Tale of Eldramir

It had been a full day since Ezekiel had kidnapped his old friend Riley. A day since he had retreated into the desert, doing his best to make as much distance between them as possible. Given that he wouldn’t be able to hide very easily, he figured that getting lost was his only option for now. For the moment, the only thing he knew about their position was the fact that they were headed both north, and away from Cult territory.

Currently, they were within Ezekiel’s enchanted tent. It was somewhat camouflaged but was mostly just reinforced to be able to withstand any possible sandstorms. Which was fortunate, because they were currently having to sit one out. The noise was making it somewhat difficult for Ezekiel to think. The unconscious body of Riley was also acting as a distraction.

“Are you sure that you should be doing this?” Shine asked for the umpteenth time. “Your mana is weaker than hers. Even if you don’t make her explode, you’ll still be too weak to affect her. Even without the Radiant mana that’s inside her, her Flame mana is still at the Adept level.”

“Perhaps, but that won’t be the case for too much longer.” Ezekiel said. “It’s regrettable, but I think it’s time we take some drastic measures.”

He couldn’t help but rub his fingers at this point. Specifically, the rings that his parents had given him when he was forced to leave Harkem. They had long since been recharged and were fully capable of bringing out the spells that his parents had left for him.

“That’s experimental too! You have no idea if absorbing the magic used to fuel those artifacts is even possible!” Shine exclaimed. “Besides which, wouldn’t there be an incompatible imprint from the mana that was used in the carving of the runes for the enchantments?”

“Theoretically, the will left behind should’ve dissipated after a couple of years without regular upkeep by the maker, so there shouldn’t be any conflict.” Ezekiel refuted. “Besides, I don’t plan on absorbing the Radiant and Obscure mana. But the Void mana that will appear once the two elements clash.”

This was a theory that Ezekiel had been working on in his spare time back in Sanafalls. It was an idea he had when he remembered how he had isolated the Tempest mana back at Trigat. At that time, he had used his void Panes to isolate the mana from any outside sources. This meant that it might be possible to create Void mana before absorbing other elements. He hadn’t had much time to test it, but the few instances that he had showed no issues.

He had even managed to get past the whole, ‘isolated from anything else’ issue, since his body was apparently strong enough to survive in a near vacuum space. Something that he attributed to his Void affinity. He still needed to breathe. So, it only lasted as long as he could hold his breath, but it worked.

Which is why he was willing to take the risk right now. The artifacts his parents gave him were charged with mana from Tier four, originally. It would’ve been impossible for him to activate an actual Legendary artifact, but even in its simplified and weakened state, these rings would be powerful enough to get him to Tier three. That much, he was certain.

“Is that why you were insistent that I share my mana with you as soon as possible? To get yourself to Step eight so we could attempt this?” Shine asked. “... Do you really think it’ll work?”

“I’m almost certain that it will. But the issue is that you won’t be able to help me right away.” Ezekiel said. “I need you to watch our prisoners, and make sure to wake me if they try anything.”

Looking over at Riley and Celia, Ezekiel honestly thought his words were a bit overkill, as there was little chance that they could do much. To be safe, Ezekiel had stripped Riley of anything that could be used against him. Including several hidden items and artifacts that were disguised beneath her clothing. He had felt horribly about it, as this wasn’t simply some bandit he was looting. This was a friend that was already in a bad situation.

Celia had been glaring at him the whole time, but she was barely even coherent due to the number of restraints he had placed on her. Of which he had similarly increased the number that were on Riley, as well, as well as blindfolded her and plugged her ears. Just as a precaution. He also stuck Celia inside a bag. To make sure that she couldn’t learn anything about him since she was corrupted by the Radiant Lord.

“Watch over me, okay?” Ezekiel said as he held the rings in his hands.

“You can count on me!” Shine replied.

Ezekiel just smiled before he locked himself in a box of Void Panes. Activating the rings in his hands, he forced the darkness that formed to come into being within the barrier of light that was made by the other ring. As this happened, the Obscure magic mixed with the Radiant magic, and just like he expected, the magic canceled one another out.

