Tale of Eldramir

Ezekiel very slowly returned to consciousness. His entire body was sore, and he could barely open his eyes without throwing up as he was struck by vertigo. The lack of light in his surroundings was actually more of a blessing than a concern.

It was with great difficulty that he managed to take stock of his current position. As well as the state of his body. It was only when he flinched in pain from the overuse of mana that he realized he likely had a concussion. Meaning his control of his mana was currently nonexistent.

“Shine? Are you still with me?” Ezekiel mentally projected. While he and Ezekiel could usually sense each other's presence within a certain distance, given his current state he couldn’t sense much.

“Yes, I’m here.” Shine’s voice was quiet, and sounded as if it was coming from underwater. “Try not to move too much. And don’t use your mana again. Your concussion won’t let your control it.”

Ezekiel attempted to nod, but nearly threw up, so mentally sent Shine feelings of understanding and assurance. Knowing he wouldn’t be moving for a while, he remained on the ground to rest for as long as he could.

“I don’t suppose you know where we are?” Ezekiel asked.

“Not really. I just know you were mostly out of it for a day or so. You briefly woke up a few times. But you seemed to be out of it. You weren’t saying words that made sense.” Shine replied. “I think we’re in a different encampment. This one is basically a small village.”

Ezekiel knew that that was both good, and bad, as it meant that they were more or less where they needed to be. But it also meant that the security was going to be far greater. Similarly, it meant that they might be more likely to inspect anything that he left behind while leaving.

“Any idea what the guard situation is like?” Ezekiel inquired. “I’m assuming that they wouldn’t just leave us alone. Even with our lower mana levels.”

“I think we’re in a hole. One they put a lid on. I’m not sure how deep it is.” Shine told him. “Other than that, I think there were a couple of Cruor standing around the hole when we got dropped in here. I don’t know what Tier they were though.”

Feeling around the ground around him, Ezekiel realized that the ground was tough, but not in the same way as most rocks were. It was more like compressed dirt bricks. Like it was a rough textured brick rather than a smooth carved stone.

“... Are we going to be, okay?” Shine asked quietly.

Ezekiel’s immediate reaction was to say yes. He wanted to reassure Shine that everything would be fine, and that they would both be home before they knew it. However, he stopped himself, as he knew that a simple reassurance would be worthless. So, he told Shine the truth, rather than empty platitudes.

I’m not sure, Shine. I always knew that getting caught was a possibility. Which is why I desperately wanted to avoid situations where it’d be possible.” Ezekiel said. “But, if we’re lucky, and we play our cards right... maybe.”

“How?” Shine asked.

Ezekiel internally sighed before rolling onto his stomach. Forcing himself to his hands and knees, he opened his eyes, the lack of light didn’t prevent his magically enhanced senses from barely making out features of the room. As the sense of vertigo hit him again, he forced a finger down his throat, immediately bringing himself to puke.

He stopped after a few seconds, but as gross as it was, he was happy as he knew that several of the seeds he’d swallowed earlier had splashed across the floor. He knew they’d be difficult to get out, especially given how big they were, but it seemed like his gamble paid off. He couldn’t help but thank the Ancients that these seeds were fairly small.

“We just have to wait for the right moment to activate the seeds. Then, we should be able to make some headway in returning home.” Ezekiel explained.

Shine didn’t reply, but a feeling of disgust, awe and hope was felt by Ezekiel through their bond. As he calmed down, he powered through the dizziness he was still feeling. He knew that simply letting the seeds lay out on the ground would be dangerous.

“Help me with my mana.” Ezekiel said to shine. He knew that he couldn’t do anything himself, but with Shine’s help he shouldn’t have any problems hiding the seeds.

Ezekiel felt a familiar Shroud settle over him from Shine’s mana. Then, he felt his strength increase to the level of empowerment that he remembered practicing with Shine many times. Feeling around for his supplies, he realized that everything had been stripped from him except his underclothes. Luckily, it seemed like the Cruor didn’t care about a rock he’d taken from the statue.

Whether or not that was because the Cruor didn’t see him tucking it away, or they didn’t care at all was unknown to him. Regardless, he took the small stone hand that was Shine’s current vessel, and using Shine’s reinforcement he began digging small holes in the corners of the pit he was in.

There weren’t many seeds, and Ezekiel’s plan involved removing the brick like structures to place the seeds beneath them. Some small cracks were heard as the first stone came loose. But apparently it wasn’t loud enough to draw attention. This continued for a while, as he removed several bricks, digging small holes beneath them before he buried, and then covered, the seeds, both in dirt and with the bricks.

