Tale of Eldramir

Ezekiel was standing outside the vault once more. He had just finished speaking with his mother, and after a heartfelt goodbye, along with a promise to keep his sister safe, he stepped into the open air. It hadn’t been the best of talks, and there hadn’t been enough time to really go through everything that had happened over the past year or so.

There were also his concerns regarding the state of her and Reya’s souls. The fact that they couldn’t don Spirit Armor anymore was bad. Especially since it didn’t seem like there was any benefit to their new transformation.

It was only the fact that he knew that the Church of Ten had excellent soul healers, and that his mother was protected by magically binding contracts that gave him the confidence to leave her here. That, and the fact that she wasn’t in any state to begin fighting again. Not at the scale that he was going to be getting into.

But despite all of this, he did feel a little bit lighter, knowing that his mother didn’t hate him for what he was about to do. She had even given him what little support she could, in the form of a letter that was tucked inside his pocket.

‘Do you think it’ll actually help? Didn’t your mom run away from home to elope with her family’s enemy?’ Shine had seen the letter that Evelyn had penned. While they couldn’t read it, they knew that it was just a basic letter of introduction.

‘You forget that it was the Shroud family that initially helped my mother and father escape from Morathi. Even if there were complications towards the end.’ Ezekiel removed the letter and placed it in a small Void Pouch that he tucked beneath his shirt. ‘They’ve also been in talks with the Church of Ten. We will have their support. I just hope that it will be enough.’

The thought of a battle between Mythical beings had haunted his sleep, but he also knew that none of the Exalts in the Empire approved of the current path the Emperor was taking. From what he knew, the Empire was just a few steps away from breaking the contract between the Imperial family and their guardian Exalts.

Once that contract was brokens, the Mythic Hunters in the Empire would have free reign to do as they wished. Including restructuring the broken empire into something that wasn’t so wretched.

Thinking about the Empire also got him thinking about the situation with the Cruor. The timing of everything was just so perfect. Given what was happening, it was almost impossible to get any real support from the various factions he had ties to.

‘I wonder...’ Given all the information he had discovered so far, he couldn’t help but think that the Cruor, their Broods in particular, had a deeper connection to the events behind the Cult than he had previously thought.

He could feel something forming in his soul. Like he was on the cusp of yet another [Understanding]. One that was utterly alien to everything he had known before. Yet far more intrinsic to his magic, and the magic of the world, than anything else.

It was just beyond the tip of his fingers, and Ezekiel found himself coming to a stop as his thoughts wandered. A swirl of ideas formed in his soul, but it merely twisted around and around. No result was achieved, no matter how he let his mind ponder.

‘What’s wrong?’ Shine chimed in and pulled Ezekiel back to the present.

‘Nothing. I just feel like we’re missing something.’ He put his failed enlightenment out of his mind. There was no point in getting upset about it. Not when he had much more important matters to focus on. ‘Let’s move. The girls are waiting for us.’

With a flex of his mana, Ezekiel disappeared with a crack of displaced air.

----------

There was somewhat of an anxious atmosphere as Ezekiel reappeared in the air above the port of Sanafalls. His [Slingshot] spell launched him into the air at speeds too fast for others to see, only to come to an abrupt halt once the energy used ran out.

‘I still think that spell should be better than it is...’ Shine complained as they slowly descended toward one of the larger ships that were currently docked.

‘Don’t forget why it’s so much cheaper than a [Jump] spell. It's less controlled, less precise, and less safe since we don’t know if anything will get in our way during transit.’

Shine just grumbled in the face of Ezekiel’s logic.

Chuckling to himself, he and the Void Spirit soundlessly stepped onto the ship behind Riley and Wendy. The former was overlooking a few last-minute preparations. The latter was looking nervous and out of place.

Both were wearing armor, but it was clear who was more comfortable while wearing it. Riley moved with a nearly fluid-like grace as she moved about. Wendy was obviously much more restrained in her movements. She was stiff and fidgeting. Even though her armor was fitted and enchanted to perfection, she continued to pick at it here and there.

“Ezekiel!” Wendy nearly leapt in excitement when she saw that he had arrived. “Did mom... did she have anything to say during your talk with her?”

