Tale of Eldramir

Just off the coast of the Ruin’s island where the expedition teams made camp. Several large ships, nearly twice the size of the Church and Island Hoppers ships were circling the wreckage of several ships. In the water were the dissolving bodies of several powerful Tier three wild Spirits, as well as a Single Legendary Wild Spirit.

“Are we done here?” Meryn, clad in his Spirit Armor, asked his companions, also clad in the Legendary Spirit armor. “We have already been delayed for too long. It’s likely that word has been spread to the Church and Guild Expedition teams. It would not be in our interests if they were to group up.”

Gwen and Francis, the reinforcements for the Church of Light from the continent, were standing atop the dispersing mana of the wild Spirits below. They kept watch as the mana from the Spirits was allowed to dissipate. Their presence ensured that no additional wild Spirits would approach at the prospect of additional mana. Seeing that the bodies were mostly gone, the two rose into the air to step back onto one of the ships.

“We’re done. Let’s move.” Francis said as he and Gwen dispelled their Spirit armor.

Meryn dispelled his as well, trusting his fellow Followers to know what they were doing. Kameira had already done so, having retreated back into the belly of her ship the moment she saw that the wild Spirits only had a single Legendary amongst them. Had there been more, she and Meryn might have participated in the later portions of the battle, after they had finished wiping out the Island Hoppers in the area. As it was, Gwen and Francis were more than enough, though Meryn did support from a distance.

Each of the three Legendaries of the Cult of Light was more world weary than before. Their bodies were somewhat worn down, and their clothing was no longer the immaculate garb of a religious worshipper or member of the nobility. Having been driven from the primary trade islands, they were forced to take refuge on an entirely uninhabited island. One that didn’t even have a Ruins that they could search for treasures on. This had made them lose a number of valuable resources as they tried to turn the island, they had into something they could use.

The lack of trade and people with skills to be put to use meant that they had to turn to piracy in full. Something that the Cultists had hoped that they could simply dabble in and oversee. But the cost of supporting their forces was too much for their meager facilities, and they needed food and clothing from other islands. Islands that were wary of possible cultists and pirates. Hence their difficulties.

Things were made even worse for them since word had been spread about their presence in the Archipelago. As far as Meryn and his allies were concerned, the Followers of Radiance were there to spread the light of the Ancients, and the civilization they created to the various islands in the Archipelago.

As such, to hear their actions be turned into baseless slander and lies that turned all potential followers away from them was a serious blow to their goals, and ego. Of course, the fact that they actively tried to kill any Void Mages they found, especially ones that practiced Void Meditation techniques, didn’t do them any favors.

More than a few islands were wary enough of them to request their Legendary Guardians to ensure that the Followers of Radiance weren’t able to step foot in their cities. This had led to a number of scars marring the faces and bodies of more than a few of the cultists. They just didn’t have enough Life Mages to fix all their injuries in time to prevent such things.

Meryn stared out towards the island where the Church of Ten and numerous Guilds awaited them. The sheer number of Hunters from the various Guilds was more than enough to overwhelm them, if they were a single army. But while the Followers of Radiance weren’t able to get any spies directly as a part of the Guilds, that didn’t mean that family members were out of the question.

“Let's get to the shore. We can take over whatever’s left of their base to make our own camp. Let our fellow Followers rest for a time. We can begin striking tomorrow. Hopefully those damned Com Slates haven’t advanced enough to send full messages.” Meryn said. “We might even be able to set up an ambush if we can confirm they sent an emergency call.”

“That might be hoping for a bit too much, Meryn. It might be better to begin picking off the other expeditions while we still have high numbers.” Gwen said. “We don’t know what, exactly, they’ve managed to find so far. They could have support from an undiscovered Ruin.”

“We’d know for certain if someone hadn't been overzealous in her attack.” Francis muttered angrily. He and Gwen were in charge of taking care of the Spirits when they were whipped into a fury from the battle with the Island Hoppers.

Kameira was supposed to take some Hunters from the Guild alive. They knew having prisoners would be helpful. Only she didn’t bother listening to orders. Sadistically taking the lives of all the Hunters without restraint. When they demanded she explain herself, she just muttered something about lesser Hunters not knowing their place, before heading into the ship, a fresh bottle of something held in her hand.

