Tale of Eldramir

A small sized expedition was making their way north from the southernmost tip of Tarquessa. Riley stood at the front of this group, fully garbed in protective environmental clothing, and glaring up at the smog covered sky.

It had been a month since Riley had figured out the best place for her to go, where she could still make progress, and train her allies. Now, she and those most loyal to Ezekiel had landed not long ago and were making good time towards the depths of the desert.

Currently, besides the oily looking smog, the condition of the desert wasn’t too bad. No major storms, nor cutting winds, but Riley could feel it in the air. The temperature was going haywire, and it was likely that they would run into difficulties soon.

“How are we with our supplies?” she called back, pausing so that the group could check things over.

It wasn’t food or water that she was worried about. Their storage capabilities were more than enough to maintain sustenance for all of them, but the protective structures that they would need once they got hit by a sandstorm was a different matter.

“The Artifacts that we have on hand are still working. There is minimal degradation on the pieces that won’t fit in the Void Pouches. However, the carts themselves are likely to break down within a day if they don’t get any maintenance.” Scarlet, whose face was covered with a mask to protect from the elements, replied after taking time to check the runes.

“Riley, we may need to stop at a town and get some proper carts or carriages. We won’t make it that far into the desert with what we managed to take from the Archipelago. They weren’t enchanted for this kind of environment.” This time it was Evelyn who spoke up, and Riley couldn’t help but sigh.

“That’s fair,” she muttered, “we’ll divert our path a little bit. If my memories are right, we will probably need to go further into the uninhabited regions anyway. Getting one last rest would be good.”

The group sagged in relief at her words, and a sense of guilt filled her for a moment. Her own posture pulled inward, before she forced herself to relax.

She wasn’t used to this. In the past, she had almost always followed Ezekiel’s lead, and while he had tried to take the time to teach her how to make the most logical choices, while taking into account the condition of those following them, she still had difficulties reading their condition.

Evelyn and Scarlet stared, knowingly, in her direction, as did Fiana and George, who had managed to make it back to Sanafalls before they had set out.

A sinking feeling formed inside her gut, and she nearly coiled inward again.

The last time their body language was like this was a few days ago, after she had fended off the most recent attack on their ship by herself. It had taken more out of her than she had liked, what with the fact that she needed to ensure that there were no survivors among the rampaging Cruor.

Letting even one of them escape would’ve meant that the Broodlords would learn of their presence. Such a thing could not be allowed, else they be targeted and captured once more, and used as tools against Ezekiel.

Afterward, she had decided that it was too dangerous for her to sleep again until they made landfall. The last time she had slept had been right before the previous attack, nearly a week prior. So, this was a choice that had gotten several people mad at her, but they couldn’t stop her. Now, however, it seemed like they weren’t going to let her efforts slide much longer.

“Given the overcast, it’s safe to say that an Ichorous Spine bloomed near here. We’ll take things slow, and everybody will make sure that they’re getting checked over by the Life Mages regularly... including me.” Only after she said this last part did her four seniors stop gazing at her from behind their protective masks. Good. I don’t need a mutiny on my hands on top of everything else.

A silent sigh escaped her lips. The stress of being the one in the lead was getting to her. Especially since these people had followed her lead directly, rather than following her orders under someone else's lead.

The group took a moment to get checked over. The twenty plus people were actually a large number, but compared to most expeditions, and war parties, that were used most recently, this was actually quite small. Especially since this was an unsanctioned expedition.

Although most expeditions were unsanctioned now, what with the fall of the Church of Ten’s authority, and the Prime Guild’s focus on taking the fight to the Cruor.

I hope we can find the entrance soon... The longer we’re out in the open, in enemy territory no less, the more likely the events that happened before will happen again. Images of her capture after being ambushed by several Broodlords at once filled her mind.

A part of her felt that such a thing was unlikely to happen again, since the Broodlords were now focused on getting their Broodmasters’ consciousnesses out of their seals. But she couldn’t be certain.

“Riley,” Evelyn’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, “It’s your turn to be checked. Once you’re cleared, we can move on.”

Stepping forward, Riley sighed aloud, not bothering to hide her displeasure this time, and sat down on the stone chair that one of the Cavern Mages had created.