Void mana formed, and it didn’t dissipate since there was no ambient mana to fade into. Just more Void mana forming from the clash of the two magic rings. Better yet, Ezekiel saw that it was forming faster than he was using his own to hold up the Void Panes. That was ultimately the linchpin in his plan.

Grinning to himself, Ezekiel pictured the centrifugal compressor within his mana pool. He immediately found that the mana that was being formed outside his body was being sucked in. Better yet, he could feel his mana rising closer and closer to the next Step.

However, as this was happening the mana maintaining the enchantments on the artifacts was burning out. It wouldn’t take too long before the artifacts either shattered, or simply fizzled out.

Ezekiel, knowing that this would happen, could only hope that the rings would last for at least a few attempts at breaking through to Tier three. He didn’t have the luxury of pure mana crystals, after all.

As that thought crossed Ezekiel’s mind, he made a mental note to do some investigating in the Fjorya if he could. It was apparently a hotspot for pure mana crystals. For both the Empire and Tarquessa. Given how powerful His and Shine’s souls had gotten over the last few years, it wasn’t like it would harm them too much to quicken their progress.

Several dozen kilometers southwest of Ezekiel’s current position, Fiana, George, Marc, and Cinder were approaching the outcropping Ezekiel had left just a day ago. They were accompanied by a group of Hunters from Dross. It was a varied group, with Hunters from several different Guilds. They were set up somewhat like a merchant caravan, with several wagons splayed out in a defensive formation.

There were no markings to indicate where the caravan had come from. Nor were the three Scholars inside wearing any identifying markers that could imply they were members of the Church of Ten. The Hunters, as well, were wearing generic clothes and armor with no identifying Guild sigils.

As deep as they were in enemy territory, this was the least they could do to ensure that they weren’t caught by the Cult’s forces. Though, the fact that they had made it this far into Cult territory gave them hope that the war was starting to turn in their favor. Though, the lack of conflicts might be because few were willing to brave the desert during a sandstorm like they currently were.

“Are you sure that this is a good idea?” Marc asked Fiana as they traveled through the sandstorm covering the region. “Once we get there, if we keep going, there won’t be any support that we can rely on. We’re lucky they were willing to take such a large group into the Cult’s territory in the first place.”

Fiana gave Marc a glance but continued to look over the map that she had spread in front of her. The two were huddled up inside one of the wagons. At the moment, the only ones outside were the Tempest and Cavern Mages and Spirits that were defending against the storm.

George and Cinder were with them but had fallen asleep some hours ago. Leaving only Fiana, Marc, and a couple of other Adepts still awake. Most were anticipating what would happen when they reached their destination. They were only a few minutes out at this point.

“Given what information we received from the town, we know that they’re current route north isn’t going to remain the same. As such, the only choice we have is to go to the trade route outpost.” Fiana explained. “With our current numbers, we should have nothing to worry about. Regardless of whether or not the Red Stone Guild succeeded.”

At this point, she grimaced in annoyance, knowing that her next few words would not bring Marc any comfort.

“As for what happens next... We have the option of continuing with the mission, sabotaging at least three more bases along their border, or breaking off to return, should Ezekiel no longer be with the Red Stone Guild.” Fiana spoke in a solemn tone.

“You mean, should Ezekiel be dead.” Marc stated. “I know that you hope otherwise, but you know just as well as I do, that the Cult would dedicate all their available forces to killing him once they found out that he was here.”

“Our contract says, ‘no longer with the Red Stone Guild’ and I am holding to those words.” Fiana said. “How can you think that he’s dead? He’s one of our friends, and far more capable than anyone else we know of his age.”

Marc winced at the reprimand but didn’t refute her words. In truth, he had been hoping that Ezekiel was alive, just as much as she and George had. But after seeing the aftermath of some of the battles they had passed by, he was finding it hard to hold onto that hope.

“It’s a shame that they couldn’t send a Com-Slate with the group but given the number of traps that groups have fallen into, I can understand why they stopped using them. Better not to let the enemy get their hands on them.” Marc said.

Fiana snorted in amusement at Marc’s obvious attempt to change the subject. She agreed with his statement but wasn’t sure how she wanted to reply. Suddenly, a banging on the side of the wagon filled the area, and everyone inside woke up. They had arrived at their destination.

