Tale of Eldramir

Ezekiel’s recovery was fairly swift, though he did end up with several more scars due to the rapid rate at which he had healed. The Life magic used should have taken at least a few days to finish its work, but Ezekiel wanted to be up and ready before they made landfall. So, he had [Empowered] the magic in order to heal faster. He figured that, if he really cared about the scarring, he’d be able to fix it later.

For now, he was content to gaze into the distance at his current destination.

“There it is.” Ezekiel now stood at the prow of the ship, Riley and Wendy were next to him. Both had refused to leave his side once he had gotten out of the medical room. “I wonder how long it will take for us to meet up with the Shroud family. They’re not located on the coast, after all.”

Riley hummed in thought. “We’re supposed to be meeting with one of the Church of Ten’s contacts, right? I’m sure they’ll be able to get us more information once we reach land.”

While Ezekiel and Riley looked quite content to be landing soon, Wendy still looked worried. Her hands clenched her spear, which she hadn’t put away since the end of the battle with the Imperial and Cult forces. The only time she seemed to relax was when she was training, but they had already done so today, and Ezekiel didn’t want to run her so ragged that she wouldn’t be able to move when they arrived.

“Why haven’t we been attacked again?”

Ezekiel and Riley both looked back at the young Obscure Hunter. For Ezekiel, he felt relieved that his sister had finally brought up the issue she had been worried about. For Riley, she was just confused.

“What do you mean? How would they have been able to attack us again at this point?” Riley asked as she moved over to Wendy.

“What’s stopping them from regrouping and just fighting us again in the water? They have already attacked us once. So why not do it again, before we can regroup with the forces in Morathi?”

Ezekiel could tell that this had been nagging at his sister for a while now. But as he thought about it, he realized that, for someone that hadn’t been as traveled as he and Riley were, it might be confusing.

“Well... It’s mostly because they’ve already confirmed that it would be too difficult to do so. They already failed to kill Wolken and myself for the second time. So, they know that any forces they can gather wouldn’t be enough to give them a suitable advantage at sea. To the point that even a suicide run isn’t necessarily enough to take us out.” Ezekiel thought back to the new Artifacts that the Cult was employing against him.

The fact that they could track his [Jumps] had worried him. He had his suspicions, especially since he had basically confirmed that it was an Ancient level power that had supported the Cult, but he knew there was nothing else he could do about it right now.

“As such, they wouldn’t bother wasting time on a battlefield where the results would be the same. Better to wait until they have a significant change in the factors that could affect the final outcome. Such as direct lines of supply and forces from the Empire, where they could more directly team up with the Kindled family forces. As well as force the Exalt from the Empire to fight.”

When he mentioned the Empire’s Exalt, Wendy frowned and seemed even more lost.

“Why didn’t the Empire’s Exalt just fight us directly? Why does it seem like he won’t be a problem until we reach land?” These were all things that she hadn’t understood.

“Simply put, in order to maintain control over their Exalts, the Willowbrush Empire has them bound in pacts that mean they can only be forced to fight for defensive reasons. They cannot be used to conquer other regions. This comes from a pact that was made back when the Empire was first founded.” Ezekiel thought back to when he had met his first Exalt. Harras, the Lightning Exalt that had fought with the Winged Broodlord years ago. “Due to these rules, they can’t take part in any battles that would expand the territory of the Empire. They can only move in to ensure that they don’t lose territory after the Legendary forces successfully make their claims. It’s why the Exalts haven’t just gone and swept the board clear, and why the battles with the rest of the Morathi Alliance have been going so slowly for the Kindled family. They can keep whatever land they take, but it’s getting it in the first place that’s hard.”

“How does that work? Why wouldn’t they just overpower any other forces, since they have so many Exalts? What’s the point in such an agreement?”