Most of the Mages were mingling in small groups, with even the twins speaking to the others. Yet they all glanced at her out of the corner of their eyes.

She ignored the looks and let the healers do their work. Once they got moving, she would be able to focus once more on getting them to their destination.

A small weight nestled on her lap, and Celia’s head, now the size of Riley’s torso, pinned her down., Big red eyes looked up at her, and she forced herself to relax.

Her Spirit let out a contented purr, one that she felt in her bones. It was comforting.

Around her, the rest of the small expedition began setting up tents. In the distance, she could still see bright skies along the horizon, but it seemed like she was more tired than she thought.

It wasn’t until she was nudged awake, nearly a day later, that she realized just how exhausted and strung out she had been. Much to her own frustration.

----------

The town they finally came across was one that had been abandoned. While they were still on the fringes of the more central areas of Tarquessa, it was apparent that the Cruor’s forces had managed to drive out many of the humans and Spirits that lived here.

Right now, the expedition was split up into smaller groups, with Scarlet working to draw up water from the town’s well, to save on using their own. Along with several Cavern Mages inspecting buildings and other structures for anything useful.

Riley was currently holed up inside a central building, keeping her presence a secret for the moment. She wasn’t just their leader, after all. She was their strongest weapon, so it was best to keep her hidden until needed.

“Are there any supplies that we can use to make things easier for us to travel?” Riley’s question was answered with a shake of the head. The Runemaster who had joined them frowned.

“We checked the now defunct depot, and it’s apparent that the entire town was cleared out when it was evacuated. Likely before, or just after, the Spine bloomed.” The Hunter, one of the growing number of Void Hunters, caressed his weapon, likely talking to his Spirit mentally for comfort.

Riley took a moment to think about it. “Send a few of the Cavern Mages to inspect the depots and warehouses. It’s possible that there are hidden rooms that aren’t obviously accessible. Tear down a few walls if necessary. Better to strip this town to the bones than to let anything that could help us pass us by.”

The Void Hunter nodded before heading off to gather a few Cavern users to check once more.

Pulling out a Com-Slate, she activated a specific sequence of runes. “How are things going with the scouting? Do we know how bad the storm is going to be?”

“It’s unlikely that the storm will be enough to stop us from moving forward, but that’s only if we want to risk the carts being destroyed. If we can’t get anything local, I would say that we need to stay the night at the least.” The voice on the other end was muffled by the wind.

“Understood. Did you manage to get a look at the area I marked out on the map? I know that it was a fair distance from the town.” Riley had hoped to get some additional information before pushing the entire group to get to their intended destination.

“My group diverted from that area. We needed to check out the storm. I believe that your family continued onward, however, so you may wish to check with them.”

Riley nodded to herself. “Thank you. Feel free to come back now. Best to regroup before heading out, if we do.”

Changing the Runes on her Com-slate, she reached out to the twins. The call was answered almost immediately.

“Report. Did you manage to get close to the Legacy entrance?” She had described the appearance of the northmost entrance in detail, so she hoped that it would be something that they would be able to find with little difficulty.

“...I think we did, but the main problem is where it’s actually located.”

From the tone of the voice, Riley assumed that it was Ellen that was speaking. “What seems to be the problem?”

“It looks like it’s buried. Completely, sunken beneath the sand. It’ll take us a few days, at least, to get proper access.” Ellen sounded annoyed, but it was apparent that she had taken the time to inspect the area properly. “We’re on our way back right now. It’ll take at least a few days to get here with the carts. Flying here made things easier, but going by ground, with how uneven it is, will slow us down a lot.”

Letting out a sigh, Riley slumped in her chair. “Get back safely. We’ll figure out the best course of action once you and the other patrols get back.”

“Understood.” The Com-Slate turned off.

Standing up from her desk, Riley decided that, even if she couldn’t help with the patrols and such, she could at least help out with the central camp in setting things up.

Sitting around while the others were working so hard just made her feel bad.

----------

The sand that was blown at them was deadly. Winds that were well beyond anything felt at sea and on the islands of the Archipelago buffeted the expedition with an unrelenting force.

