Tale of Eldramir

It had been over a week since Ezekiel had split up from his team from Sanafalls. Since then, they had returned to a separate expedition, as well as retreated back to the coast over a couple of days. They ended up meeting up with the rest of the expedition from Tillsmont, and debated for several days as they determined where their next destination would be.

The debate went fairly quickly, but they still couldn’t leave right away. They still needed to make sure that they didn’t leave anything behind, and making sure that everything was packed and ready to go took just under a couple of days, intent on meeting up with the next nearest expedition. Though they left several foundational structures for when they eventually returned.

Currently, Fiana, George, and Sasha were eventually separated from Martin and Nina. The latter two were unable to trust the three Sanafalls Cathedral members. Upon learning that Sasha had left her Guild due to mistreatment their attitude became worse, thinking that she was a spoiled and privileged girl with no loyalty. Something that struck deep with Sasha, who began to doubt her place with any groups.

It was said hang ups didn’t carry over to the Tillsmont Hunters and Scholars. Rather, they were simply frustrated at the lack of progress and total retreat. Kylie, the other Guild leader in charge of their primary base camp, was particularly upset, but relented when Marwyl explained things. Though she still berated Yorn for giving into the Church’s desires, even though Marwyl stated that he had nothing to do with the Obscure Hunter’s decision.

“Alright! Let’s cast off! You all know where we’re going. Keep close to the shore, and don’t do anything that’ll piss off the Spirits in the water! It’s bad enough we’re having to avoid the established safe route. No need to make things even more difficult.” Kylie shouted out and over the half a dozen ships that were anchored safely at their temporary dock.

As they all set sail towards the open ocean, turning to the direction of the expedition they were headed to when they got far enough out, Sasha couldn’t help but look back as she watched the island get further and further away.

“What are looking back so longingly for? You’ll be back on land by tomorrow. It’s not like we’re going too far.” Fiana said as she came up behind Sasha. She too briefly stared into the distance at the retreating island.

“I’m just thinking about everything that’s happened in the past two weeks. It just feels like nothing’s been going right for us.” Sasha said quietly. “Things seemed to go well at first, except for the bear. Then we find a lost Ruin invested with Death Worms, where the only known entrance is intermittently buffeted by murderous windstorms. Finally, we get kidnapped by a nascent Exalted Spirit, and the youngest person on this expedition sacrifices himself for all of us to go free.”

For a moment it looks like Sasha is about to start crying.

“And that’s after me, and those other two, grill him about his secrets and practically denounce him. Now, we’re teamed up with a separate expedition, and off to team up with another, to rescue our city’s expedition, from a terrifying cult supported by four Legendary Hunters, and who knows how many Adepts.” Sasha’s voice had risen to a shrill scream by this point. “How the hell are you dealing with this so perfectly? How do you not seem to care, beyond your usual business?!”

Fiana looked at Sasha with pitying eyes. Although there was some worry as she glanced at the audience that Sasha’s near breakdown had accumulated. She understood full well that Sasha was dealing with a lot right now. She wasn’t supposed to be going through this much on one of her first expeditions. The only reason she’d been taken was because she was one of the few Hunters with a Cavern alignment in the entire Archipelago.

There were only maybe half a dozen others in the Island Hoppers that she was aware of. Given the nature of Ancient Ruins, however, that meant that they needed all hands on deck when it came to such precious abilities.

Unfortunately, it also meant that a less experienced Hunter like Sasha was ultimately brought along on a potentially dangerous expedition to an Island in Desolate waters. Though Fiana still felt her skills were up to par, it was her experience that was the problem.

Sasha hadn’t experienced the true troubles of an expedition. Very rarely do they go to plan. Even the basic milk run escort missions often went poorly.

“I can deal with these problems because I am used to them. I may only go on an expedition every couple of years, but I’ve still been on several dozen since joining the Church of Ten as an Apprentice, and later as an Adept.” Fiana explained. “During that time, I’ve since learned that you can never expect things to go right when out on the open ocean. George is somewhat less experienced, as he’s never bothered with Ruin expeditions. But if Ezekiel were still here, he’d be able to prove my words.”

“Why? Because he lucked out and managed to go to a Temple of the Void on his first expedition?” Sasha wiped her face before her tears of frustration could fall. “Didn’t he manage to get the only Void Spirit in the world from that?”

