand over his face in understanding.
“Sorry, I sometimes fall into sayings from my homeland when I’m frustrated, and our bracers aren’t synched enough yet to fully translate. You’ve done the same to me once or twice.” He pointed at Kade’s wrist, prompting him to look at the display for the first time since waking up. Sure enough, it had a running transcript of everything that had been said in his presence. The confusing mess he’d heard was isolated with a brief explanation; apparently it was a farming metaphor about moving quickly before the animals ate the crops.
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“That actually clears up a lot,” Kade said, thinking back to everything he’d read. “This thing has been feeding me ridiculous names since I first put it on. It was making an already crazy situation feel like a badly dubbed movie.”
Edwin looked at Kade with irritation then back down at his own bracer, nodding. “For the record, using a lot of references people can’t understand is considered quite rude when meeting new people.” Kade nodded, chagrinned, and Edwin continued. “I’d warn against complaining about the names it provides as well; the bracer is using your own soul as a lens for translations, names included. I don’t know what you hear when I speak my own name aloud, but I can promise you’re hearing something very different from what I’m saying.”
Kade considered this, as several other small oddities made sense in retrospect. “I think I follow, that just means my soul is a little embarrassing. I can’t believe I’m responsible for Dalton’s Fabulous Bracer of Hope.” Kade stopped smiling at the absurdity when he noticed Edwin staring at him in open-mouthed shock. He watched as the man started furiously fiddling with his own bracer, before looking back at Kade, stunned.
“Kade, I need you to tell me where you heard that name, and where in the [endless-pits-hellfire-torture-shame] did you find that bracer?” Kade blinked in confusion, but context, and the fear plain on Edwin’s face made the man’s meaning clear.
“It was on the arm of the man in the room with me when I woke up. He was…done with it, and it had a light so I put it on. Is the name significant? It popped up on the display a few times, but you acted like these bracers were commonplace.”
Edwin shook his head dismissively, “The bracers are more than common. We call them Dalton Bracers and they’re given to everyone. They can give some helpful information, especially to those on the Heritage Path, but different languages are so prevalent that it’s basically the only way to communicate.” Edwin took a calming breath and spoke more slowly as he continued. “They’re called Dalton Bracers because that’s where they come from. They’re one of the last surviving relics from the nation of Dalton.”
Kade looked at him, still confused. “Okay, but why does it matter that my soul made the name a little silly? Are they sacred somehow? I’m sure my soul wasn’t trying to be disrespectful.”
Edwin shook his head furiously, “You didn’t come up with that name Kade: that translation is accurate. And if you pulled that bracer from the dead man in there, a lot of what’s happening suddenly makes a twisted kind of sense.” He paused as he shook his head in disbelief. “Kade, did that bracer…it didn’t tell you to do anything, did it?”
Kade felt fear tugging at him, suddenly not certain how much he should reveal. “It did…it said I was on a Path to Power, and told me to kill a bunch of rat-monsters. But that’s all, I promise.”
Edwin looked incredibly relieved, “That confirms it then, but at least that’s all you did. Kade, that bracer…it’s not just from the nation of Dalton, it’s from Dalton himself, the man that nation is named for. His Legend would be hours in the telling, but let me just say a few things you must never forget.” Kade braced himself as Edwin struggled to find the words.
“First of all, the name isn’t silly, it’s insane. Because that’s all that Dalton was, by the end. He lived for eons, and he’s still considered one of the greatest minds this world has ever known, but the only part of his Legend people still talk about, is his madness.” Kade felt his stomach turn, especially as he recalled the bracer had also used the word bound when he’d first put it on, the significance of that becoming clear in retrospect. Edwin continued.
“The Bracer is unique, and it truly can bring you power, but it does so without a trace of morality. There are countless stories of people putting on that bracer and becoming near-Legends themselves, but they’re Legends of some of the greatest evils this world has ever known, and they all came to violent, brutal ends. The dead man you pulled that from may have started as a kind, caring person, but if he followed that thing’s path, it was only a matter of time before it got him killed, and likely with a trail of dead and ruined lives behind him,” Edwin gestured at Kade as he finished.