They worked tirelessly, however, and managed to get their reinforced shelters set up in time. So it was only for a few minutes that they suffered from the worst of it. From there, they began to dig.

“How is everyone doing?” Riley called out. Positive replies answered her. “Good. How is the pillar doing? Any signs that there’s something unexpected coming for us?”

Everyone shook their heads. “Nothing from what we can tell. Given the ten pillars, we should be able to get deep enough within another day of digging. The main problem is going to be creating tunnels that are strong enough to keep us safe.”

Riley nodded. “Understood. Will breathing be a problem, or do you think we can handle it?”

The nearest Tempest Mage shook her head. “Filtering the air will be fine. We just need to make sure that there are still cracks for air to flow. Being perfectly sealed will make things difficult for us.”

“Understood. Then, while the storm is blowing up top, we’ll keep ourselves underground for now. Our primary focus is to reach the bottom of the pillar. Then, we’ll start branching out to reach the others so that they can be activated at the same time.”

Everybody nodded. “Then let’s get to work.”

The expedition worked tirelessly for the next few days. Complications meant that they weren’t able to get to the bottom in one go.

After they did, there were a couple of collapsed tunnels, but they succeeded in getting through to the other pillars within a few more days.

“Is everyone ready?” Riley said through her Com-Slate. Several positive replies were returned to her. Each Pilar had at least two people at it. “Then let’s begin.”

As one, the pillars lit up, and the blast of mana that was released upon their activation nearly threw Riley back from her own pillar. However, even though she was blinded by the bright light that exploded out from the pillar, she could feel the familiar sensation of being displaced by Void Magic.

It was something she wouldn’t have been able to sense in the early and middle Steps of the Legendary level. However, once she reached the late Steps, and after years of fighting alongside Ezekiel, she could now recognize the feeling easily.

The feeling persisted, and she could sense that she was descending deep into the heart of the world. Even more, she could almost touch the fire essence of the Flame mana that now completely surrounded her.

It was almost overwhelming, and not something she could’ve imagined when she was merely Legendary. Even now, as a Mythic, there was a heaviness to the world that she hadn’t felt on the surface.

“You’ve returned... That is surprising.” A half-forgotten voice called out to her. She barely recognized it, but the heaviness in its words was enough for her to know who was speaking.

“Guardian. It’s been a while.” She turned to face the great ape Spirit that stood behind her. “I’m going to be honest... I had hoped not to see you again until the situation above ground was resolved.”

The stone ape shrugged. “To you, it feels like a long time, but to me, it was incredibly short. At least compared to the length of time I have spent alone before this. Congratulations are in order, however, since it would’ve been impossible for you to visit me again if you were not a Mythical being.”

Riley nodded. She recalled that there were conditions for visiting the Ancient Legacy, but that there were also secrets that she couldn’t be told until well after she had gotten more powerful.

“I have to ask... please don’t kill the others who have accompanied me. We cannot afford to lose any more people than we already have. The fight against the Cruor means that we need every Hunter we can get.” Her voice was almost pleading, and she could only pray that the Guardian would answer her.

The stone ape sighed,” I can only give them lesser challenges. If they are truly capable, which I assume they all are, given their Legendary power, then they will pass. But they will not be given the same level of access that you and your mate did when you previously visited.”

That was understandable, so Riley agreed. “Will they be able to challenge themselves after they get down here?”

The Spirit shook his head. “That would take too much energy. The Legacy is already failing. Though, something did happen to increase the amount of mana flowing in the world.”

Riley looked shocked. Such changes were something that even she and other non-Scholars knew never happened unless significant changes occurred. Given what had been going on, she would’ve thought that the amount of mana circulating would’ve decreased.

“As it is, with you and the Herald using up one of the last tunnels down here, it is likely that this Legacy will collapse not long after you leave. Even if I am not required to collapse the tunnel you entered from.” The Guardian slumped, and Riley could feel a sense of tiredness and melancholy emanate from him. It was a feeling she had felt a lot in recent times.

“We’ll do our best to take up as little of your time as we can, but that might not be possible.” The Spirit turned to her; eyebrows raised in a silent question.