Meryn ignored the complaints from his companions for now. He knew they were legitimate, as Kameira’s behavior had been deteriorating as of late. It seemed to him that she would never be able to accept their religion’s goals. He had accepted that, but as of late it seemed like she had begun to give up. She no longer took to her tasks with the vigorous zeal she once did. It seemed like she no longer had anything to distract her, and she was lost.

“So long as she helps us kill the Anathema, I don’t care about her other mistakes.” Meryn said. His voice cut through Gwen and Francis’ argument. “We’re nearly there. So long as we play our cards right, we’ll have a twofold victory for when we return to the continent. The head of the Anathema, and a ship filled with Relics from a Temple of the Void.”

The three Legendary cultists smiled at the thought. Meryn had been suffering for just over three years, while Gwen and Francis had been in the Archipelago for nearly as long. None of them wished to remain here any longer than necessary. With their ultimate goal in sight, they felt confident that they’d reach it soon.

“My lords.” A messy haired woman with a gaunt face and wearing a patchwork dress approached the three Legendaries from behind. It was Milicent, but she looked horrible. Nothing like the stately woman who was once the elected leader of a large city district.

“Apologies for the interruption, but one of our scouts reported something. Regarding the Hunter who managed to flee while you were preoccupied with the wild Spirits. It seems like the nearest expedition has retreated from their camps. They were headed to the extensive bluffs not far away from their initial landing zone. It’s likely that some signal has been sent to the other expeditions, but we’re not sure what that message might be.” She said in a subdued and slightly nervous tone.

“Disappointing. Did the scout see why they went there?” Francis asked.

“No. They recalled their Spirit when the Hunters brought themselves to full alert. Given the heightened alertness, the scout feared getting caught.” Milicent explained.

“Fine. We have a temporary heading. We’ll make our way to their initial camp and follow in their steps. Then, we’ll figure out where they went after heading to the bluffs. They’re likely hiding something if they haven’t left that area.” Francis said. “Tell the captains to bring us in. I want us landed and set to take over their camps by nightfall.”

Given the height of the sun, they would not have much time to do this. Knowing that failing their leaders wasn’t an option, especially for a non-believer like herself, Milicent ran as fast as she could to convey their orders to the crews. As the ships turned fully toward the island, the three Legendary cultists continued to stare at their destination for a while before heading to their individual ships. They decided that it would be best to get what little rest they could for now.

They’d be hunting down some dangerous prey come morning after all.

Meanwhile, within the underground Ruins beneath the bluffs. Scarlet, Carrian, and Kari have reconvened at the base of the focal point for the Spiral Paths Formation. Now healed, the Hunter that survived the encounter with the Cult of Light was giving a full and in-depth report.

He detailed their Spirit, their numbers, and their elements. The last of which brought some major concerns to the Legendaries in the camp. A Cavern Mage, and a Legendary Tempest, and Glacial Mage would be able to easily open the gateway to the Spiral Path. That meant that their current hope rested on the messages to the other expeditions via Com Slate.

If just one other expedition could meet up with them, then they’d be able to match the Cult of Light’s Legendaries. At least in numbers. It was an unfortunate fact that Legendary Hunters had the upper hand when compared to Legendary Mages. Even if the latter worked in pairs.

“Go get some rest. You look like you need it.” Carrian said to the messenger. The Hunter didn’t say a word, merely nodding before listlessly leaving the temporary command center. Along with the Legendary Mages there were also a number of Adept Mages and Hunters. Given what they were facing, there was no chance that they’d be able to handle everything by themselves. Even if they were the strongest people there.

“Any suggestions? For the moment, we’re cut off from the other expeditions. Our supplies will last us a few weeks at best, and we’re still dealing with Death Worms. Please keep these facts in mind before you speak up.” Carrian said. No one said anything for a few moments. Some of the Adepts even closed their eyes and slumped into their chairs. Others crossed their arms over their faces, and more just looked lost. This was a bad situation all around, and it wasn’t looking like anyone would be getting out alive.

“What about the current away team? The ones captured by the Forest Spirit. Is there any chance that they could get a more in-depth message to the other expeditions?” One of the Island hopper Adepts asked. Seeing her subordinate trying to rely on Ezekiel made Ginny grit her teeth, but she acknowledged that this was perhaps their best bet.

“How would they know to send a message though? If we could send that team a message with a Com Slate, then we could send a message to the other expeditions directly.” Another Adept stated. The table fell silent once again. All of them lost in thought.