The rocky outcroppings around them ensured that they weren’t too disrupted by the winds and the sand. But it was difficult for them to make their way into the base all the same. Though the lack of defensive formations did indicate that the Red Stone Guild had most likely succeeded. However, there were some wary glances as they turned towards one of the buildings that had utterly collapsed into a hole.

They could all tell that a battle had occurred here. One that was far more difficult than they had been led to believe would’ve been possible. At least in accordance with the information they had received prior to their departure.

Several Hunters suddenly appeared, ready for battle, and with spells aimed to take out the caravan as fast as possible. If only to retreat while they were recovering. Luckily, the leaders of the caravan had been given a passphrase to give when they caught up to the Red Stone Guild.

“Get ready, you bloody stoned block heads!” One of the captains called out. As the members of the caravan prepared for a fight, not knowing the signal, the defending Hunters relaxed, and gave back their own phrase.

“Get bent, you dried up old prunes.” The Hunter’s words caused several men in the caravan to bristle in anger, but their leaders held up a hand to stop them.

“Where is your captain? I need to speak with him regarding his mission. As I’m sure you are aware, things have changed since it was originally commissioned.” The caravan leader said.

“Our captain is dead. I’m currently in charge.” The Hunter who gave them the passphrase called out. “For now, let’s get inside. We need to discuss things in a less annoying environment.”

With those words, the Hunter motioned for them to move inside. Some of the caravan stayed to set the wagons for protection. But the majority moved inside the largest building that was still standing. As they entered, they all let out sighs of relief as they removed some of their protective gear. Fiana, George, and Marc were particularly thankful, as they were unaccustomed to the desert environment.

As the leader of the Red Stone Guild’s Hunters removed her own protective gear, many of the new arrivals winced as they saw that she still had several bandaged wounds.

“Where are your injured? We have a couple of Life Mages with us. They should be able to help.” The caravan leader said. The Red Stone captain gestured to one of the nearby rooms. Two Life mages went off to begin giving treatment, while one remained to give the new captain help.

“What happened here?” The caravan leader asked. Fiana and the other Scholars leaned in to see if there was any news regarding Ezekiel.

“The cult found out we were coming. Had an extra force that was here to attack the kid we were escorting to the Fjorya.” The new captain said, her voice filled with frustration and anger. “Our numbers were roughly equal, but most of us were tired from taking out the original defenders of the base. If it wasn’t for the kid causing a couple distractions with those weird flares, we would’ve died fairly quickly.”

“Kid with flares? You mean Ezekiel?” Fiana asked.

“Yeah, as much as I want to hate him for being their target, since I saw them call him Anathema, we started this mission knowing that this was a possibility. I just wish the guy didn’t decide to cut and run when the final fight broke out. But, whatever, it was in his contract. Now, we leave him to his fate.” The new captain said with a tired tone.

While the conversation wasn’t heading into a direction that Fiana liked, she was at least thankful that the woman wasn’t swearing vengeance against Ezekiel. That would’ve made things awkward for them.

“I don’t suppose you know where he went?” Fiana asked. “Our own mission, not everyone’s, but ours, involves meeting up with him as soon as possible.”

“Northeast, if he’s headed to where he was before. Though, without a wagon, or any other transportation, I don’t know how long that’s going to take.” The Huntress said. “He didn’t have a map either, so he might not even make it to Zime. Not if the desert claims him first.”

The three Scholars and Cinder all flinched at that thought. Cinder had some support and didn’t need to stick around. But the other three were on a mission. One that didn’t have too many consequences if they failed. But the fact that Ezekiel was alive meant that they didn't want to give up just yet.

But now they were faced with a conundrum. How the heck were they supposed to find him when he was lost in the desert?

It had been several hours since Ezekiel had started absorbing Void mana from the clash of elements brought about by the use of his rings. In a way, it was almost as easy as absorbing Void mana from pure mana crystals directly, though it was actually much slower.

By the time he had opened his eyes, he had fully reached the peak of Step nine, and was ready to make his first attempt at breaking through to Tier three. Shine, too, was at the peak of Step nine, thanks to Ezekiel sharing his mana through their bond.

