The Red Fang gathered at the canyon's mouth, staring at the ruins of the shattered barrier. The chains that once glowed with lethal energy now hung lifeless, swaying in the breeze. The smell of scorched glyphs lingered, sharp and acrid, a reminder of how close they had come to being trapped forever.
Reid stood apart from the others, his arm still throbbing with the shard's corruption. The black veins had spread farther, now faintly branching toward his neck. When he blinked, the world wavered, shadows stretching unnaturally at the edges of his vision. He said nothing, but his silence made the Red Fang whisper.
Kaela approached carefully, eyes scanning his face. "They're looking at you like you're something else entirely."
Reid didn't turn. "They should. I'm not who I was."
Lira dropped down from a rock, smirking. "Oh, come on. They're in awe. A little fear keeps things interesting."
Mara crossed her arms from the sidelines, her voice clipped. "Fear doesn't win wars. Trust does. And right now, they're losing theirs in you."
The Bond's whisper slithered into his thoughts, almost amused. "Let them fear. Fear is respect wearing a mask."
Around the campfires, voices rose. Some warriors praised Reid, calling him the storm that broke the council's cage. Others muttered darkly, claiming he had become something unnatural. A few even avoided looking at him entirely. The tension was palpable, like the camp was balanced on a blade's edge.
Kaela addressed the warriors, her voice firm. "He fought for us. Without him, we'd be dead."
A veteran spat into the fire. "And what will he fight for next? Us, or that thing inside him?"
Reid listened without stepping in. The whispers about him didn't hurt—they just felt distant, like echoes from another life.
Lira threw an arm around his shoulders with a teasing grin. "See? You've got them talking. Means you matter."
Mara's sharp tone cut through. "Or means they're one step away from turning on him."
At dawn, a scout stumbled back to camp, half-burned and shaking. "The council… they know the barrier's gone. They've pulled back their armies, but something else is coming. Something massive."
He collapsed before finishing. His armor was scorched with strange marks—not from fire, but from chains of light.
Kaela's eyes hardened. "They're bringing out weapons we haven't seen before."
Reid knelt by the scout, fingers brushing the burned sigils. They glowed faintly with a sickly blue light. "This isn't from soldiers. This is something older."
The Bond's voice shifted, low and almost reverent. "Ah… they're awakening relics. Chains older than the council itself. This will be… entertaining."
Mara crouched near the marks, frowning. "If they're pulling relics, we need to rethink our approach."
Lira stretched lazily, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Or we break it before it breaks us. Worked last time, didn't it?"
Reid rose slowly, his vision briefly warping as whispers beyond the Bond flickered at the edges of his hearing. They were faint, like distant voices speaking in a language he almost understood. He clenched his fist, steadying himself. "We move at dusk. We take the fight to them."
System prompt:
[Quest Updated: March Toward the Council's Capital]
[Optional Objective: Uncover the Origin of the Relic Chains]
The Red Fang broke camp under a sky streaked with red clouds. The march was silent except for the crunch of boots against gravel. The canyon gave way to rolling hills marked by abandoned outposts, each one bearing the scorch marks of old battles. Strange glyphs glowed faintly on the stones, reacting to Reid's presence with a faint hum.
Kaela walked at his side. "You're hearing things again, aren't you?"
Reid gave a slight nod. "Voices. Not the Bond. Something else. It's like they're calling me."
The Bond hissed with displeasure. "Ignore them. They are chains trying to bind you again."
Lira grinned, trying to cut the tension. "Great, more voices. As if one creepy whisper wasn't enough."
Mara's tone was sharp. "Don't joke about it. If he loses control, none of us walk out of this."
Reid's expression hardened. "Then I won't lose control."
The hills ended abruptly at a jagged ridge. Beyond it, the capital's outer defenses loomed—massive walls covered in writhing chains that pulsed with light. At their base, ancient glyphs carved into the stone glowed faintly, matching the whispers in his head.
The Bond's voice grew louder, its tone unsteady for the first time. "Those chains… they are not of the council. They are something far worse."
Reid tightened his grip on Veil Rend. "Then we break those too."
As night fell, the Red Fang approached the ridge overlooking the capital's outer defenses. The city below was a sprawl of towers wrapped in glowing chains, each link covered in ancient runes that pulsed with eerie light. The sight alone made several warriors whisper prayers under their breath.
Kaela narrowed her eyes. "Those chains… they're not like the barrier. They're older."
Reid's head throbbed as the whispers grew louder. The voices spoke in a language he didn't know, yet he understood the intent: warning and welcome mixed into one. He staggered briefly, gripping his head. "They're calling me."
The Bond's tone turned sharp, almost panicked. "Do not listen. These relics are not allies. They will strip you bare."
Mara touched one of the outpost stones, jerking back as it glowed faintly under her hand. "These glyphs… they respond to him. Whatever this is, it's tied to the shard."
Lira glanced at Reid, curiosity replacing her usual grin. "So, what? You've got a fan club now? Chains that whisper sweet nothings?"
Reid didn't answer. His focus stayed on the massive gate where the relic chains anchored. "They know me. Or what's inside me."
Far below, inside the capital walls, Selene observed from a tower balcony. Her eyes glowed faintly as she watched Reid through a scrying mirror. "He approaches the relic chains. Good. Let him touch them."
Commander Ryn hesitated. "You're certain they won't kill him?"
Selene smiled thinly. "If they do, our problem ends. If not… he will carry them where we need."
Behind her, shadowy figures stood silently, their presence radiating menace. The council's plan was already in motion.
The Red Fang descended into the outer valley cautiously. Strange glyphs lined the ground, pulsing faintly as if alive. The air was heavy, charged with power that made hair stand on end. Then the earth cracked.