Ezekiel felt himself relax, ever so slightly, at the sight of his sister’s worries. “She seemed fine. Still upset that I was taking you with me, but I told her that you were of a high enough age and power that you had the right to make these kinds of decisions for yourself.”

Wendy beamed at him in utter joy, but he could tell that it was slightly strained. Like she was upset that their mother had wanted to hold her back.

“You know she’s just worried because she doesn’t want to lose you, right?” Ezekiel moved forward to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She tried to turn away, but Ezekiel kept a hand on her. “Never, not once, has mother ever been happy to see me leave. That’s because she loves me, just as she loves you. Don’t mistake a parent’s concern for their children’s well-being for doubt in your capabilities. She knows that things can happen outside of our control. That’s what she fears. Not that you are lacking. You know that, right?”

Wendy clenched her hands for a moment before forcing herself to relax. Ezekiel felt a bit of pride at seeing his sister having such self-control.

“I think I get it. But... I need to do this, don’t I?” Ezekiel could see that she seemed lost for a moment. Kare, clearly more aware of her emotional state than he was, nuzzled her neck and nipped at her hair. This seemed to snap her back into focus, and her face became more determined.

Ezekiel almost wanted to say that she didn’t have to come. That if she decided to stay, no one would judge her for it. But he kept his mouth shut.

“How much longer until we set out?” Wendy nearly shouted her question. She turned bright red a moment later when she realized what she had done.

“Right now.” Riley’s voice cut across the deck. The siblings both turned toward her. “All the ships are loaded and prepped. Last-minute checks have been completed. Our final Legend has also arrived. So, we can depart at any point.”

Ezekiel looked around and saw that the people on his ship were looking toward him for direction. Turning to Wendy, he saw that she looked ready to explode. She saw his glance and nodded her head.

“In that case, let’s set out! If we keep things on track, we should be able to reach the rest of the fleet in a couple of days. No need to make them wait for us.” Ezekiel’s voice rolled across the ship, and the sailors, Mages and Hunters alike, got to work.

Beside him, he could faintly hear Wendy muttering. “We’re coming sis... dad... We’ll get you both back, and make those bastards pay.”

‘I hope so, sis. I hope so.’ Ezekiel let his thoughts flow freely, and felt a comforting presence come from his partner through their bond. ‘But... I get the feeling that this war will be even worse than all the other ones we’ve been in.’

Looking out onto the water as the ship jerked forward, both Void users found themselves feeling anxious for what was to come. A sense of foreboding settled onto each of them. It was as if there was a storm forming on the horizon.

Before, they had been thrust into wars that weren’t started by them. The situation had simply been as bad as it could get. Yet now they were the ones starting a war. One that would see at least two of the most powerful beings in the world clash, all because of him and his family.

“Legend Ezekiel!” An unfamiliar voice cut through his thoughts, and his worries were pushed aside for now. “The Exalt has called you over to his ship. He wants to go over a few more things regarding the forces we’ve brought along with us.”

“Copy that, I’ll head over right now.” Ezekiel turned to the dozens of ships that were sailing around his own. “Riley, can you help Wendy get situated?”

Seeing the Flame Hunter nod and start leading his sister below deck, Ezekiel focused on the ship with the Prime Guild’s sigil on it.

Taking an enhanced leap forward, he flew through the air toward his destination. His anxiety flared up once more as he landed.

He couldn’t help but regret the fact that most of the journey was going to be like this.

----------

Elsewhere, well beyond the reach of the Archipelago’s building fleet, and the forces gathered under the banner of the Church of Ten, several figures were meeting in a room of all white light. One of which was familiar. Patriarch Howlend sat at the head of the Kindled family’s elders.

Each one was old and decrepit, having sat on this council for decades, if not centuries, and were clinging to their political power with everything they had.

In the back of his mind, Howlend couldn’t help but sneer in disdain at the simile fools that he was forced to interact with.

‘Stupid old men couldn’t even keep their Spirits alive. How worthless can you be?’ He was cautious not to voice his thoughts. Even though he was among the strongest people here, there were a few that would destroy him if they teamed up. ‘Though, the fact that you fell from Mythic just goes to show how the foolish truly are the luckiest.’

He had, for the last hour, been ignoring the ramblings of his so-called council. It had mostly just been a group of old men reminiscing about the times when they were the strongest. With countless boastful statements of how they were the true rulers of Morathi. How all would bow before them once more. As if the other families had ever bowed to theirs that easily.