Kade didn’t know how to respond, and it was a long minute before he spoke again. “I can’t take this off, can I? It’s bound to my soul, isn’t it?” Edwin nodded sadly. “What can I do, Edwin? Am I really doomed to end up running my own torture chamber some day?”
Edwin looked sympathetic, but also resigned, “I don’t know, Kade. I’m not sure if anyone alive knows the truth of that thing, but I understand the temptation it represents. Dalton was…trapped, when he made it; that’s all I can say without getting lost in the tale. Apparently he built it to find a way to set himself free, no matter the consequence, and the way the bracer does that ignores not just morality, but practicality as well. It can offer you exactly what you need, precisely when you need it, but it always has a cost.” He paused, seeming unsure of whether to continue at all, finally he finished: “The Legend claims that’s what happened to Dalton. The bracer looked at the situation he was trapped in, and told him to kill himself. And he did.”
Kade looked rapidly from Edwin to the bracer, panic gripping him. Every instinct said he should rip the thing from his body, but even as he reached for it reflexively, he felt a certainty that he could lose the entire arm the bracer was attached to, and he still wouldn’t be free of it so long as he lived. Edwin saw the reaction and put a hand on Kade’s shoulder. “We don’t know that it’s a death-sentence, Kade, right now we only know stories. Just…be careful when it tells you to do something. It may not be possible to always avoid what it asks, but be skeptical, be suspicious, and don’t let it become your master. Keep reminding yourself that it’s nothing but the tool of a madman.”
Kade let his arms fall to his sides, “I wish you had more to offer, but I appreciate your words anyway.” He looked back at the bracer, then smiled sadly, “I think I have some idea of what you mean about temptation. This thing already saved my life once. Even ignoring everything else it showed me, it’s still responsible for this–” Kade reached for a handful of chains, and let them drop soundlessly back to his side. “I’m not sure how it worked exactly, but I know I was dying when this thing gave me the Soul Core that saved my life.”
Edwin looked back at him in surprise, “What do you mean it gave you your Soul Core? We could tell you were recently awakened, but we assumed you found something in the labyrinth that did it; it’s not unheard of.”
Kade tried to remember what the bracer had said, now fearful to look back at the display. “I think it fabricated the item? Is that a thing bracers do?”
Edwin seemed contemplative, “Fabrication devices do exist, so that at least isn’t completely worrying. They turn raw magical energy into objects, and they’re usually enormous, but Dalton shrinking one down to wrist-size might be the least of his accomplishments.” He shook his head in disbelief, “After everything I just told you, I can feel myself falling prey to the exact temptation I warned you about. You were right that your Soul Core saved you. The Ritual of Calm would have mistaken you for a Manifestation of Chaos without one. I can’t believe I’m asking this, but…what does it say now?”
Kade wasn’t certain he wanted to know, not sure how much the bracer might be capable of impacting him; he had a whole backlog of unusual behavior he wasn’t ready to examine in this new light. With equal parts trepidation and determination he looked down at the display, the same caution from earlier prompted him to rapidly scroll past numerous messages about abilities he wasn’t supposed to have. Finally he found a way to isolate only the objective interface, and started reading.
Attention: [Path to Power] update!
Objective: Awaken Soul Core [Complete!]
Path: (1) Slay 10 Unstable Manifestations of Chaos [Complete!]
Path: (2) Utilize Soul Core Consumable [Complete!]
Attention: Soul Core Awakened, Interface update!
Searching for a new [Path to Power!]
Warning! Area of extreme Chaotic Magical Energy detected!
Imminent Death detected, generating new [Path to Power!]
Objective: Survive area of extreme Chaotic Magical Energy
Path: (1) Utilize stored latent mana to create additional consumable [Complete!]
Kade read the final line with confusion, until he realized there was now an object in his closed, left fist. Opening his hand, he was confronted with a small, sapphire-blue object. Edwin noticed Kade’s behavior and came to inspect the object. “Did your bracer just fabricate that? What is it?”
Kade glanced back at the bracer which had updated its display, then let out a small chuckle. “Apparently I had some change left over from my last fabrication. This, apparently, is a Mana Fragment.”