“Nope. When the power of the Empire reached a certain limit, there were rules put into place regarding who and what the Exalts could fight. Made by all the various forces from all over the world. All Exalted Hunters swear Spirit Covenants that make them follow these rules. Technically speaking, since Wolken and the Cult’s Exalt are able to fight so easily, that means that she hasn’t signed the Covenant.”

“I see... What about Invera? How do Spirits come into this?”

“Spirits don’t care about human territory, unless humans try to push into the wild regions that an Exalted Spirit rules over. This all ties back to the ancient agreements that were made when the Broods and their Cruor started the first war in the previous era.”

By this point, most of the crew had taken to listening in on the conversation between Ezekiel and his sister. Only Riley seemed to already know about this. But she was just watching calmly.

“For example, the reason the Cult attacked us at that specific area, and why we were able to predict that that was roughly where it would occur, was because that was uncontested territory. In that there were no Spirit Rulers that would’ve interfered in a battle between Myths.” Ezekiel then pointed to the side of the ship. “But, if you look down right now, you’ll see a massive shadow following us beneath the water. This is the Exalted Spirit that rules the oceans around the region of the Morathi Alliance.”

Wendy's jaw dropped for a moment, as did Kare’s, before she and much of the crew rushed over to the side of the ship. Ezekiel couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Slowly walking over, Ezekiel also took a look. Placing a comforting hand on Wendy’s shoulder when she seemed to start shaking. “Don’t worry, the agreements in place mean that we won’t be harmed so long as we do not impose on their territory. In this case, that would be anything below a certain depth, and we are well above that.”

Even as he said this, Ezekiel couldn’t help but shiver as a chill ran down his back.

While not as strange and horrifying as some of the more mutated Umbral Beasts, the Mythical Spirit below them was still a twisted mass of tentacles. The enormous Kraken stared up at the with eyes that were just as large as the ship he was standing on.

Given the home field advantage, Ezekiel was certain that Wolken would lose if he dared to fight this Spirit. He counted himself and their fleet very lucky to know that there would be no battles happening.

Giving a thankful wave to the Kraken Spirit, Ezekiel backed away with his sister when he saw it blink and slowly swim away. Not so much as a ripple being formed as the massive body left the area.

“The world is bigger than you know, Wendy. I hope you’re ready for it.”

She turned to her brother, a nervous look on her face as she frowned. But a moment later, she shook herself and stared at him defiantly.

“The world needs to be ready for me!”

For a second, Ezekiel saw a mix of both his sisters in Wendy. Ellen’s mannerisms seemed to overlap with Wendy’s appearance.

Gritting his teeth as he gave her a viscous smile, he felt most of his worries fade away.

‘I think she might actually come out of this okay.’ Shine chimed in as they watched the sibling’s interaction. ‘Now, let’s get ready to meet with your family.’

Ezekiel grimaced at the thought but moved to prepare. His sister and Riley moved with him. It would only be a couple more hours before he met with the Shroud family. So, he needed to make sure things were ready, for whatever reaction there would be.

----------

Setting up a makeshift basecamp where the hundreds of crew members could gather together and sleep on solid land once more reminded Ezekiel of his first few years in Sanafalls. Back when he would go on expeditions, and there was little to nothing he needed to worry about beyond his studies.

The camp itself was only a couple of kilometers away from the water, but it was enough to ensure that they weren’t in any Spirit Ruler territory. It was also temporary, since they would be dragging their supplies and the boats the rest of the way to the closest city on land.

All the Hunters and Scholars thought it was annoying, but the limits of the agreements with the Spirit Rulers were absolute, and this specific agreement didn’t allow for any further passage over sea.

“Hey, Ezekiel, is there anything for me to actually do right now?” Wendy asked once they had made landfall.

The ships had been dragged onto the beach and brought away from the water. Since this wasn’t an official port town, the agreements with the Spirit Rulers of the ocean in this region didn’t allow their ships to remain for more than a few hours at a time in a given spot.

Currently, Ezekiel was helping unload some of the larger pieces of equipment, like the cannons and other artillery that they had brought with them. The stuff that couldn’t fit inside their Void Pouches.