“He also fought for his life on no less than three occasions. Not against Umbral Beasts, but against a Hunter from a now disbanded Guild, when he didn’t have his Spirit. Suffering burns, bruises, cuts, and more.” Fiana’s voice was flat and dead as she told Sasha and their audience about Ezekiel’s story. “Then, he had to run through a Rot den with several Tier three Cruor trying to kill him. Finally, he had to flee for his life alongside the other Hunters from the still remaining Guilds, because the Remnant of the Void in the Temple decided to explode. Destroying the city that the Temple was based in.”

Sasha’s mouth had fallen open, and one of the Hunters listening in had dropped his satchel, where he was trying to look like he was rocking, not eavesdropping. The few Scholars listening in also looked dumbfounded. Ezekiel’s story was well known for his supposed crimes back in the Willowbrush Empire, as well as the higher ups of most Cathedrals, but the average Scholar didn’t hear much about it.

“So, I would say, no, not because he lucked out. But because he suffered far worse, in a shorter time period, and at a much lower Step than he is now, without a Spirit at that.” Fiana’s voice was ice.

Over the time she’d worked with Ezekiel, she’d grown to appreciate his work ethic and creativity. She had slowly grown to think of him as something like a little brother, and while she didn’t show it, she had been deeply hurt by his sacrifice.

“... I’m sorry...” Sasha squeaked out. Ezekiel hadn’t told her and the other Hunters all the dark and dirty details. Glossing over most information and just explaining that his spirit was born when the Remnant of the Void had split his Soul.

“Tell that to Ezekiel when he gets back.” Fiana said in a dismissive tone. She glared at the others on the ship that seemed to choke on her words. Staring at her in disbelief.

“You think he’ll come back?” Sasha asked incredulously.

From what she’d been told, going into Cruor territory by yourself was basically a death sentence, as the number of Umbral Beasts increased by a ridiculous amount. And they could sniff out mana like it was a beacon lighting up the night sky.

“You know what he’s survived before. I can’t believe he won’t survive again.” Fiana said. “Besides, the Forest Spirit believed that he could do a job for it, so why can’t we? For now, focus on what’s in front of us. Taking out the Cult. Don’t think about the expedition, that’s gone to shit.”

Sasha let out a weak sniff as she tried to focus but couldn’t help but look back at the island once again. The coastline had changed, and they were well on their way to the other expedition.

“Okay.” Sasha finally said after she got a hold of herself.

Fiana just nodded her head. She knew that Sasha wasn’t going to be okay anytime soon. But when they met up with the other expedition, they would hopefully have the numbers to take down the Cult without too many issues. Though she knew such hopes were practically a fever dream at this point.

Given the potential lack of necessity for Apprentice level Hunters, she hoped that Sasha would be permitted to stay behind when they went to face the Cult. The young woman had been through enough, and any more stress might very well see her leaving the Guild and Scholar life behind forever.

Looking into the distance, she cursed the Cult, and prayed to the Ancients that they were having troubles. Given the amount that she and her expedition had suffered so far, it would only be fair.

At the base camp of the Sanafalls expedition. The Cult of Light were not having a good time. Currently, all members high or low Tiered, were bundled up inside their shelters as a storm raged on outside. Luckily, however, it seemed like they wouldn’t be suffering problems from their more recent problems.

Unfortunately, for the Cult, Kameira’s scuffle with the Death Worms, and the resulting loss of basically the entire remainder of her old Guild, had caused the nest of Death Worms to become anxious, and for the past week they’d been forced to face off against a horde that wanted them dead.

Given that the number of Legendary Death Worms was much lower than the number of Legendaries in the Cult, it was believed that it’d be easy for the Cult to destroy the nest. However, due to the cavernous nature of the Death Worms, as well as their debilitating curses, those thoughts quickly changed. It seemed that the Death Worms were now specifically targeting the weaker members of the Cult that got too close.

Unfortunately, avoiding the Worms was difficult as well. They could go further inland to attempt to climb the Cliff at a different area, but that would take even more time, and they’d have to establish another base, spreading themselves even thinner.

Worse yet, it seemed like the Death Worms had found themselves enjoying the taste of human flesh, as they’d actually attempted to strike the camps a couple times. Such incursions were dealt with quickly, but they were annoyances that the Cult didn’t wish to deal with right now.