As the last seed was covered in dirt, Ezekiel put the final brick back into place. None of the seeds were left in the open, but the smell of his vomit was almost enough to make him throw up again.

Moving to the opposite side of the pit, Ezekiel curled up as he laid down again. The sense of vertigo and dizziness had started to fade as he powered through it. It seemed like Shine’s mana was encouraging his natural healing as his body was being reinforced. Once more, he tucked the little stone hand vessel into his clothing. Hoping that Shine wouldn’t be taken from him come morning.

“Ezekiel, shouldn’t you throw up and bury the rest of the seeds?” Shine asked.

Knowing that Shine could sense the remaining seeds in his stomach, Ezekiel wasn’t surprised with this question. But he knew that Shine wouldn’t like his answer.

“The Cruor kept me alive for a reason. I feel it is only fair that we find out as much as we can from them, before we take them out.” Ezekiel said. “Besides, one good punch to the stomach will get the rest out. We’ll force them to grow if that happens.”

Ezekiel knew his plan was risky, but for now, he wanted to do everything he could to make sure that the Forest Spirit’s plan had the best chance possible at succeeding.

“...Okay.” Shine’s voice was despondent. They just wanted to go home, but Ezekiel seemed intent on going further and further. Ezekiel knew this and couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“When this is all over, we won’t leave Sanafalls for at least a year. Maybe two. We’ll just take a leave of absence and relax. Does that sound good?” Ezekiel asked.

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Shine said. Their voice was a bit more enthusiastic, but there was still a great deal of worry bubbling beneath the surface.

Ezekiel also felt the same worry. But he needed to focus on the here and the now. He hoped that they had taken him to a secondary base, given the size, rather than an outpost nearer to the border. So long as this was just a stopping point, he’d likely be brought to one of the Cruor’s primary bases. If he was, then the plan would go off better than expected. So, for now, all he could do was wait to see what would happen next.

Outside of the pit Ezekiel was waiting in, several guards were stationed. Each of them was glaring at the pit as if it was their most hated enemy. Given there was a human inside, and two of their own had died to said human, this hatred was fully justified in the minds of the avian-like guards.

The pit itself was located near the center of the small, village-like, encampment. The command center for this encampment was located several hundred meters away, in a building reinforced with several large bones, and crude stone bricks. Not unlike the ones keeping Ezekiel contained.

However, unlike the pit that Ezekiel found himself in, the command structure was built not unlike a birdcage. With large glass windows and openings lining the outside for easy access from both the land and the sky. Fitting and comfortable for an avian species. In fact, many such structures were built similarly to this, and the presence of humanoid housing was entirely missing from the encampment.

Inside the command center, several near-human Cruor were discussing what to do with their new prisoner. Each of them were perched on their own separate stands, or lounging near the ground on platforms with large sofas that allowed them to spread their wings as they laid back. The room was basically the size of a large amphitheater. Smaller rooms for private meetings were attached.

In the center of the building was a raised platform area with a table in the middle. Several large posts stuck out of it as the current chiefs of the encampment were debating their next steps. Opinions were split between those who wanted him dead, and a small majority who wanted to further interrogate him. Even going so far as to bring him to their overall head chiefs near the coast at their primary base.

“We can’t just let him stick around! He’s already killed several of our people, and who knows how much information he has managed to obtain during his time in our territory!” One of the Tier three chiefs said as they slammed their talon on the table. “It’d be better to kill him now and look for whomever helped him get here!”

“And I’m telling you right now, that there might not be anyone helping him. We need information. It would be a better use of our time interrogating him, rather than simply killing him and hoping nothing else is coming our way.” Another Cruor stated.

“Enough!” A third Cruor called out. “We’ve been at this for over a day now. I say we let the child live until the head chief gets here. Better to let them make the decision rather than do something that would piss them off.”

The other two Cruor looked surprised, as did the various other members that were around the room, observing and answering questions as directed. None of them had known that the head chiefs had been made aware of the situation. Let alone that there would be one coming here.

“You informed the headquarters what’s been going on!” The first Cruor exclaimed.

“Of course, I did. Better to do that early than to let your stupidity ruin any plans we may have moving forward. Much like when we lost the southern cliffs because of one of your blunders.” The third Cruor said.

The second smiled at the reminder of the first’s stupidity. While the first snarled and started growing feathers. His figure became more avian in appearance.

“You dare!” He shouted as he slammed the table again.

“Yes, I dare. And I’ve warned them about your temperament and prior actions. So, you can rest assured that you’ll be the first one they investigate if the child is dead when they get here!” The third Cruor stated. The first could only screech lowly as they fumed in anger.

“You will regret this.” He said. The other two Tier threes in the room ignored him. “Calling a head chief here to investigate pulls power away from the border. It makes our position weak!”