“To be honest, not really. This isn’t the exciting part of the trip. This is the boring setup portion. Though, I guess if you want to help out, we can get you included in one of the scouting teams.” Ezekiel shrugged his shoulders and looked at one of the Guild groups that were about to head out. The captain was someone Ezekiel had spoken with a few times, a Legendary Glacial Hunter that worked on his ship, and it was clear that she had overheard him speaking.

She nodded her head, apparently having no problem with taking Wendy for a short patrol.

“We’re not in enemy territory at the moment, so it’s not that big a deal if you want to go off for a bit. But I’ll leave it up to you.” He looked at Wendy, waiting for her to reply.

“I think I’d like that. You went on patrols a lot when you were my age, right?” Wendy seemed curious at the thought of going on an official patrol.

“Yep. Though, it was far less secure than this. But you’ll need to listen to your captain's orders. Understood?” This was something he needed to know she would do, since he had to be sure that she would do as she was told if something unexpected happened. Though, he sent a message to Shine through their bond before pulling out a sheathed opalescent dagger. “Take this as well. Keep it on your belt, since it’ll be quicker to draw than if you put it in your Void Pouch.”

Wendy took the dagger without thinking much of it and strapped it to her belt as she nodded her head. Only after he saw that it was secure did Ezekiel let her go join the team he had gestured to.

She introduced herself to the rest, and it seemed like they were happy to have her. Though, a part of him wondered if it was because they knew what she was capable of, or because she was his sister, and a possible connection for one of the people slated to be the next to reach the Mythic Tier.

“She’ll be fine. You need to start trusting her.” Riley said from behind him. He turned to raise an eyebrow at her.

“Are you saying that the number of things I’ve left her to do on her own aren’t proof that I trust her?” Ezekiel couldn’t believe it. “I’m worried that the world will try to do worse to her than it did to me. Especially since our enemies have experience due to my actions. I also have my own... experience, to fall back on. Experience that she doesn’t have.”

Riley didn’t have a comeback. While it was true that Wendy had proven herself capable at this point. What Ezekiel had said was also true. The Cult and other enemy forces wouldn’t play around if they managed to find Wendy.

Not like when they doubted Ezekiel’s true prowess and were destroyed because of it. Worse yet, the Obscure element had known weaknesses. Unlike the Void, for which weaknesses were still being discovered.

The extra twenty or so years of experience that Ezekiel had, and the overpowered soul he was blessed with due to the time it took to reincarnate, were also an advantage that Wendy did not have.

‘You still need to let her grow on her own. ‘Shine pitched in from the back of Ezekiel’s head. ‘The fact of the matter is, she needs to learn these things on her own. Especially if she wants to reach your level at all, let alone anytime soon.’

Ezekiel just sighed, and Riley smiled. He figured she must’ve realized that Shine was talking to him. Just out of the corner of his eye, he saw Riley and Kare take off with the rest of the patrol team.

“Legend Ezekiel!”

He turned to face the voice that had called out for him.

“Exalt Wolken has called for you. The envoy from the local Church is here. Apparently, there is an envoy for the both of you.”

Nodding in acceptance and waving the man off, he faced Riley again. “Shall we see what this is about?”

“You don’t want me to follow after your sister in secret?” Riley seemed surprised.

“Oh, who’s being overprotective now?” Ezekiel teased. “... Besides, that dagger will help me help her, if the need arises.”

‘Obviously. I’m currently watching over her, after all.’ Shine grumbled in the back of Ezekiel’s head. Though he could tell that the Void Spirit was actually happy to help.

Smirking at Riley’s confused look, Ezekiel simply turned without explaining and headed off to where a temporary tent had been set up for Wolken.

----------

While Ezekiel was off speaking with Wolken about their next steps, as well as how best to get to the Shroud Family’s territory in the fastest manner possible, Wendy was stepping between the shadows of the forest that she and the team she had joined were now patrolling.