“This is all your damned fault!” Gwen was practically frothing at the mouth as she screamed at Kameira. She had several new scars that weren’t fully healed due to the curse infused with the Death Worm’s attacks. Usually, if a well-trained Death and Life Mage worked in tandem, it would be possible to remove such scars.

However, since these wounds came from another Legendary being, this made it too difficult for the poorly trained, and conscripted Life and Death Mages to heal. Ultimately, the wounds were left to fester for too long, and were left scarred. She’d need healing from a more professionally trained Life Mage later on if she wanted the scars to be healed.

“Of course, it is. I’m more than capable of spawning Legendary Death Worms whenever the hell I want. So why not use them against a bitch like you?!” Kameira screamed back sarcastically. She was just as, if not more so injured as Gwen was.

“If you hadn't intruded in their nest, then they wouldn’t be coming after us!” Gwen screamed again.

“We had no reason to believe that the cave system didn’t lead to wherever those Church bastards are hiding! Are you saying you wouldn’t have looked inside it if you’d seen it?” Kameira accused.

Just as Gwen was about to start screaming again, Francis slammed his fist into the stone table in the center of their current command room. Next to him was Meryn, who was nursing what looked like a cup of tea, though it was likely spiked with something, given the bottle of alcohol next to him. Both of the men looked even worse off than Kameira and Gwen.

“Enough!” Francis’ voice was an angry growl, but the two women fell silent all the same.

“Kameira is not at fault in this instance. Investigating the cave was a perfectly fine idea. It’s just bad luck that there’s a nest of Death Worms, though it would’ve been better if she had a Cavern Mage with her.” Francis pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “But at least we have confirmation that the Guilds and Church are hiding under the Cliffs. Death Worms of this power require numerous, or powerful, souls to cultivate. We may very well have missed the Ruins hidden inside the cliffs if not for this.”

Gwen just huffed and sat down, while Kameira grinned smugly and took a swig of her own, nearly empty, bottle of alcohol. This drew pointed looks from Meryn and Francis and look of disgust from Gwen.

“Regardless of the Death Worms, we still need to find a way into whatever underground Ruin they’re hiding in.” Meryn said after taking a sip of his tea. “Have we had any luck with finding clues on top of the cliffs? I know we have enough Hunters capable of flight to have checked it out.”

“We saw the remains of several buildings, and what we believe is the pattern for a city-wide formation array. However, it seems like they’re too eroded for us to make out what they are.” Francis explained. “Not that the majority of the scouts would know anything about magical formation arrays anyway. Worse yet was that damned storm! Half my scouts were blown into the sea!”

The other three Legendaries grimaced at the reminder. Nearly a dozen Tempest Mages and Hunters had died when the sudden storm had blown them off the top of the cliffs. Several Cavern Mages had been included in those that were lost, as they’d been included in order to make up numbers, as well as to feel out the cliff. None of them wanted another Death Worm incident.

“I don’t suppose you managed to get a decent sketch of the formation? I’m not the best, but I do have some knowledge of Ruins and their defenses.” Meryn asked. Francis rummaged through a sack before pulling out a rolled-up piece of parchment.

As Meryn unfurled it, the rough spiral shaped pathway of the formation atop the cliffs was displayed. There were three pathways leading to a central area. One ended at the cliff near their current position. Another ended in the caldera, and the third and final path ended while pointing at the sea.

Kameira allowed her mind to wander as Meryn looked over the sketch for several minutes but didn’t seem to be getting anything. Finally, having finished her bottle, Kameira looked over curiously. Only she let out a snort of disbelief as she looked at it.

“Something funny?” Meryn asked in frustration as he looked up from the roughly drawn sketch.

“That’s the worst Spiral Paths Formation I’ve ever seen. Whoever drew that must've been drunker than I am. With a broken hand at that.” Kameira said derisively.

The three Followers of Radiance looked at her in surprise and confusion. They had not expected Kameira to have anything of value to contribute to this situation. They’d really only expected her to act as additional muscle when they eventually fought with the expeditions.

“What?” Kameira asked. She looked defensive as the three stared at her.

“You know what formation this is?” Meryn asked.