Unfortunately, this was not without consequences. As the rings his parents had given him were now cracked in several places. Luckily, since Shine’s soul was strong enough to reach Tier three on their own, the number of attempts Ezekiel could make to open his third chakra were much bigger. After a few more steps were taken.

“Are you sure you want to do this? We both know it would be easier for you if I broke through first.” Ezekiel said as he sat within a barrier room with Shine on his lap.

Once Ezekiel had ensured that Riley and Celia were still fully secured, Shine brought up a point that he hadn’t thought of. Shine didn’t need to open chakras to advance their Tier. They just needed a large enough soul, and enough mana to break the barrier between Tiers. Something that was difficult to do in nature, unless there was an abundant source of mana. In this case, an enclosed area where the only mana present would be Void mana.

Although there was a risk that the Spirit in question would harm themselves if they forced their Tier up too quickly. Hence Ezekiel’s concern, as he knew he’d be able to help Shine control the mana within them if he Tiered up first.

“I can break through easier than you! Once I do, I can share a higher quality of mana that will let you more easily look for your third chakra.” Shine said. “We’d only have two attempts at most if we tried to open your chakra using the ring. This method is smarter, since my soul will regenerate mana to the point where you can reach the peak as many times as needed. Let me do this.”

Unfortunately, Ezekiel knew that Shine had a good point. The only reason they hadn’t done this to reach Tier two was because Shine’s soul was too weak to withstand the advancement to Tier two when Ezekiel broke through. This was another reason that Hunters broke through more easily than Mages.

Channeling his mana to create a barrier around himself and Shine, Ezekiel activated his rings, generating Void mana from the clash. He also released a fair amount of his own mana into the atmosphere, further increasing the ambient mana within the sealed environment.

Shine continued to try and absorb the last motes of mana that he needed in order to reach Tier three. Ezekiel continued to generate as much Void mana as possible, but the process was slowing down. The enchantments on the rings were breaking, and he was also running low on mana, to the point where he now had to focus solely on maintaining the barriers around them.

He remained sitting there, watching Shine as they attempted to reach the next Tier. Nearly an hour passed, and it seemed like Shine wasn’t going to make it. The rings as well, had nearly reached their breaking point. Their spells were beginning to flicker, but if what Ezekiel was sensing was correct, there should've been at least enough mana to fill a Step one Adept’s mana to the top.

Ezekiel was starting to wonder if something had gone wrong, and was about to poke Shine through their bond, when the sound of breaking glass filled his mind. All the mana within the barrier he had erected flooded into Shine’s soul. The aura of an Adept level Spirit filled the shelter they were in.

“... I did it...” Shine’s voice weakly called through their bond.

For a moment, Ezekiel nearly had a heart attack, thinking that Shine had severely injured themself. But as Shine’s consciousness began to fade, so did his, and a familiar feeling overcame him.

Surrounded by the now familiar field of stars within an ink blackness. Ezekiel took a moment to calm himself. He now understood that Shine’s weakened voice was merely them falling into a state of enlightenment once again. Looking around himself, Ezekiel felt a sense of awe as he witnessed the enormous nebulae that shifted at a distance from himself that he could not measure.

As he turned around, he once again saw the familiar figure of Shine’s soul. This time their soul was roughly two thirds the size of his own, but Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel like the difference would be smaller, but he had also grown. This time around, Ezekiel knew not to distract his partner as they comprehended the magic of the Void.

Instead, he looked into the distance as well. This time, he focused on his personal desires. He focused on what he wanted to do most with his magic. The theory he had formulated regarding his hopes to undo the effects of the Radiant Lord’s Light.

As he thought about this desire, a pulling sensation seemed to draw upon his mind. He directed his attention towards a particular star in the distance. He stared at it intently, and after a few moments, felt his mind be towards it.

Several scenes passed through his mind. He saw the Void Panes he learned to create turn the sealed space within into absolute vacuums. He saw the space within disperse any and all things that entered it. Including spells. Then the idea of the spell was transferred.

Ezekiel’s mind pulsed painfully for a moment, and he realized that that wasn’t what was happening. It wasn’t the idea that was being transferred, it was the concept. The concept of nothingness that existed within an absolute vacuum. This nothingness was then applied to whatever it was applied to. Causing said item, or being, to forcibly be dispersed into nothingness. Though it seemed that there were limitations.