“So... if we’re not in enemy territory, what are we patrolling for?” Wendy couldn’t help but ask several minutes after they had first set out.

Up above, Kare flew in lazy circles alongside one of the other Hunter’s Spirit. A wooden sparrow that was particularly adept at spreading pollen that had a variety of effects.

“Usually, to keep away Spirits that might cause us trouble. Though, with us being so close to civilized territory, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. If we were on the east side of the Empire, or on some of the more untamed islands, then it might be a problem; but here?” The captain shook her head in amusement. “It’s mostly too controlled in areas like this, so the Wilder Spirits don’t tend to hang around. Especially if we’re only a day or so on foot from the city we’re headed for.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s no danger at all, of course.” A rumbling voice from the large Cavern Hunter filled the area. “Given the conflict happening in Morathi right now, it’s just as likely that we’ll run into mercenaries, bandits, or any other assortment of vandals and ne'er do wells.”

That got a chuckle from most of the party, but Wendy looked around nervously, as did the captain, who wasn’t as willing to make a joke of things at the moment.

She knew full well what it would mean if she could get Ezekiel’s favor in exchange for watching over his sister. But she also knew how terrifying the young man could be if she failed, and his sister got hurt. But she didn’t let it show, and instead focused on doing her job.

Just like with most team captains, she figured that doing her job would keep her, her team, and Wendy out of trouble.

Then, Wendy and the Life Hunter with the wood sparrow Spirit turned. A pair of bird cries filled the air. A sinking feeling filled the captain's stomach. She could tell that things were no longer going to be simple.

“What is it?” She asked with a low tone of voice.

“Three people. Bandits?” Wendy sounded unsure of herself as she turned to her fellow Hunter. The Hunter nodded. His focus was on his bond, but still aware of his surroundings.

“They’re certainly not affiliated with anyone we know. Nor do they have any symbols of allegiance on them.” He turned to his captain. “It looks like they’re just Adepts. No Legendaries from what I can see. Should we check it out?”

The captain tilted her head in thought. They outnumbered the unknowns almost three-to-one, so it wasn’t like there was too much to worry about. It was also their job to check these things out, so she wasn’t doing anything wrong by taking a look.

“Alright. Let’s take a look. It’s our job to do so anyway.”

Wendy smiled at the thought of being productive. But she still fell into step with the rest of the scouting party. Much to the others’ approval.

Moving in formation, the group trekked to where their apparent targets were last located.

Behind them, several shadows seemed to flicker.

----------

Back at the temporary camp, Ezekiel was currently dealing with a new problem. One that had proven itself to be a thorn in his side for nearly an hour now. With little to no end to their argument in sight.

“I’m sorry. What the hell do you mean the Shroud family won’t be meeting with us!?” Ezekiel had been forced to listen to the supposed envoy of the Morathi Alliance spout nonsense about the supposed agreements that were now in place. As well as take several insults to his person, and family, that were only barely hidden under a thin veneer of politeness. But the veil was slowly lifting, and any sort of amicable talk had left the room a few seconds ago.

He was just seconds away from reaming out the escort that had stepped forth to meet him. The man had shown Wolken a fair bit of respect, but once Ezekiel arrived the man looked at him like he was a particularly filthy bug that had just filled the room with an overwhelming stench.

“I mean exactly that. The Shroud family has better things to do then meet with a mere Vice Guild Leader.” To the side, the members of the Church of Ten that were native to Morathi were holding their heads in their hands. The arrogance of the escort had been something they hadn’t expected. “Let alone the spawn of a traitor who eloped with the enemy.”

Hearing his mother called a traitor fueled Ezekiel’s anger even further. His hands clenched hard enough to crack the reinforced wood beneath his fingers.

“Who are you to say as such? I know for a fact that you are not a member of the Shroud family. You aren’t even a member of their subordinate clans!” This was something Ezekiel knew; due to the emblem the man was wearing on his chest. “I wonder... What will the Shrouded family do once they realize that you are obstructing one of their scion’s paths? Especially when we’re here to help with the war effort?”

