Tale of Eldramir

Space seemed to warp around Ezekiel, and in an instant, he was barely a few feet from Brun’s face. His fist flew forward with a brightly shining light sparkling around it. The [Crushing Gravity] that was stored within it was enough to flatten a small hill with ease.

It was a new spell. One that had only been theoretical for so long, but with his [Enlightenment] a year ago, and the increase in his mana, the was able to maintain it for as long as he needed.

Yet, as fast as he had moved, Brun had reacted quickly enough to avoid getting hit. The distance between them had shorted as Ezekiel had [Jumped] ahead, but that hadn’t mattered as a wall of compressed and thickened air stood between him and his target.

“Is that all you can do?” He asked with a mocking accusation filling his voice.

His entire body was tense, fighting off the [Manipulations] that Brun was trying to impose on him. The push and pull from the world itself was something that was beyond frustrating.

He didn’t want to admit it, but the difference in power between them was easily bridged by the Tempest Spirit’s true age and experience. No amount of memories from weaker Spirits would be able to grant Ezekiel the same level of skill. Nor the innate control of his element.

His foot touched down on the ground, and a hole opened up beneath him. One that would’ve thrown him off balance, had he not been prepared for such a thing.

“Change formations! He’s predicted how this battle will go!” Brun’s voice spread through the hole of the Spirit Haven. “Maya, you take point! He’s expecting me to do it!”

Ezekiel’s small smile dropped into a frown. “Your own predictions are just as annoying as my own.”

Of course, given the time he had to prepare for this fight, he had already expected the Tempest Mythic to make such a decision. Something that the old dog would’ve known. However, that didn’t mean that it wasn’t the best decision to make in his situation.

That didn’t mean that being stuck between a barrage of spells and constructs that would fire at him when he flew too high, and a forest of shadows that attempted to skewer him from below, was something he enjoyed having to deal with.

Twisting through the air as his sense of up and down got distorted by Brun’s support magic was just the cherry on the cake when it came to the difficulties he was facing.

“I feel like this battle of predictions will get old, really fast.” Shine said with a tone that was dull and bored. “How do you plan to get around it?”

A thin film of Void mana surrounded the Hunter-Spirit pair. While it wouldn’t stop Brun from reading their movements, it would at least stop anyone else from hearing them.

“...I might need you to take command...” Ezekiel gazed at the formation created by the army of Legendary Spirit's. The combined might of all their [Wills], alongside that of Brun’s and Maya’s, was enough to stop him from expanding his [Domain] enough to simply steamroll over everything.

With the imposition of three different [Domains] upon him, he wasn’t even able to [Jump] beyond an incredibly short distance. At least when compared to his usual abilities.

The fact that the natural formations and enchantments that protected the Spirit Haven were restricting him further was also annoying.

“Are you sure? My own predictive abilities aren’t as good as yours.”

This was true, much to Ezekiel’s dismay. “Even so, since your physical body can’t make minute changes like mine, Brun won’t be able to predict your decisions as well as he can with me.”

“... Alright... I’ll start predicting what we should do. For now, stick with the original plan. I’ll tell you when we need to change things up.” With that, the Void Spirit fell silent. Their mind focused entirely on figuring out how best to get out of this situation.

Sparing a glance to the side, Ezekiel saw Brun’s eyes narrowing. The implied confirmation that the Tempest Spirit knew what they were doing made him shiver.

A series of razor-sharp leaves and flower petals then consumed his sight. They were pushed forward at a rapid speed by winds that came from nowhere. Each one was accompanied by a seed that latched onto his Spirit Armor, before immediately sprouting to entangle him in roots and branches.

“That’s not enough Brun!” Ezekiel felt a bit of pressure as the thousands of different plants that covered him tried to keep him still.

There was a shift in the world, and the [Space] around Ezekiel fractured for half an instant. Yet, it was enough to ensure that each of the bindings that covered his body were broken into millions of little pieces. Cracks in [Space] having severed them in ways unseen by mortal eyes.

“Legendary constructs are not enough! Do better than that if you want to keep me bound!” Ezekiel taunted the army of Spirits, and shot into the distance, hovering several meters above the ground, and avoiding the lances of shadows that shot at him from below.

“Erk!” his entire body tensed as Maya stopped fighting with might and constructs.