“I can’t imagine you will need to be here longer than you were the last time you were here. Unless there is something that you are looking to do...” The Spirit trailed off in thought, and Riley remained silent until he spoke once more. “You figured it out. I know you did, since you are a Mythical being, but you have a means of ascending the others you brought down here. Ascending without relying on your Spirits.”

Nodding in affirmation, Riley pulled out a bundle of scrolls from her Void Pouch.

“These are the scrolls that Ezekiel wrote. They detail the exact requirements for reaching Tier five, though it is still incredibly difficult, they will not cripple a Hunter’s ability to make further progress.” The Guardian took the scrolls, glancing through them while his eyes widened more and more.

“... I see... This changes a lot of things. I may be able to help you more than I had expected, since you have met the requirements for yet another feature of this Legacy.” He handed the scrolls back to Riley. “How well can you channel Flame mana from the environment?”

“I created and suppressed a volcano once. Though it was only a small one.” memories of the feats she had brought forth during her mission to bother the Cruor passed through her mind.

Igniting one of the mountains in the Desolate Lands had been simple enough. Especially with the magma flow beneath it being relatively close to the surface. Pushing it back down had taken time, and she’d had to feed off the mana in the volcano itself to do so.

“Then perhaps we can take a risk. If you can successfully channel the Flame mana that surrounds this Legacy into the energy chambers without overloading them, then it might be possible for us to activate several more challenges than are currently available.” The Guardian turned around, a tunnel forming as he walked. “Come. The others will take at least a day to get down here, even with the difficulty lowered for them.”

Following behind the Guardian, Riley kept pace with the large Spirit, while Celia returned from her Spirit Armor form. As she went deeper, she began to feel warmer.

A chamber opened up in front of them, and Riley could barely make out the runic enchantments on the walls. It was a conversion chamber. Not unlike the ones that Ezekiel had made.

“I know how this work,” she said before the Guardian could speak up. “My husband made similar structures on the surface not long after we left here the first time.”

Silently, she stepped forward, placing her hand in the small opening in the wall. She could feel a lever inside it. Celia did the same at another hole, and two pillars rose from the ground.

Small orbs rested on top, and she could tell that this was where the mana needed to be channeled. “I’m assuming that the Flame mana is too destructive in its natural state, which is why you need someone to channel it in a more controlled manner?”

“Indeed. Shall I leave you to it then?” The Guardian turned when Riley nodded. “Very well then.”

Riley watched the Guardian leave before turning to Celia.

“This reminds me of when Ezekiel would absorb Ichor. The strain on his [Will] and soul was great... Let’s see if we can match him. Even just a little bit.” Celia gave her a nod.

Without another word, she flipped the switch, feeling her arm get sealed in, while her hand was engulfed in the hottest flames that she had ever felt outside of the memories she had once experienced. Yet, those had been numbed, while this was unfiltered.

With a quiet grunt, she placed a hand on the orb next to her and began the process for recharging the energy within the Ancient Legacy.

----------

Given the time that had passed, it was obvious that the Mythical Hunters of the world would’ve been able to meet up and prepare for their assault. Messages had been sent and replied to, and now, Thus, there were now more than a dozen Mythical Beings, of varying Steps, gathered at the southernmost border of the Desolate Lands in Quintessa.

“Are we prepared?” Warren’s words were unheard by anyone not within their group. The wind carried his voice in specific streams so as to not alert enemy forces.

He heard no replies, but felt everyone nod, even the Spirits that had vastly differing forms.

“What about you two? Are the water bowls working correctly?” he asked the two most out of place Mythical Spirits.

It had been a pleasant surprise to see a whale and an octopus gather with them, contained within massive floating Artifacts meant to hold water for their use.

Seeing them nod once more, Warren smiled. “Good. I will have to let the Void Carvers know that their efforts were not in vain.”

The Void Carvers were a new group. A Guild that focused on exploring the means in which Void Magic can be expanded upon. They had originally been very small, but recently they had been commissioned to make more interesting devices.

The large bowls meant to contain a large lake’s amount of water for Glacial Mages and Spirits to use was just one such device.