“Word has reached us from the south. It seems like the fallen one’s child has gathered an army and is headed here to free his family.” A voice from one of the few elders that Howlend didn’t hate echoed through the gold clad room. “Should we begin making further preparations to wipe that scum off the face of the world?”

“The numbers are far less than what we feared. It’s likely that they won’t even make it to our shores.” Another elder spoke up in dismissal. “Besides, there’s no reason to get involved. We’ve nearly conquered Morathi, and even if they did get past the blockade set by the Empire, what’s a foolish little Void Mage going to do against our might?”

Howlend couldn’t stop the derisive snort that escaped him. To his side, his Spirit sighed in dismay.

“Do you have something to say, Howlend?” The elder to his immediate left raised his voice.

Howlend couldn’t help but clench his jaw at the lack of formal address. He was the patriarch of the family! It didn’t matter if the other man was the so-called Grand Elder. The lack of respect was enough to get anyone else lashed until the fell unconscious, at the least.

“I just think that the fact that we are relying so much on the Empire is laughable. Especially when they have failed, time and time again, to actually do anything to stop the Void Hunter from making progress.” Howlend didn’t look at the Grand Elder as he spoke. “I thought you said we were better than them. That we didn’t need their help. So, why are we relying on them to solve this problem? It’s bad enough we need to rely on their Exalt to finally tip the balance in our favor.”

“Be careful with your words! We are not relying on anyone!” The elder that had dismissed the concerns regarding the fleet from the Archipelago nearly stood up in anger, but Howlend leveled a glare at the weaker man, and he settled down. “We are letting their fools die for us, rather than wasting our family’s precious bloodline. There are few that hold the lineage of the Grand Elder and the other family founders in sufficient purity.”

“Then why the hell did we sell one of our newest breeding stock? Sure, any spawn that comes out of her would be worthless if they’re not Radiant, but at least we’d still have the bloodline.” Howlend nearly wanted to throw up with what he had just said, but he couldn’t deny that the selling of Warren’s daughter to the Empire wasn’t the best deal they could’ve gotten.

“The fact that you would even suggest that the spawn of darkness would be worthy of birthing our bloodline shows just how disrespectful you are towards your ancestors!” A hand slammed down on the table as the elder yelled. “The deal was good! And we gained much from--”

“Enough.” The word rang through the room like a gong. The weight of the Grand Elder’s words was much greater this time, and Even Howlend felt his heart skip a beat.

“We will not be fighting over this again. The deal was bad, and we could've gotten much more from it. That is all. What’s done is done.” The other elder curled in on himself, despairing at the Grand Elder’s statement. “Send a team of Hounds to reinforce the Empire’s blockade. Not enough to matter, but enough to show a presence. There’s one that’s fallen in with that damned Cult, isn’t there? Send them first. It’ll be a good show of our alliance.”

Howlend could read between the Grand Elder’s words. He was trying to clear the board of rogue elements. Something that he agreed with. It just irked him that the order wasn’t originating from himself.

“Very well. I’ll get right on that once this meeting is over.” Another elder said. “Is there anything else on the agenda?”

There was some shuffling, and for a moment, Howlend thought that he would finally get to leave.

“The girl broke through.” Howlend whipped his head to the side, as did the heads of every other elder in the room. “We don’t know how she did it, but somehow, she broke through to the peak of Tier two. Since her Spirit is still alive, and their bond is intact, it’s fully possible that she will break through to Tier three over the next few days.”

“... Irrelevant.” The Grand Elder spoke once more. “If anything, this increases her value, and we will likely be able to get more come the wedding date. Keep her healthy, and make sure that she knows what she is to do.”

“Shall we ‘train’ her, to ensure her compliance?”

“No. There is a risk of her breaking if we do that. Especially since we don’t want her subservient to the Cult while she is still ours.” Seeing the Grand Elder shake his head, Howlend knew that the other elders had erased all thought of brainwashing the child from their minds.

‘Simpering fools.’ He scoffed internally as he rolled his eyes. “I believe that means we are done here.”

Rising from his seat, he left the hall, not bothering to wait until he was dismissed. A couple of the other elders rose to go with him.

Those that remained looked on in anger, and the division within the Kindled family was made apparent. But Howlend didn’t care. He had plans to make and put into action.