Given that his entire shadow was covered by Maya’s own, with how she had covered several kilometers in darkness, this shouldn’t have been possible. Without a defined shadow to symbolize his own movements, there shouldn't have been anything for her magic to hold onto.

Elemental constructs of every type but his own flew toward him. This time they were striking to kill. Brun’s magic and [Will] pushed these spells forward. They became reinforced with a Mythic level of power and could now match and break through Ezekiel’s [Domain].

Not even his [Spatial Fracture] would be enough this time.

“That’s more like it!” A shockwave flew out of his body. [Nothingness] consumed the world, and all the magic that was headed his way was greatly weakened.

His binding at Maya’s hands was also lessened by a massive degree. However, the danger was only slightly reduced. The spells that made it through still hit him, and he found his armor cracking from numerous blows.

One particularly reinforced lance even managed to pierce through his stomach, and it took him a moment to break it and seal the wound. That was on top of dispelling the lingering mana from the spell.

He ignored it all, and just continued moving toward the closest edge of the Spirit Haven. He had only gotten a few kilometers from the grove with the Tree of Memories in it. So he still had several hundred more to go.

“Step two...” Ezekiel muttered, and a thousand [Void Needles], infused with [Void Pierce], [Nothingness], and [Reinforcement] shot out in every direction.

“Shields! Multiple layers, now!” Brun's order was fulfilled in an instant, but it wasn’t enough.

With the speed that the needles flew, there was no possible way that the Legendary Spirit's below could defend against them all. Even with Brun’s help, most of the needles found their mark, and mana flowed from countless injured spirits.

Yet none had died, which was ignored by all but three of the combatants.

“You don’t need to do this! Even with how strong you are right now; it will not be enough. Especially if you get outnumbered by the Broodlords.” Brun’s voice flowed into Ezekiel’s ears. Unheard by all by him and Maya. “One more year. I’m certain that you will reach the peak and breakthrough in just one more year.”

There was a desperate whine that filled the Spirit’s voice. Ezekiel ignored it. He had not made any progress in his soul’s growth in months. Even with several instances of experiencing memories.

At first, his soul had grown quite rapidly, but with the recent stagnation, and lack of progress toward finding the tree’s original memories, Ezekiel knew that relying on chance like he had been, wasn’t the right way forward.

Below him, he felt a tug on his shadow once more, but he shrugged it off while throwing himself out of the way of another barrage of spells. These ones were not enforced by Brun's.

“If that were true, then why did you stop using it?”

Brun flinched at the accusation thrown at him.

“Why did you stop at Step seven? Why not continue to the peak yourself?”

The Mythical Tempest Spirit didn’t say anything, but Ezekiel saw his eyes flicker to the shadows where Maya was hiding. There was a slight winced front the Obscure Mythic.

“The effects of the Tree of Memories are limited. They were more helpful for me than they were for you, but after the last few sessions, I’ve realized something.” The Mythical formation of Legendary Spirits began to charge up a Grand Spell, but Ezekiel continued to speak. “The soul adapts. It took some time, and if not for my [Acceleration] it would’ve happened before Shine, and I reached Step eight. Even so, there is nothing left for use. Other than emotional damage and excess memories that take time to digest, there is nothing that the Tree of Memories can grant us. We need real life experience. We need to push ourselves to the absolute brink, or else the peak will forever be out of our reach.”

Brun did not reply. Instead, the Grand Spell made by the Spirit army was released. The might of a Step five Mythic spell was unleashed. A cacophony of elements and world altering effects flew toward him in a maelstrom of chaos.

“... I did not predict this...” Ezekiel pushed his mana to the limit as he prepared to defend.

The warping winds and space around him made it hard to try and [Jump] and the battle so far had drained him just enough that he didn’t want to risk pushing himself before he needed to.

Now, he was regretting not pushing harder sooner, because he might not have been in this situation otherwise.

His perception sped up, slowing down the movement of the spell relative to himself, as he prepared to dodge and block everything that he could. Layers of [Void Pane] barriers, all infused with different dispelling and defensive [Understandings] covered him from head to toe.

Bracing for impact, a smile crossed his face a moment later.

“I’m ready!” Shine exclaimed, and a flow of information appeared in Ezekiel’s mind.

A hint of madness filled his eyes at the sheer audacity of Shine’s plan. Yet, given their current circumstances, and their need for progress, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

So, he inverted his barriers, and they twisted into a funnel that did nothing to protect him, and with his perception still sped up, he began meditating. Specifically, he began his mana gathering meditations.