“... I’m surprised that you’re not demanding we go rescue your precious little genius.” Ginny finally said as she looked toward Scarlet and Carrian. The two glared at her, a small amount of pressure leaked into the room as they briefly released their mana.

“Just because we acknowledge and appreciate Ezekiel’s genius doesn’t mean we can’t prioritize. As it is, they are safer with the Forest Spirit than they are with us. So, sending a team that might very well be captured by cultists would be foolish. Especially since secrecy is currently our best defense. It's the same reason you didn’t send messengers directly to the other expeditions. The dangers of crossing Wild Spirit territories to reach them would be suicide right now.” Scarlet said through gritted teeth.

Neither she nor Carrian wished to allow Ezekiel and his team to remain with the Forest Spirit without backup. But given what they were facing right now, they both acknowledged that Ezekiel was safer where he is now. It would take the cultists over a week to get to them after all. Maybe less if the Legendary cultists blitzed the island. However, doing so would make them targets of every Spirit there. Including whatever unknown Legendaries were hidden from them.

Ginny, for her part, didn’t say anything else. As much as she hated the additional privileges that the so-called geniuses she’d seen in her life, she appreciated the fact that her superiors weren’t bending over backwards to save theirs. She wasn’t stupid enough to want Ezekiel dead, after all. Just brought to heel and put in his place where a Tier one Mage was meant to be.

“If no one has any suggestions, then I propose that we continue to fortify the defenses of the Spiral Paths Formation. We have almost managed to fully map out the enchantments to the formation’s core. If we can finish that then we might be able to change the elemental keys for unlocking the gateway. If we can do that, then we can change it to elements that will be harder for them to acquire. Agreed?” Carrian proposed to the group.

After everyone gave their approval to the plan, Scarlet spoke up.

“We should also continue with our investigation of the Ruins. We might be able to find something that can help us in a pinch. Wiping out the Death Worms should also be a priority. I know that it means making things easier for the Cult if they manage to beat us. But being trapped between two antagonistic forces is not exactly good for our survival.” Scarlet said.

“Agreed. We’ll organize a few new scouting teams. You’ll be staying here though. We need someone to manage the camp directly. It’s grown too big for us to all leave. Especially if a Death Worm manages to get past whatever it is that’s keeping them away from here.” Carrian stated. “Kari, I’d like to change your investigation area while we’re here. I want you to begin investigating the areas outside the city, near the inland side of the caverns.”

Kari, surprised at being addressed, was confused as to why her area of investigation was being changed. She thought it’d be better to keep her with the rest while they investigated the city.

“I want you to see if you and your teams can find the entrance to the Caldera side of the bluffs. From what little we’ve managed to uncover, and from what wasn’t destroyed by the Death Worms, it seems like there were roads leading inland. If we can find it, then we might be able to use it as a backdoor to sneak past those cultists.” Carrian explained.

Everyone at the table looked excited at the prospect of another gateway being found. They’d originally wanted to find the external entrance to the docks. But given the cultists were coming in from the sea, it was determined that that was a bad idea. So, finding an exit that took them inland would be a lifeline they couldn’t afford to give up on.

“...Understood. I will find it.” Kari said quietly. Her voice was gentle, but also seemed strained from disuse.

Carrian nodded in approval. Looking back over the assembled Adepts, Scholars and Hunters alike, he couldn’t help but feel weary as the weight of the situation sat heavily on his shoulders. As the room slowly emptied, the Adepts setting off to assemble teams for their tasks, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of regret. He couldn’t help but feel like he should’ve pushed harder to hunt down the Cult of Light when they first appeared in the Archipelago.

Shaking his head, he knew that he needed to focus. There were more pressing matters to be concerned with. Here and now, he had people to protect, and enemies to fend off. He just hoped that the other expeditions didn’t do anything stupid while they were cut off.

Elsewhere on the island, the various expedition teams had received notice on their Com Slates. Given the limitations of the Com Slates, it was impossible to send extensive messages. There were attempts to create a language to convey such things, but the conflict between different branches of the Church meant that no singular language had been created yet. Instead, expeditions determined preset messages beforehand, so as to allow teams to determine dangers in a given situation.

The current problems that the Sanafalls expedition was facing were not something that was clearly determined before the expeditions split up. However, the message they did send was able to summarize an approximation of the problem.