“Are we finished with the talking? If so, then it’s best we head off. With how long it took for us to gather, it’s likely that at least one more Broodlord has been elevated to the peak. Our numbers won’t mean much if that happens too many times.” Narok, the Cavern Mythic of the now defunct Willowbrush Empire, spoke with a low grumble.

“Of course. Let’s be off. Hold on now.” With that said, Warren covered the group with a maelstrom that lifted them into the air. “Brun, help me stabilize this.”

The dog Spirit was silent, his smile gone, but Warren understood. He had yet to fully recover but had insisted on coming along. Immediately after his request was made, the burden was lifted.

There was a muffled ‘pop’ and the entire group started traveling at a speed far faster than most of them could achieve on their own. The air parted around them, and they readied themselves.

“Thanks to several short-lived scouting expeditions, we know the locations of several of the seals. We’ll be heading to the closest one first, and then moving on if we don’t see the Broodlords.” Warren addressed his peers once more, repeating the mission plan, both to make sure things went right, and to calm his and the others' nerves. “A great deal of Hunters, stealth specialists, each and every one of them, failed to return after sending their information via Com-Slate. We can’t let their sacrifices be in vain.”

Within minutes they had reached the closest seal. The one that Riley had indicated was the seal for the Rot’s Broodmaster. They didn’t have that many hopes that this would be the one the Broodlords were at, since it was one of the ones further from the central seal, but it was the closest to Quintessa and they would hopefully cross paths with the Broodlords soon.

Much to Warren’s surprise, there was something there. Something that he felt before he saw.

“Get ready! They are here, and there is more than one peak.” Everybody tensed, and the Tempest users shifted their focus, just enough to make sure that their entrance was a destructive blow.

Getting the first hit was important at this stage.

Breaking out of the maelstrom, the Hunters had donned their Spirit Armor, and the Wild Spirits had wreathed themselves in mana that emulated their [Truths].

The wind that was released by Warren and Brun’s spell ripped apart all the Cruor and Umbral beasts that were of the third Tier and below. The Legendaries were injured, but the majority survived.

Yet, these were not the forces that he was most concerned with.

It was the three massive creatures that towered over the dying weaklings that were most worrisome. One was the being described by Riley as the form of Radiant Chaos.

The ooze was the size of a large building. Several times larger than the Primal forms of the Broodlords he had fought before.

Next to it were two equally massive figures. One was a humanoid figure covered in bony armor. It had five arms, and two heads. It crawled on the ground, each of its limbs shaking the earth with every movement.

Finally, there was what could only be the most recent Broodmaster to take possession of their Broodlord. A bulbous figure that was wreathed in layers of mold that flowed like waves, but also had spires of spore spewing mushrooms that were thickening the miasma with their infective dust.

Around them, the other Broodlords, except the Winged one, were arrayed in supportive positions, and still in their humanoid forms. They turned with their masters once the Hunters and Spirits appeared.

“It looks like our guests have arrived. Let us give them a proper welcome.” The ooze in the center rippled, and soundwaves were released.

Warren felt the air shake, nearly bringing him to his knees from the extent of the force. The others were somewhat protected, since their senses weren’t as closely tied to the air. But he could see that they had flinched as well.

“Before we begin, I have to ask... Where is the Herald, and what did he do?”

Radiant Chaos’ question evoked a sense of surprise in the gathered Mythics. None of them had seen Ezekiel, nor were they aware of anything that he could’ve done to aid them or oppose the Broods.

None but Headren, who smirked behind his mask. Which was reflected in his body language, allowing Warren and those that saw him to realize that he knew something. Unfortunately, this also let the Broods know as well.

“Keep the specter alive. He will have the answers that we seek. We cannot allow the other seals to be reinforced any further.” Radiant Chaos’ words continued to confuse the Hunters and Spirits, but they also evoked a sense of hope, since they knew that the strongest Hunter in the world was still fighting for them. Wherever he may be right now.

Without another word, a spear of Ichor shot toward their group. The Hunters and Spirits avoided it easily enough, but it was clear that the time for talking was over.

Scattering into groups that they had previously determined, the battle began with a blast of bone, spores, ooze, and elements.

Within moments, the landscape was completely warped beyond anything seen since the days of the Ancient Spirits.