Physical entities had a self-sustaining weight to their existence, meaning that they were composed of their own concepts and ideas. Thus, Ezekiel could cause a certain degree of physical damage, but it would be on the same level as any other Adept level spell. As the power was dependent on his understanding of nothingness. Something that he was only barely grasping at.

Similarly, it would affect the first thing that it touched, be it body, or spell. Thus, he could now disperse the spells of others, nullifying them upon contact with his mana. But only so long as it was of an equal or lesser level of power.

Given he was only a peak Apprentice, he wouldn’t be able to affect a Legendary’s spell at the moment. A peak Adept might be difficult as well. Even at Tier three, he might only be able to make one stutter before his mana was forced away. Only when he reached the higher Steps of Tier three at that.

By this point, Ezekiel’s mind was starting to feel an almost unbearable pressure. As if he was forcibly comprehending things that he wasn’t meant to yet. But even though he refused to let that hold him back, he understood that this was his limit. At least for now.

Feeling his consciousness fading away, Ezekiel turned to Shine for a moment, only this time, instead of seeing them staring into the distance, Shine’s soul was right in front of him. He had barely a moment to think before Shine wrapped their spiritual arms around him. A feeling of happiness and joy filled him as Shine shared their feelings with him.

Before he could ask as to what they had learned, his vision once again faded to black. This time, he did not wake up in a field of stars.

Coming out of his state of enlightenment, Ezekiel found it difficult to breathe. There was a weight on his neck, and his mind felt foggy. It was as if he was still drifting in and out of consciousness, and he was too weak to force himself to wake up. The only other times he had felt like this before were when he was on the brink of death and laying in a recovery bed.

“Get the hell off him!” A young and metallic sounding voice rang out through the shelter.

Ezekiel suddenly found the weight on his neck had disappeared. A pained grunt alerted him to the fact that a body had been forcibly moved. Taking in a deep gasp of air, and doing his best to soothe his throat, Ezekiel realized that he had just been choked. Specifically, as he sat up and looked around, he realized that Riley had maneuvered her body, still tightly bound, in such a way as to lie on top of him.

She had done it in just the right position to put enough weight on his neck to mostly block his airways. Had he been under her for any longer, it was likely he would’ve passed out again, and perhaps he wouldn't have woken up. Fortunately for him, Shine regained consciousness at the same time, and was far more aware than he was.

As it was, Shine was currently banding Riley on the head with the flat of their sheath covered blade. A couple of good whacks ended up knocking her out again. Ezekiel felt a bit concerned, as he still wanted to save her, but it seemed like her body was tough enough to withstand most of the damage.

“Thank -cough- you, Shine.” Ezekiel said as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. The realization that he had nearly died just now had his heart racing.

As he took a moment just to breathe, he suddenly turned to Shine. Their voice had been verbalized, not internal like usual. For the first time since their soul took form, Shine had spoken aloud.

“You spoke!” Ezekiel exclaimed. “I guess that’s part of what you got from your enlightenment?”

Shine, who was actually floating in the air, bobbed up and down, as if to nod their head.

“Yes! I learned how to do telekinesis. It lets me move stuff more precisely than just changing things like Push and Pull, or gravity. I can vibrate the air using my body to make a voice.” Shine shouted in joy. A bit too loud, as Ezekiel had to cover his ears.

“The only problem is that it takes a lot of mana. But I think the voice boxes you were making should work better now.” Shine explained. “I don’t think I can keep this up long, though, so it’ll be mental communications for a little while longer.

Shine fell silent as they finished explaining their new ability. They then floated over to Ezekiel, touching him in the forehead with their pommel. Ezekiel found himself assaulted by several images of different Void magic being used. But the most prevalent thing he obtained from this was the ability to precisely move physical objects. Directly moving them with his mind, rather than applying physical forces through alterations of physical and spatial constructs.

Ezekiel then shared his Dispersal spell with Shine, but it seemed like there was a block that stopped him from sharing the knowledge. It was as if Shine’s soul was still too weak to comprehend the magic that Ezekiel was trying to share.