“Not knowing what abilities our enemies now have makes us even weaker when they eventually strike at us, and we cannot protect ourselves. You saw the report on the child’s abilities.” The second Cruor said as they waved to the side. Sitting on the other side of the room was another Tier three Cruor. This was the one who knocked Ezekiel unconscious and took him captive.

“The human showed abilities that we’ve never even heard of before. He managed to disappear from all senses, and it was only the fact that whatever spell it was couldn’t hold up to physical impacts.” The second Cruor said, “Worse yet, the mana didn’t linger. It faded away barely a few seconds after it was used. Does that, perhaps, remind you of anything?”

The third Cruor winced, while the first, and many others, looked confused.

“Void mana.” The third Cruor’s neutral tone sounded bored, but there was a slight tremble in his fingers before he clenched his fist. “We have a potential Void Mage. At least according to the legends and information we have regarding the humans that can use it.”

A look of shock spread across the faces of those who hadn’t previously made the connection. Even the Cruor that captured Ezekiel sat straight from where he’d been lounging on a sofa.

“You mean... Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” The first Cruor asked. His voice was no longer angry and full of wrath. Instead, it was partially filled with hope, and a hint of fear. His feathers had smoothened out, and his features returned to a more humanoid appearance.

“Indeed. He, given his natural state as a Void Mage, one who has reached Tier one, or higher, is a candidate for the position of Broodlord. I don’t think I need to remind you how important that is for all of the Cruor. Regardless of which Brood he may serve. Perhaps, one day, he may join ours.” The third Cruor said. “I don’t think I need to remind you of how important that would be. Especially given the state of affairs we are so desperately trying to hide from humanity.”

None of the Cruor in the room spoke up at that. The lower Tier members didn’t know what was going on, but those at Tier three were well aware.

Not all the Broodlord positions were currently full. Currently, the number of living Broodlords numbered seven out of nine. That most of the higher Cruors were aware of. The Winged Broodlord was actually one of the two that were yet to be replaced, as he had been killed by a human, not a Cruor, a few decades ago.

Meaning that the ability of the Winged Cruor to reproduce was currently very low, as the peerage of the previous Broodlord was also damaged. One of the duties of the Broodlords was to propagate their Brood, after all, since only they and their Peerage could reproduce, either with each other or with other Cruor of the same Brood. The clutch of any other Cruor couldn’t hatch without the Ichor of their Broodlord or a member of their Peerage, after all.

The long lives of the Cruor, and their large clutch sizes, as Cruor from all Broods, hatched from eggs, were the only reason that the Cruor managed to match the growth rate and fertility of humanity.

Worse yet, the further descended from two first generation Cruor, that a Cruor was, the more difficulty they would have in growing stronger. Something that most humans didn’t know, but many Cruor had to deal with. Like Azra, who had been born nearly sixty years ago, but whose mother was three generations removed from the Broodlord. Azra herself was actually the daughter of a member of the Winged Broodlord’s peerage, so her bloodline was even weaker.

The fact that they needed to consume others to grow stronger also meant that things were difficult for them. It was one of the reasons why the Cruor didn’t simply wipe out the Spirit presence on any of the islands they took control of. Similarly, to the few oasis’ that existed where Spirit lived under strict control in the Desolate Lands of the Continent. They were needed in order for the Cruor to survive.

“There is no guarantee that he will accept the gift.” The first Cruor said. “It might be better to wait until one of the remaining Peerage members is blessed instead.”

“He will if he doesn’t want to die. There is also no guarantee that any of the current Peerage members will be blessed. It’s been decades since the death of our Broodlord, and none have been blessed yet.” The third Cruor said. “So, for now, keep him contained. We’ll let the head chief decide what’s best.

“Fine.” The first Cruor said with a growl.

With that final word, the first Cruor descended from the table platform, gliding down to the bottom of the room before heading out. Seeing his departure, the rest of the Cruor left as well. The second threw the third a thankful glance before leaving. As the room emptied, the third Cruor was the only one to remain. Looking around the room, he hoped that he wasn’t making a mistake.

Ezekiel found himself coming to consciousness much faster as the grinding of the lid atop his prison pit was removed. This wasn’t the first time he’d fallen asleep and woken up since his first time waking up in the pit. He’d fallen in and out of consciousness several times, getting a few hours of sleep here and there as Shine helped him recover by channeling their mana through him.

From what he could tell, Ezekiel had managed to recover enough to finally channel his own mana without harming himself. But that only meant that his head injury was recovered, giving him a clear head. He didn’t know how well he’d recovered but given he didn’t seem to be dying he assumed that he’d be able to recover fully when he returned to his expedition.