This action, along with the incorporation of his [Understandings] that aided with dispersing, compressing, manipulating, and otherwise forcing control over the world, took the attack that was headed his way, and began forcing the mana into his body.

All defenses disappeared, and it was only the sheer chaos of the combined spells that had been fired at him that prevented Maya from taking the opportunity to bind him via his shadow once more.

His body was pulled apart and pushed back together, and his soul was strained, but did not break. The false Mythical power brought about by the formation created by countless Legendary Spirit's was not quite enough to destroy him, even though it still hurt.

Yet, as he sensed the words that spilled from Brun’s mouth while the Spirit gazed in shock and awe at what he had done, and as he felt Shine grab hold of the excess magic that still flowed into him, he smiled. It was a bloody and gruesome thing.

Nonetheless, the familiar sensation of his soul experiencing the push that sent if higher brought joy to both him and his Spirit.

As the aftereffects of the mana that he had forcibly taken in, and the chaotic, world-shaking magic, faded away, Ezekiel stilled. He floated in the air, with Shine brightly glowing and flashing with different colored lights.

He was covered in blood, and most of his Spirit Armor was cracked and broken. His perception of the world slowed down as well. With a heavy sigh, he let his eyes fall shut from exhaustion.

All the same, he did not despair. His mana had been refilled and grown stronger. Step nine had been achieved, even though he felt incredibly bloated from how much he had consumed.

“Fire everything again!” Brun cried out; this time Ezekiel could hear the fear in the Mythical Spirit’s voice.

He ignored it. Instead, rather than worry about the spells being fired at him, and the bindings he felt being placed upon his shadow, he felt it. He felt the power he wielded pushing on a boundary he had always known was there but could never truly touch.

“So... This is the peak...” Shine spoke with a sense of awe. Their own spiritual wounds were ignored for now. Ezekiel felt the same.

How could he not, when the absolute boundary that they had seen no hope of breaking was right in front of them.

With a chuckle that grew into a laugh, he flexed his mana. The second Grand Spell cast by the army below flew toward him and Shine at a rapid speed. He continued to ignore it as a spell that he had theorized but had stayed away from due to his danger sense warning him, was cast in an instant.

“[Temporal Reversion]” he muttered, and his body shone with opalescent light.

Immediately, all his wounds disappeared, a constant pull on his mana told him how long the effect of this spell would last. Only after that time had passed would the mana he had expended actually be lost.

Though, the backlash would be great, and he would need to hide in order to recover from it later.

For now, he had a prison to break out of.

----------

Brun was not having a good time. Not only had he lost his leg due to the battles he had been forced to fight in defense of the Haven over the past several months, but Ezekiel had shown an even more ridiculous growth than he had expected.

This should’ve been a good thing, but that was not the case right now. What made this a bad thing was the fact he could no longer properly predict Ezekiel’s actions. Nor could he perform any manipulations that would keep the Void Mage calm, and willing to stay here to train.

Instead, Ezekiel was showing just how insistent and defiant he truly was. Shifting the battle from a near loss, to fully in his favor with one terrifyingly dangerous move.

“Push forward! He’s not trying to kill us, so he won’t be going all out!” It was a desperate claim, but one that he knew was true. Ezekiel wasn’t trying to kill them, just get out of the Haven.

However, even though Ezekiel had reached the peak of Tier five, in some stupidly suicidal attempt to forcibly push himself and his Spirit to the next level when they shouldn’t have been ready, the fact that the difference in that final step was a massive one.

It was the difference between standing in front of a door, and actually reaching out and touching it. The difference seemed minor, but the state of being and mindset was utterly different.

The former, anyone could do, but the latter was something that only the truly exceptional were willing to do. After all, how many people in the world truly had the courage to open a door to the unknown. Especially with the possibility of dangers and death being all that there might be on the other side.

Flashes of light and opalescent constructs struck without mercy. Additional limbs that seemed to be made out of the night sky, filled with stars, extended from Ezekiel’s body. A new spell? Brun didn’t know, but he saw that Shine was sprouting limbs as well.

They made it all the more difficult to fight, and provided support against the many opponents that the Void users were facing.

“Attack in waves! Harry him as best you can! Do not give him even a moment to recover any more mana!” Brun continued to call out orders, even as he shifted the wind to push and guide the Spirit's to more favorable positions.