They couldn’t understand why this was, but while Shine was a bit upset, Ezekiel figured that it had to do with the fact that his soul was at least a full Tier stronger than Shine’s. The gap was closing, given that a smaller soul is easier to grow. But Ezekiel was still stronger than Shine, and even he had felt quite a bit of pain as he had learned the spell.

A thought crossed his mind as he pondered this. During his enlightenment, he had thought that his new spell was imposing the ‘idea’ of nothingness onto a target. But he ended up correcting himself and understood that it was the ‘concept’ of nothingness. It now felt wrong to think of it as being anything else but a ‘concept’.

He wondered if this was part of the key to reaching Legendary without a Spirit. It had been briefly explained to him in his first encounter with a Remnant of the Void that a Spirit would instinctively comprehend their element as they grew stronger. Figuring out new spells, and more easily manipulating mana as they rose in Tiers.

Humans needed to train their mana to regain any control they lost as their power improved. Was it possible that the innate understanding wasn’t just a result of growing stronger, but actually a requirement as well? A thought for later, Ezekiel decided, but he did make sure to share with Shine, who agreed that, upon their Tier up, something seemed to click in their head. But they had felt an immense amount of pressure as they did.

“We’ll figure this out later.” Ezekiel decided. “For now, I think we need to get me to Tier three.”

“Understood. I’ll share some of my mana to top you up. The we can begin the soul searching for your third chakra.” Shine replied. “Is she tied up better now?”

Ezekiel glanced to the side, where the still unconscious Riley was now bound to a large rock that he had dragged into the, now very cramped, shelter. Celia was tied up next to her, in such a way as to also be totally immobilized.

Ezekiel was beginning to worry about how poorly he was treating her, but he knew that these precautions were necessary, or else she would continue trying to kill him. Something that neither he nor Shine would allow.

“Yeah. She’s not going anywhere this time. We can take as long as we need to get me to Adept.” Ezekiel said. “Are you ready?”

Shine gave a mental nod to confirm that they were ready. Ezekiel took a deep breath, and then tried not to flinch as the uncomfortable feeling of having Shine shove their soul into his own was all he could think about for a moment. But as he regained his focus, he sent his own consciousness into the spiraling pathways within his soul.

This went on for several hours. The increased area that they had to search through took far longer than it did for him to reach Tier two. To the point that he was worried that they would have to take several days to find his chakra. But it seemed like luck was on their side today, as just before Ezekiel reached his limit, Shine sent out a signal to him. They had found his third chakra.

Sending his consciousness towards Shine’s, Ezekiel seemed to lose all sense of time, but he soon arrived at the area of his soul where his third chakra had formed. Unlike before, he was not as hurried, and he managed to see what the chakra actually looked like within his soul.

It was almost like a stone door had formed within him. It was shut right now, but all he needed to do was send his mana towards it, and it would open. It was as if all he had to do was reach out, and push. So, he did. This time focusing all his mana directly towards his chakra, not allowing any of it to go to waste. The bloated feeling of having Shine’s consciousness within his soul immediately lessened. He felt a sense of pressure be lifted from his shoulders, and a bright, opalescent, light filled his vision.

Ezekiel opened his eyes. For a moment, he thought that nothing had happened. But as he shifted his head from side to side, looking around the shelter, a strand of white caught his eyes. Holding a hand up to his head, he pulled his hair towards his face. It was a shocking white color that was a stark contrast to his previously dark hair.

Reaching into his Void Pouch, he pulled out a mirror. Checking his appearance, he realized that his eyes had also changed. They now appeared to be pure white, regardless of when he channeled his mana. He wasn’t sure what to feel about these changes, but at least the slight tan he had gotten from living in an island nation for eight years hadn’t disappeared.

“Ezekiel, are you okay?” Shine asked with a hint of worry, as Ezekiel had stared at his reflection for several minutes now. “Is everything alright?”

Turning his attention to his bonded Spirit, Ezekiel couldn’t help but laugh. Of course he was alright. He had made another stride in the proper direction. He had broken through to an entire Tier that no Void Mage had ever even thought of touching before. There wasn’t a single thing he thought he couldn’t do right now.

With that in mind, he turned to Riley, still tied to a rock. He still had to wait a little while, before his mana fully regenerated. But when it did, he was going to free his friend from the Cult of Light. No matter what.