Plans that he knew would see his rise to the pinnacle, as the sole true sovereign ruler of the western half of the Continent.

----------

It had been several days since the small fleet from Sanafalls had left for Morathi. They had met up with a few ships here and there. The stragglers that were hired by the Church so as to provide their support for this endeavor. But it was obvious that their forces were focused elsewhere.

“Damned Rot!” Ezekiel kicked over a chair as he read over another letter from another island.

The contents were the same as the last dozen had been. Each one saying that the island was sorry that they couldn’t provide more support, and that they had to focus on fighting against the Rot that had begun to spread across the islands.

“The fact that we’ve managed to double the size of our fleet is nothing to scoff at.” Wolken was sitting at the captain’s table in the quarters they were using. “We haven't even met up with the main fleet yet, and we have guaranteed support from the Shroud and Flurent families. Their forces are nothing to scoff at, and the families that follow them will give us the numbers we need to make this an even fight.”

“An even fight is not ideal. Especially since we don’t know how many Exalts that we’ll be facing.” Ezekiel’s worries had mostly been ignored by the Exalt until this point. But this time he perked up in confusion.

“I thought it was confirmed that there would only be the one Exalt from the Empire that would be moving to support the Kindled family?” That was what the reports that they had managed to acquire from the few Churches that still held power in the Empire had stated.

“I wouldn’t trust the messages coming out of the Empire with total certainty. There’s too much increasing influence by the nobles. Several Churches have already started sending people away, after all.” Ezekiel thought back to the most recent ship that had joined up with their fleet.

It was filled with Scholars, not Hunters, that had fled from the Empire in secret due to connections with himself, or for helping the rebels that had been put down. George, Fiana, and Marc had been among them. While he was happy to see old friends once more, he knew that things would have to be bad if they were forced out of the Empire already.

“Worse yet,” Ezekiel continued, “is the fact that we don’t know if the Cult of Light will be moving their own forces. I don’t doubt your power, but I know you can’t take on two Mythic Hunters on your own.”

Wolken’s eye twitched at the thought of fighting two Exalts at the same time. He had nearly died to the four Pseudo Mythics that the psychopaths from the Empire had sent against him. Those things were barely considered Mythic level in power.

Two true Mythics would be too much for him. Especially since there was no time limit that they would be restricted by.

“... We’ll just have to hope for the best. Besides, we don’t have to win this war. We just have to get your sister and father back. Then we can run.” Wolken smirked, but Ezekiel shook his head.

“Don’t joke about that. Abandoning this effort before the promises made to the Morathi Alliance are fulfilled is not an option. I cannot abandon those people to fight, and lose, my battles.” Out of the corner of his eye, Ezekiel saw that Wolken’s smirk had turned into a true smile.

‘Why does he keep testing you?’ Shine asked after seeing the smile for themself.

‘I don’t know, but it’s starting to get annoying. Especially since he certainly knows that we are aware of his tests by now.’ It had been strange when Ezekiel had first noticed the Exalt’s tests, but he had simply waved it off. He had no reason to change his answers just to please the man.

“Well, we’ll just have to do something to even the playing field. Won’t we?” Wolken stood up from his desk. “Come with me. We’ve got time, so we’re going to go train.”

Before he could protest, Ezekiel found himself yanked by the back of his coat, and the next thing he knew he was several hundred feet up in the air seated on the back of Wolken’s Spirit.

“Sit.” Wolken sat down cross legged and gestured for Ezekiel to do the same. “Shine, get out here. You should be a part of this.”

The Void Spirit rattled in their sheath for a second before an astral, opalescent, figure seemed to step out of the sword on Ezekiel’s waist. They took a cross legged position as well, sitting next to Ezekiel.

“Good. Now, we’re going to go over what you’ll need to reach Tier five.”

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow. He had been working on this for weeks but hadn’t made any progress. The fact that Shine wasn’t ready yet had stalled him greatly, but he didn’t allow that to keep him down. Though, he did wonder how Wolken’s lesson was supposed to help.

“Now, I know that you’re trying to break through on your own, so let me tell you how this guy broke through, and then pulled me up later.” This was something that Ezekiel was already aware of. It was the standard method of advancing, even for Tier four. “Simply put, you have to know what makes you special. Then, you have to use that as an anchor to pull your mana inwards, until you form a solid core that will contain and generate all of your mana.”