A massive figure rose from the ridge—an armored giant wrapped entirely in relic chains. Its face was hidden behind a mask of runes, and its steps shook the ground. The chains around it moved like limbs, snapping at the air.
Kaela gripped her spear. "What is that?"
Mara's voice was barely a whisper. "A guardian. The relics have their own defenders."
Reid felt the shard pulse violently. The Bond hissed. "That thing is no mere guardian—it is a prison walking. Host, destroy it before it binds us."
The guardian raised a chain-covered hand, runes blazing as it swung. The strike hit the ground where Reid had stood moments before, shattering stone into dust.
Lira smirked, blades ready. "Finally, something interesting."
Reid rolled to his feet, Veil Rend blazing with energy. "Bring it down. Fast."
The guardian moved with surprising speed, chains whipping in every direction. Kaela parried a strike that would have crushed a warrior, only to be thrown back by the force. Lira danced between strikes, cutting at exposed runes. Mara's arrows struck glowing joints, slowing its movements.
Reid charged head-on, the shard's energy flaring as he clashed with the guardian. The Bond's voice rose, half warning, half exhilaration. "Do not let it wrap us! Tear through before it tightens the seal!"
Chains coiled around his arm mid-strike, burning with runes that tried to siphon the shard's power. Pain seared through him, and visions flashed—ancient battles, gods binding something vast in chains. The voices in his head screamed, overlapping the Bond's own roar.
With a surge of will, Reid ripped free, his blade slicing the chain. Darkness surged up Veil Rend, merging with the relic's energy. He struck again, severing more chains until the guardian staggered.
Kaela's spear pierced the glowing rune on its chest. Lira vaulted off its arm, driving her blade into its masked face. Mara's final arrow hit the back of its neck, detonating in a burst of rune-light.
The guardian collapsed, its chains falling limp. The ground pulsed once and went still.
System prompt:
[Relic Guardian Defeated – Path to the Capital Opens]
[Hidden Effect: Relic Energy Absorbed by the Shard]
Reid stood over the fallen guardian, chest heaving. The black veins under his skin shimmered faintly with traces of blue light. The whispers grew louder, clearer.
Kaela stared at him. "That energy… it's changing you again."
Reid's voice was steady, but darker. "Then they should be afraid."
The Bond was silent, as if listening.
The capital's walls loomed ahead, towering structures wrapped in relic chains that writhed as if alive. Every link shimmered with runes, and their glow painted the night in ghostly blue. The whispers in Reid's head were louder than ever, now almost words he could understand. They spoke of power, binding, and something sealed beneath the city.
Kaela scanned the defenses with a grim expression. "We'll have to break through those chains to even reach the gates."
Lira rested her blades across her shoulders. "Guess it's another round of smash and slash. I'm in."
Mara frowned. "This feels different. Those runes aren't just barriers—they're alive."
The Bond finally spoke, voice low and tense. "Those are the original chains. They bound gods long before your council existed. Host, approach carefully or they will strip you bare."
Reid stepped forward, the blue light reflecting off the black veins under his skin. "Then we break them before they break us."
Inside the capital, Selene watched the advancing figures from the highest tower. Her fingers tightened on the railing. "He absorbed the relic's energy. The chains will react violently."
Commander Ryn stood at her side. "And if they fail?"
Selene's smile was cold. "Then he will awaken what sleeps beneath. Either way, the council wins."
Below, the streets were eerily empty. Citizens had been evacuated; only armored sentinels remained, their bodies bound with smaller chains that glowed like molten steel. They moved unnaturally, their eyes hollow, controlled by the relic magic.
The Red Fang advanced cautiously, the air around the walls thick with pressure. As they neared, the chains writhed, uncoiling like serpents. One lashed out, striking the ground and leaving a smoking crater. Warriors dove aside as the walls came alive.
Kaela shouted, "They're defending the city like a living beast!"
Mara's arrows struck at the moving links, but each impact only slowed them briefly. Lira vaulted off debris, cutting through a chain, only to have two more snap toward her. Reid intercepted, his blade shattering the runes with a crack of dark energy.
The Bond's voice was sharp. "Do not let them touch you fully. These chains are not like the rest—they will drain more than power."
Reid swung Veil Rend, slicing through a writhing link. The severed chain recoiled, releasing a wave of blue light that burned against his skin. The whispers surged, momentarily drowning out everything else.
Kaela pulled him back. "You're losing focus!"
He growled, steadying himself. "I'm fine. Keep pushing."
The gate itself was sealed by three massive chains anchored to glowing glyph pillars. Each link pulsed like a heartbeat, reacting to Reid's presence. He stepped forward, corruption flaring as his arm trembled.
The Bond hissed. "Strike them quickly. Every second here feeds them."
The Red Fang split up—Kaela to the left pillar, Lira to the right, Mara covering from above. Reid went for the center, Veil Rend blazing with dark and blue energy. Chains lashed from all directions, forcing them to move as one.
Kaela shattered the first pillar with a precise spear strike. Lira danced through the chaos, severing the second. Reid roared as he drove his blade through the final glyph, the explosion rocking the walls.
System prompt:
[Gate Bindings Destroyed – City Defenses Faltering]
[Hidden Effect: Relic Chains Attuning to the Shard]
The gates groaned open, their chains falling limp. Beyond them, the streets glowed faintly, and the whispers in Reid's head reached a fever pitch.
Kaela caught his arm as he staggered. "Reid, whatever's inside those walls—it's calling to you."
Reid's voice was quiet but resolute. "Then we answer."
The Bond's tone was low, almost reverent. "At last, host… the heart."