His body was still sore, however, as it had only been a couple of days since he’d been imprisoned. Though, the lack of food meant that he was having a hard time healing the more extensive injuries. Mana could only do so much after all.

Such concerns passed through Ezekiel’s mind quickly before being discarded, as he knew he needed to focus on what was happening now. A sudden weight on his chest surprised him. Looking down, he saw that a rope had been thrown down and was now resting on him.

“Human! Get yourself up here, now!” A voice called down to him.

Squinting as he looked up, Ezekiel saw that there was a Cruor looking down at him from the edge of the pit. This Cruor was fairly avian in appearance, so he couldn’t have been higher than Tier two. If Ezekiel was actually armed, he had no doubt that he’d be able to at least put up a fight if given the chance.

“Did you hear me?! Pull yourself up here!” The guard called once again.

From what Ezekiel could tell, now that it was open, the pit was only maybe a dozen feet deep. If he wanted to, Ezekiel could easily jump the distance. However, giving away his full capabilities right now wouldn’t be a good idea. So, begrudgingly, Ezekiel grabbed the rope, and began to pull himself up as quickly as he could.

Before he even reached the top, he found his arm grasped by the guard. A hard pull jerked him into the air. He fell on his face in front of several more Cruor a fair distance away from the pit. There were several Cruor with primarily human features. Tier three Cruor that only had talons and wings, but also had feathers growing across their body, except their faces.

However, standing in front of all these Tier three Cruor was one that had no feathers growing across their body. Merely talons and wings. Though she did have feathers decorating her hair.

The obvious reverence towards this Cruor from the others clearly indicated that she was a much more important figure. Ezekiel figured that she must’ve been their Tier four leader. Although, why she was there for him was unknown. He didn’t believe that he was important enough to warrant such a powerful figure’s attention.

“So, you are the human that has been causing problems within our territory.” The Cruor said. Her voice was soft and had a melodious chime to it as she spoke. “Tell me, how did you get this far into our territory?”

Ezekiel paused for a second before answering. He wanted to stall for as long as possible to think up a way to convince them to let him live.

“What do I get in return for answering you?” Ezekiel asked. The other Cruor tensed up as he asked this.

“You dare-!” An angry looking Cruor standing directly behind the apparent leader nearly screamed at him. But a raised talon from the Legendary Cruor stopped him from continuing.

“What makes you think I can’t extract the answer from you?” The Cruor head chief asked.

“The fact that I could lie, and you would never know. I’d be dying, after all. So, what’s the point in giving you what you want?” Ezekiel asked.

He never understood why people thought that torture could work without being able to confirm information. Even then, it was easy to stay vague, and if a person knew they were going to die anyways, what would be the point in telling the truth? They had nothing to gain from it. If anything, pissing off you tormentor to the point where they kill you might be a welcome relief from torture.

“Hmm. Well, I suppose I can let you live. For now, if you answer truthfully, of your own free will.” The Legendary Cruor said.

Ezekiel swallowed nervously. It seemed like this Cruor was smart enough to know that he wouldn’t be telling her anything without certain guarantees. Or maybe she wanted something from him instead. He wasn’t sure, but he seemed to be getting a few mixed looks from most of the Cruor around him. The lower Tiers were glaring at him or staring hungrily. But the higher Tiers seemed to be looking hopeful. Did they want something from him that he didn’t know about?

Seeing that Ezekiel still wasn’t going to answer, the leader of the Cruor changed her question.

“Perhaps, a simpler question for you. What is your element? I have suspicions, but I would hear it from your own lips.” She asked.

Grimacing in realization, Ezekiel realized why some of the Cruor were looking at him hopefully. They likely wanted to turn him into one of them. Something that he was not going to let happen but might be a way for him to survive for a bit longer. So, he stared at the Legendary Cruor in the eyes as he answered.

“Void. My element is the Void, and I am a Void Mage.” Ezekiel said.

Whispers broke out through the rest of the Cruor. Some of the higher Tier ones sighed in relief. While the angry one that nearly yelled at him had a pinched look on his face. Like he’d bitten into a lemon and was trying to choke it down.

However, it was the Legendary Cruor that Ezekiel continued to focus on. Her face split into a great big smile. Ezekiel may very well have considered it to be incredibly beautiful. But the glint in her eyes promised pain, suffering, and a manic glee that Ezekiel only imagined a sadist who was about to get their deepest desire at someone else’s expense could have.

“How interesting. In that case, I have just one more question for you.” She smiled as she spoke. Ezekiel couldn’t help but shiver as he assumed he knew what she wanted.

“How would you like to join us, as a true Cruor, and member of our Brood?”