“A war that your existence started!” The envoy nearly roared. Though, Ezekiel could see a thin sheet of sweat form on his brow at the mention of the Shroud family.

Ezekiel just snorted in disdain. “Do we even need this moron? I’m certain we have other means of contacting the Shroud family, or maybe even the Flurent family would be more receptive to our aid?”

You would dare to reject the Shroud family’s welcome?” The man seemed shocked. As if he couldn’t comprehend what Ezekiel was saying. “Exalt Wolken, control your subordinates! Such behavior is not appropriate for our continued partnership.”

Wolken silently stared at the man, who began to fidget under the Mythical Hunter’s gaze.

“The only reason I am here is to provide aid to my Vice Guild Leader, and to take action against the Cult of Light. You have no say, no authority, and no place with us if you are not going to do your job. Which is to get us into contact with the Shroud family. Failure to do so, will be taken as enemy action.”

“W-what!?” The envoy backed away. “How dare you--!”

“Scholar!” Wolken’s raised voice cut through the envoy’s outrage. A heavy pressure also pushed on his shoulders, preventing him from moving or speaking. “Have you had to deal with this for the entire time that you’ve been here?”

The apparent leader of the Scholars sighed in exasperation. “No, we have not. While this man was obviously a proponent for Obscure element superiority, which is not common among the Shroud family, he has never been this opposed to another person’s presence before.”

The Scholar looked at Ezekiel. “However, he has always been disdainful of any and all people who have even the slightest connection to the Kindled family. We had thought that with Legend Ezekiel’s hateful relationship with them, that his distaste would be averted. We were, apparently, wrong.”

Ezekiel let out a curse under his breath. If it wasn’t for Riley holding him back, he might’ve started releasing his own mana pressure at this point.

‘Just keep it cool. It’s not like we need this guy. Like you said, there’s certain to be other options available to us.’ Shine pitched in to keep Ezekiel calm. ‘Are you sure that you’re okay?’

‘... I don’t like what he said about my mom... She’s been through enough. Even if she isn’t here.’

Shine stayed silent as Ezekiel forced himself to relax. They knew how much he was thinking about his family. So, to hear that his mother’s faith in her family at this point was so wrong wasn’t something that had made him happy.

“Get him out of here. We’ll speak with a different envoy once we get to the city tomorrow. For now, I want the camp finished, but ready to move out first thing in the morning. This man can have one of the smaller tents in the center. I don’t want him running off and spreading lies about us.” Wolken gave the order to the Scholars and Hunters that were currently assembled.

The envoy was struggling as he was taken away, but he was ignored as the Legendary Hunters easily took control and pulled him along.

“I’m sorry this shit keeps happening.” Ezekiel said before slumping down onto the table that had been set up in this tent.

“Don’t be. As much as you’ve managed to help change the view of Void Mages in the world, there’s always going to be stupid people who do stupid things.” Wolken leaned back and pinched his brow. “Though, I am still quite frustrated at this. The Shroud family was supposed to be sending several of their main branch family members to meet you and your sister. The fact that this happened instead, does not bode well for our eventual meeting.”

The two Hunters, Void and Tempest, sighed in unison. Their shared distaste for politics reared its head. Meanwhile, the remaining Hunters, including Riley, just looked on in amusement.

“... At least this mess was handled fairly easily. Better than having everything turn into a fight.” She smiled as she rested a hand on Ezekiel’s shoulder.

“That’s true. When I heard that bastard talking about my mother, I had half a mind to--”

‘Wendy’s in trouble! Two Legendaries, six Adepts. Only three Adepts are not Obscure Hunters.’

Shine’s words filled Ezekiel with dread. He didn’t even think about it before he grabbed Riley, nearly leapt at Wolken, and then let Shine’s connection to the dagger he had given Wendy pull the three Hunters and their Spirits several kilometers away.