All the while, Ezekiel broke the ground with every step he took. Bones were broken, and flesh was parted. Not enough to kill, but more than enough to immobilize.

Then, something caught his eye when a few of the Spirit's cast spells to attack at range.

“No more spells! He’s just stealing your mana! Fangs and claws! Rip and tear at him until he can no longer stand! Worry not if you strike lethally! So long as he does not die immediately, he can still recover!”

Not all the Legendary Spirits were pleased by this, but he knew that Ezekiel couldn’t be allowed to die. He was the world’s best hope at surviving, after all. However, that ability that Ezekiel was using to recover was making things incredibly difficult.

He had thought that that had been a one-time thing, but it seemed that Ezekiel was willing to truly push himself to the limit. As well as take them all down, rather than simply do everything he could to escape. The change was simply horrifying, and Brun didn’t know what to do any more.

“Damn it all! Have you always been this annoying to fight!? What happened to the little brat that I took out with barely half my attention!?” Brun couldn’t help but voice his complaints, and a hint of envy filled his voice. “Why must you be so stubborn!? It’s not like I want to keep you here! I just want to make sure you don’t die before you can do what you need to do!”

Most of the army of Spirits had fallen. Removed from the battlefield by weaker Spirits so that they wouldn’t die by accident. Now, only he and Maya were able to bring the might of a Mythic to bear. The formation that provided Mythical strength to the Legendary Spirit's had faded away.

With a heavy heart, Brun realized that had no choice but to give a final order, before all the Legendaries were truly unable to fight.

“Enough! Fall back and recover! We can’t have the Haven’s defenders be lowered in number any more than they already have. We still have enemies on the outside that must be pushed back.” Brun leapt forward, no longer willing to stand by and simply support his Legendary followers. “Maya and I will handle this from here on out. The rest of you, go to the focal points and recover as best you can.”

A pool of blackness flowed out of the shadows that littered the devastated landscape. Maya slowly rose from it without a sound. However, Brun could tell that it was just a shadow clone. One that hadn’t escaped Ezekiel’s notice, if the way he narrowed his eyes at it was any indication.

Without a word of complaint, the Spirit's all retreated. None of them even bothered to watch their backs as they fled. Much to Brun’s relief, Ezekiel let them go without attacking them from behind.

It took several seconds, but the region was eventually cleared of any Spirits that weren’t Mythical. Silence pervaded the area, and it seemed like Ezekiel wanted answers to something, rather than to just escape.

“Well... This is certainly a predicament... Isn’t it?” Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Brun grinned widely at Ezekiel. “Though, I am curious as to why you haven't taken this chance to flee. The path is right there.”

Waving his tail, Brun pointed toward the closest edge of the Spirit Haven.

“... You really are as whimsical and as ever-changing as the wind, aren’t you...” Ezekiel’s voice sounded dead and tired, but Brun did not reply. “... What’s the point in running, when I’ve proven that I can break out whenever I want?”

Brun and Maya both winced at that statement, yet he knew that he couldn’t dispute it. Neither of them had any desire to kill the other, and once Ezekiel had recovered, he would be able to get past them all without issue.

“Tell me what took your leg. I need to know what I’m getting into out there.” Ezekiel’s tone was one that left no room for negotiation or deflection.

With a sigh Brun sat down and released his manipulations on the immediate environment. Next to him, Maya’s clone also sat, while her real body stayed ready in the distance.

“Simply put, your location was discovered a few months ago, and we’ve been attacked on all sides by both the Cruor and the Hunters.” Brun’s blunt declaration received a wide-eyed reaction from the Void Mage. “The only good thing is that none of the Mythical Hunters have been willing to fight us. The bad thing is that the Broodlords most certainly have.”

He had to admit, even though the situation was perilous, Brun did enjoy hearing the angry, frustrated, and almost helpless cursing that came from Ezekiel’s mouth.

It almost felt like a portion of his pain and troubles was being shared.

----------

Dread filled Ezekiel, and not just because he was running out of time on the delayed damage that he had temporarily held off. Since he had continued to absorb mana the strain he felt had increased, but the time he had was extended.

That looming threat was nothing compared to what he was hearing from Brun.