It signaled that there were multiple Legendary combatants. Eight in this particular instance. As well as stating that a Ruin had been found, though not the Temple of the Void. That the expedition was currently safe, and that they were trapped, and in need of assistance.

They were unable to explain that it was a Cult that had reached them. Nor could they explain that it was four Hunter and Spirit pairs that made up the eight Legendary figures coming after them. As such, the current details were insufficient to explain the full details of the danger. Worse yet, the second signal, conveying the increased Cruor presence, meant that all the expeditions were on the cusp of panicking.

They were too far away to send assistance in any immediate or meaningful manner. As well as currently in the midst of dealing with their own issues. It would be weeks before any of the other teams managed to meet up with any other expeditions. If not longer since they would be needing to cross through several Wild Spirit territories to get to the Sanafalls expedition.

Going by sea was also dangerous, as well as costly, as the expeditions would need to retreat from their established camps. But it was the only feasible method they had available to them.

Ultimately, a couple of the expeditions chose to do this. They ended up taking the time to create a power block that would allow them to hopefully face whatever the Sanafalls expedition was facing. But sending help would take some time all the same.

Thus, it was with heavy hearts that most of the various Cathedral representatives had to convey that they couldn’t help right now. Something that the Sanafalls team was expecting but had hoped otherwise all the same. It was just unfortunate that they couldn’t convey more information.

Had the others known that it was a cult that was invading then they would’ve dropped everything to eliminate this threat. Such a thing affected more than just the expedition after all. But since no signals had been set to explain cult presence, such worries were not present.

For now, all they could do was slowly chip away at their intended goals. Ships would be sent to try and meet up with other expeditions to create better defenses when they could. But given they were still a month or so away from any additional reinforcements, they just didn’t have the manpower. The island and its dangers were just too big.

Several days later, back at the evacuated secondary base camp. Kameira was scouting alongside several of her remaining Hunters from the Reaching Spires Guild. Given her recent behavior, as well as the killing of any potential prisoners that the Followers of Radiance could interrogate, she was in charge of scouting. The rest were back at the Sanafalls’ expedition’s primary base camp.

Kameira found this just fine, however, as she had long since lost any desire to remain near any of her so-called allies. Even now, she felt herself shudder as she saw members of her once great Guild wearing the symbol of the Followers of Radiance on their garments, as opposed to the symbol of the Reaching Spires. Fewer and fewer of her Guild mates wore their symbol. Many of them have since been converted into Followers of Radiance in truth.

She took a chug from her bottle as she marched through the abandoned camp. Her bonded Spirit looked at her in worry as she nearly tripped over a topple wall. She kicked it away, revealing some supplies that had been hidden beneath it.

“Oy! Someone get over here and bag this stuff. We’ll need all the supplies we can get our hands on!” Kameira yelled at her subordinates. Along with scouting, she and her team had been told to gather whatever supplies they could to maintain the base camps.

“Leader Kameira! We’ve found a garden. It looks like they had previously set up a small farm for crops. There’s not much left, but we might be able to get the Life Mages to make something of it.” An Adept Hunter wearing the Reaching Spire’s symbol said as he approached.

“Good work. Add it with the rest. No! Check it over with the Life Mages here first. No point in bringing it if we can’t use it.” Kameira ordered after a moment of thought. “Any sign of where they likely went? I know we know they went to the bluffs, but did we find any signs that explain why?”

The Adept Hunter shook his head. “No, Leader, other than the tracks leading to the bluffs there is really nothing left with information on it.” He said.

“Hmm... get a party together. I want a search party ready to investigate. We’ll head to the bluffs now. But we’ll only check the bottom for now. No point in walking into a trap without preparing for it first.” Kameira commanded. Her subordinates nodded in affirmation before setting out to gather up more Hunters. “A dozen or so of you will stay here. Try to fix up what you can. Get some sleeping quarters set up. We’ll stay the night here before we set out back to the ships to report tomorrow.”

With those words said, she took the rest of her Hunters with her as she went to investigate the bottom of the bluffs. Hoping that she would be able to find something that would get this over with. While she still hated her current lot in life, she knew that the faster she got this done the faster she could crawl into her bottle and lament her now gone glory days.