That brought Ezekiel up short. He had known about the core forming aspect, but not the knowledge aspect. He had thought that it had something to do with the different [Understandings] that he had acquired. How it mattered wasn’t something he had figured out yet.

“Something that makes me special?” He and Shine had unknowingly spoken in tandem.

“Indeed. I didn’t really get it myself. Not at first, but I figured it out after my Spirit told me about what they had been thinking about when they broke through.” Wolke patted the Spirit in a loving manner as he spoke. “Yes, they had thought about all the different [Understandings] they were aware of. But they couldn’t just mash them together until they stuck. That just doesn’t work.”

Ezekiel could feel Shine’s gaze on the side of his head. While that wasn’t the primary idea he had been using to try and break through, it had still been listed as an option.

Feeling a little indignant, Ezekiel started listing the different ideas he had for condensing mana into a solid core for himself. But as he went through the list, Wolken just shook his head. Even the Spirit beneath them started shaking as he listed more and more ideas. It took a moment, but Ezekiel realized that it was laughing at him.

“You are thinking too much in the realms of the physical. The material.” A sense of calmness seemed to emanate from Wolken as he spoke of what he knew of the breakthrough from Legend to Myth. “You must not forget that mana is not a physical thing. While it can cause physical phenomena, those phenomena are brought about by our desires, our [Will], and our [Understanding] of the element that we are attuned to. Hence, it cannot be a physical means that is used to create one’s mana core.”

Ezekiel felt as if he had stepped into a state of enlightenment once more. But it was subtle, like the final piece of a puzzle being put into place. He had learned much from his time in the Ancient’s Legacy, and it seemed like his final step was about to be made.

‘But... other than my element and my reincarnation, what makes me special? What do I want from my element?’ He came back to the present with a startled jerk. ‘There’s more to it. Not just what makes me special, but what makes me special in relation to my [Understanding] of the Void.’

He thought about it for a time, and before he knew it, the sun was setting.

“Well, I think that’s enough for now. Let’s get you back on the ship. We’ll be meeting up with the rest of the fleet tomorrow. Then, it’s off to war.” Wolken smiled widely, and Ezekiel knew that the man was excited to fight once more.

However, he wasn’t willing to let things lie. “Why do Mythics fall back to Legendary when their Spirit dies?”

He hadn’t meant to just blurt it out, but the words escaped him before he could think about what he was asking.

“I mean... not to sound rude, by why do you know this, but not the other Exalts? Wouldn’t knowing this mean that you’re capable of reaching Tier five on your own?”

Wolken just raised an eyebrow. There was silence for a moment before he answered.

“It’s because we didn’t break through on our own. Our Spirits dragged us up, and in doing so, mixed portions of their souls with ours in a permanent manner.” Wolken patted his Spirit once more. “Many Legends on the cusp of reaching the Mythic Tier were made aware of this information, thought it was never written down. Ultimately, rather than risk finding a new path, it was simply easier for them to do things this way. But because our souls were filled with our Spirit’s, once our Spirits die, our soul contract, and become permanently stunted. Never again capable of advancing.”

“... Is it a soul mutation?” Ezekiel thought of his mother and her current state.

“Perhaps. Though, I’ve heard that actual soul mutation is more distinct.” Wolken clearly knew what Ezekiel was referring to but wasn’t going to address it.

“What makes it so hard for Humans to advance then? Is it because those that came before didn’t achieve a true [Understanding] and were also brought up to Tier four thanks to their Spirit?” Ezekiel was muttering now. It was a puzzle that he needed to solve.

“That’s the most likely answer. But we’ll never know. Not unless you break through yourself.” Wolken’s words flowed in and out of Ezekiel’s ears. He was too absorbed in his thoughts. “Well, that's all for now. Let’s get back.”

With a snap of his fingers, Wolken’s Spirit shrank to its smaller size and wrapped around his neck. The sudden drop gave Ezekiel a momentary sense of vertigo, but he snapped to his senses quickly.

The two Hunters and their Spirit floated down to their ships. One, ready to sleep, the other, lost in thought, even as he returned to his lover and sister’s presence.

All the while, the Mythic Tier grew closer and closer.