“It’s a defensive formation used on cities as a form of defense. I saw a broken one on a Ruin once. Something like, twenty years ago.” Kameira told them. “It requires keys and specific elements of mana to open. Though, in this case, if the Church and Guild members are hiding inside, then I guess the formation has degraded to the point where it no longer needs a key. Just elements.”

“I don’t suppose you know what those elements are?” Meryn asked.

“Nope. Just that we need three of them. The gateway won’t open up otherwise.” Kameira said with a shrug.

“In that case, we will need to begin making attempts as soon as possible. There are a number of combinations to check, and the sooner we do so the better.” Meryn stated.

“What about the Death Worms?” Gwen asked.

“We can’t deal with them in the open. They just run away, and we have no Legendary Cavern Mages to keep them from fleeing underground.” Francis said dismissively. “Best to deal with the problems we can actually face, rather than be chipped away by a bunch of annoying worms.”

Gwen looked annoyed, as she wished to kill the worms that had been causing so many issues. The past week had become incredibly frustrating for her, as she was relatively more ground bound than her companions. She also had to make sure that their path to the ships was clear for their use, given that she was the best person to have at the coast.

“Regardless, we can’t do anything about it right now. Not so long as the storm is keeping us from reaching the top of the Ruins.” Francis stated. “We’ll have to wait it out, but once the skies are clear again, we will need to begin moving towards the caldera. Once we’re further away from the Death Worms, then we can make our way up with our people.”

“... I don’t like it. I thought we agreed that moving inland would take too long?” Gwen asked.

“That was before, when we thought we could defeat the Death Worms and gain easy access to the top of the cliff.” Meryn said. “Now, since we know we can’t get past the worms, we need to find a different area to ascend from. Moving further inland will take time, but it will allow us to make a base from which we can move forward.”

“Tsk, fine.” Gwen stood up and marched out of the room. The wind howled as she made her way to her personal shelter. She wasn’t happy about this outcome, but she knew it was the smartest thing to do. So, for now, she would wait and go through with her compatriot’s plan.

“We should all go get some rest. There’s no point sitting around talking anymore. We have a new plan. We’ll go through with it when the weather clears.” Meryn said.

He too stood up and left the command house. Francis followed after, while Kameira just stayed in the room. Her Spirit climbed up onto her shoulder. She pet it gently as she took in what little comfort she could. Angry and upset, she fell asleep in her chair, not bothering to go to her quarters.

Deep within the hidden and Ruined city where the Sanafalls expedition had taken refuge. Many of the Scholars and Hunters had succeeded in revealing some of the secrets found within the city, including the remains of a dilapidated underground farmland. Luckily, the area it was in was not central to the Death Worm’s nesting ground, so it was possible for the Scholars to repair small areas for their personal use.

The increase in food was a great boon, though the Life Mages had to be careful about how they cultivated what little produce they could farm. Healing the injuries that resulted from the Death Worms was a constant struggle, after all.

It wasn’t like the expedition was able to get away without running into the Death Worms as all. While the attacks had reduced recently, it didn’t mean that the scouting and investigation teams were able to get away without injuries, or deaths.

“How many made it back this time?” Carrian asked the Adept Saber Scales Hunter in front of him.

“Out of a team of ten, eight made it back this time. Though we managed to retrieve their supplies, if not their remains.” The Adept angrily muttered that last part under her breath.

While it was only around one in every ten groups that went out to scout that lost a member, it still meant that they were slowly losing people. Though that average had gone down recently, and none of the Legendary Death Worms had appeared. So, it was still relatively safer than the dangers above ground.

“I know it’s frustrating, but you know just as well as I do that going above ground right now would be suicide. Not only do we not know if there’s a storm brewing right now, but the Cult won’t let us off.” Carrian said with a sigh. “Even if they did, are you willing to turn to a life of piracy just to survive? You know of this Cult’s crimes. As well as how it’s being hunted down by every major island in the Archipelago.”

The Adept grit her teeth but calmed herself down. She knew Carrian was right, but the week they’d been under the cliff had seen more losses to her Guild than any other expedition she’d been on.

“Is there anything else to report?” Carrian asked.

“Not at this time, Grand Scholar. Leader Kari and Leader Ginny have been keeping our respective Guilds in-line, so there’s no worries regarding internal conflicts. Though your Scholars are grating on some of the Hunter’s nerves.” The Adept said.