It took them only a few minutes to get to the bluffs since they were rushing. They weren’t at the water’s edge yet, but still within the forested area. Walking along the cliff face, they ran into a surprising encounter. Several ground bound birds pecking at the ground for food. Rushing forward, the Hunters managed to grab all of them before they could flee.

“It seems like we’ll be eating fairly well tonight. Keep them alive for now. We’ll need them for rearing more meat later.” Kameira said as she licked her lips. It was relatively rare that she got to eat fresh meat. But if they played their cards right, then it might be possible that they’d have a regular supply while on this island.

“Actually,” she said after a moment’s thought, “let a couple of them go. We can follow them back to their nesting area. Maybe get some more of them.” Two of the Hunters did as she requested. The birds immediately set off towards the beach. Several Tempest Hunters took to the sky to follow at a distance.

As the party moved towards the beach, they stumbled across the same cave that Ezekiel and the Sanafalls expedition managed to find previously. Looking at it in confusion, she ordered some of her Hunters to follow the birds to capture more of them. In the meantime, She and the rest of the Hunters moved to investigate the cave.

At the moment, the tide was at its lowest, so they had ample time to investigate. Going deeper and deeper into the cave, signs of battle became more and more prevalent. Cracked walls, jagged slash marks, melted stone, and signs of something digging. Something big. Yet the group continued to go deeper, all of them itching for a fight, as they were certain that this was the direction the Sanafalls expedition had gone.

A crackling sound slowly grew in volume. They were approaching a cavernous area. Their group didn’t currently have a Cavern Mage, as they had been left behind to aid in the base reconstruction. As such, no one knew what was around the corner.

Coming to a halt, Kameira gestured for her followers to hold back. She knew that she was the only one likely to survive an attack if one of the Sanafalls Legendaries was around the corner. Donning her Spirit armor, she and her Spirit moved as one as they dashed around the corner, ready to attack the first thing she saw. Only for her blood to run cold, and her face to pale in fear.

Nestled in the walls around the cavern, above the water that created a small lake at the bottom, were hundreds, if not thousands of worms covered in dull cracking carapace. Death Worms of all tiers were there for her to see, and to see her. Lit up with lightning as she was, she immediately grabbed the attention of the numerous enemies before her. Including not one, but two Legendary Death Worms.

“RUN!!!” Kameira screamed, not even waiting to see what was happening. She barely noticed the Worms all begin burrowing into the walls before she rushed back around the corner. Her Hunters had followed her orders immediately, knowing that it must be something horrible if their Leader screamed for them to run. But for some of them it was too late.

Worms reached out from above, below, and to the sides of the tunnel they were currently in. Two Hunters lost their lives barely a dozen steps from the corner leading into the cavern. Kameira saw this as she flew as fast as she could past her Guild mates. The rest continued to run as fast as they could. If they got trapped, then they would be dead. There were just too many to fight.

Suddenly, in front of Kameira, one of the Legendary Death Worms borrowed out from the side of the tunnel. She didn’t hesitate, charging up her deadliest attack as she turned into a bolt of lightning, piercing through the side of the Death Worm’s body, but that barely slowed the Wild Spirit down. It ultimately decided to turn its attention to the Adepts that were still further back in the tunnel.

Their screams echoed through the tunnel like a nightmarish chorus of damnation. Kameira kept moving, however, knowing that she would be joining them if she didn’t get out of the tunnel soon. There was still one more Legendary Death Worm after all. Yet, as she flew past the opening of the tunnel, she breathed a sigh of relief as she continued outward, past the edges of the water.

As she floated in the air, she turned around. Watching as the other Legendary Death Worm broke out from the sand and blocked off the entrance to the tunnel. Five seconds longer and she’d have been trapped. She wasn’t certain she’d be able to break past the second Death Worm, given the mana she’d expended against the first.

Looking down at the beach, she saw that the Hunters she’d sent off to capture more birds had been successful, and they were making their way back to the second camp.

Taking one last look at the Death Worms she’d just escaped from, Kameira reached for her Void Pouch, intent on having another drink. Only to sigh in frustration as her hand came back empty.

Along with her desire for a drink, she couldn’t help but feel regret and despair. Her actions had led to the deaths of nearly all her remaining Guild mates. The rest, besides the bird hunters, were converts. Needless to say, she was not looking forward to reporting the situation to the other Legendary Hunters from the Followers of Radiance.