“So... half of the westernmost cities of Quintessa have ceased to exist, and both Wolken and Strom are being run ragged, both protecting the Void Temple, and ensuring the remaining cities are as defended as possible.” Ezekiel’s voice was stilted from how he was forcing himself to remain calm. “At the same time, the Empire has officially fallen into civil war, with the three Exalts joining hands with the Archipelago and the remaining Morathi Clans. While also bringing to light the fact that the Broodlords are ultimately the muscle behind the Cult of Light. Correct?”

Brun nodded, his ears flopping and his smile still going. “Correct. It’s generally accepted that the Broodlords are now using the Cult of Light as cannon fodder and hidden bombs. They have greatly expanded their territory on the western half of the Continent. To the point that they actually have control of over half the landmass.”

Pain began to bloom behind his eyes. Both from the backlash and from the information he was taking in.

“It’s only been a year...” he whispered with a raspy growl. “How the hell... Open a hole... I’m getting out of here. Hopefully it’ll give you all a bit of a reprieve. I also need to find my wife and mother. I’m sure my sisters are safe, if no one can confirm where they are at this point. However, Morncrest will need to be checked. Especially if the Cruor were finally pushed back.”

Brun’s smile fell, though not enough to become a frown. “Ezekiel... Are you even in the right condition to get far enough away to not be caught? If the Broodlords get their hands on you, it’s all over.”

“... At least they’re not the ones that are trying to kill me anymore.”

The Spirit had no response to that. It was both a shock and a shame to see his greatest enemies now acting as the only ones that wanted him alive.

Without another word, he took to the air and flew at a rapid speed to the edge of the Spirit Haven.

“Open it, Brun!” He approached the border, but there was no opening that he could see.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t do that...” Brun’s voice gently flowed into his ears, and a worthwhile glare passed over his face.

“Fine... I’ll just have to get through on my own.” Without slowing down, his body began to glow. Opalescent light flashed over and over again.

“Are you sure that this will work?” Shine asked, their form also flashing brightly.

“Just be prepared to get me away from here. I’m probably going to pass out once we’re through.”

The moment that Ezekiel spoke, he shaped the tunnel that was going to break through the Haven. With a quiet grunt, he shot a construct forward, and the concentrated anchor pierced the border with little issue.

“Expand!” He flexed his mana, and the [Domain] that surrounded him stretched and deformed, and the anchor outside was latched onto. The small hole that was poked open had its space expanded, and the tunnel he had shaped took form.

The Spirit Haven began to shake, and Ezekiel knew he would only have a few seconds. Pushing himself even faster, he felt a membrane that still remained, even in the hole, that tried to stop him from moving forward.

With a quick flex of his [Will] he forced himself through the barrier with the last remnants of his mana and was immediately covered in the injuries he had forcibly pushed through his personal time in order to delay having to suffer.

The last thing he saw before Shine [Jumped] them away, was the shocked expression of Winged, Rotting, Wyrm, and Swam Broodlords turn into outrage, right before he disappeared.

----------

Brun and Maya watched the small opening in the border close with scrutinizing eyes.

“Is it okay to simply let him go like that?” Maya asked with a weary voice.

“Who let him go? I didn’t let him go. I simply chose not to fight a losing battle. It’s not my fault that he’s strong enough to break out on his own.” Brun smiled widely once again. This time, his eyes were somewhat glazed over, and a small bit of drool leaked down from his mouth.

“I have to say… your bullshitting ability is fantastic.” Maya groaned and held her head in her paws. “Why do you even play these games? No one in the Have would’ve called you out for any of this.”

Brun remained silent; his now sightless gaze turned toward the sky. His ears flicked back and forth, hearing something that Maya could not.

“They are stronger now… The Spirits that took part in this battle, when they recover, will survive the next few battles with the Cruor. Perhaps, they may even reach our level before the final battle comes.” Wisps of mana began floating into the air. The Tempest Spirit began turning more and more gray, to the point of being sickly, as opposed to flush and healthy.

“You’ve pushed too far. Get to the cloudy spires. You need to refresh your mana, or else you’ll be of no use once we need to fight once more.” Maya pushed Brun forward.

“Thank you for your concern. I will go, but you need to go and supervise the burning of that region. We can’t let the Rot take root, after all.” Brun seemed to turn into a cloud and drifted into the air.

At the same time, Maya’s head spun back to the closed barrier around the Haven. Another army of Spirits, all varying shades of red, were rushing toward the rapidly sprouting mushrooms that were filling that area.

The world was filled with a rage filled shriek, and the small raccoon grew to an enormous size.

In an instant, the Haven was filled with darkness.