“They’ve been hesitating when ordered to retreat from a new finding, haven’t they?” Carrian said, letting his head fall into his hands.

“Indeed.” The Adept said.

With a sigh, Carrian looked over what few reports he had left to go over. He couldn’t help but lament the days when his desk at the Cathedral was covered in such reports and requests.

“I’ll speak with Scarlet. We’ll set them straight.” Carrian said. “Please, return to your Guild, and take some time to relax. You and your team should be together right now.”

The Adept nodded, giving a brief salute before leaving the small building that had been set up as Carrian’s office. Leaning back in his chair, Carrie Lamented their current situation. He knew that there was still no word regarding what else had happened to Ezekiel’s missing team. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing at this point. But he knew that there were other priorities to deal with right now, so he put those worries in the back of his mind.

Getting up, Carrian ignored the remaining reports on his desk. Leaving his little hut, he made his way to the medical tents, where he knew that Scarlet would certainly be at.

Entering the tent, he saw Scarlet leaning back on a bed as she was tended to by several healers at once. Scarlet, upon seeing Carrian enter, flinched and grimaced as he moved toward her. She hadn’t been wanting to see him but knew that he’d come to see her once he’d gotten the report from the other teams.

“Grand Scholar.” One of the healers said. “We just need to close a few more wounds and you’ll be able to speak with her alone.”

“It’s fine. What I’m here to talk about isn’t confidential. Continue as you were.” Carrian said. The healers all nodded in understanding and continued their work.

“Report. Did you manage to find anything? The Dock’s team had no luck finding a mechanism on their end. Though I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.” Carrian said.

Scarlet shifted slightly before answering.

“We found something, but I’m not sure if it’s good news or not.” She said with a gravelly voice. “From what little the Cavern Mages could sense, it seems to be a sealed passage, but we couldn’t access it using the three mana types for the Spiral Path Formation. Worse yet, it’s not on the side of the city leading to the caldera.”

“Hmm. So, it’s either another exit, or a hidden passage that leads to a dead end or secret room.” Carrian pondered. “It wasn’t on the wall facing the direction of our camp, correct?”

“That’s right. It was on the opposite side.” Scarlet explained. “But it gets bad. We think it might’ve been a safe room, because from what our Cavern Mage could tell, there was lots of something wriggling in the walls. As you can tell from my injuries.”

Scarlet weakly gestured to herself. She had several new scars, and while the Death mana had mostly been cleared out of her system, the amount she had suffered from recently had left permanent wounds. As well as damage to her Spirit. Something that could only be recovered from with time.

“That is not good news. If we need to deal with another Legendary Death Worm, I want all of us to be prepared. You will not be going alone against this one. Understood?” Carrian commanded.

“Understood.” Scarlet replied.

“Good. Other than that, we need to get our Scholars a better sense of self preservation. As such, you’re benched for the time being.” Carrian stated. Scarlet opened her mouth to argue, but Carrian didn’t let her speak. “No! You listen to me. You’re more injured than anyone else still alive in this camp. We can’t lose you, and regardless of your prowess, I’m still your technical superior. At least due to seniority and experience.”

Scarlet flinched back from Carrian’s tone. He spoke to her like she was a child. Which, compared to him, she basically was.

“I’m trusting you to rest, and properly recover, rather than regain your strength and go off and get hurt again. Can you do this?” Carrian asked. “Or will I need to let the rest of the camp know you’re practically dying?”

Scarlet stayed silent for a minute before answering.

“I’ll stay back. But you need to be careful, old man. You’re not as spry as you used to be.” Scarlet said. Around her, the other healers shared a look as they considered the words of the two Grand Scholars.

“Good. I’ll be leading a team tomorrow to a few more unexplored areas. I’ll be sure to avoid going anywhere near the area where you found the passageway.” Carrian said.

With that said, Carrian left the tent, giving a nod of thanks to the healers in the room. As he strode out, he couldn’t help but worry about what tomorrow would bring for him. He hadn’t led a scouting team since they’d set up base at the bottom of the spiral.

Giving Scarlet control of the base might make things difficult, with her rough personality. Which had only gotten rougher since they’d been trapped down here. Hopefully things wouldn’t turn out too bad. But he knew better than to expect things to go well on this expedition. He could only hope that Kari and the other teams would be able to pick up any slack he might end up leaving.