It had been a few weeks since Ezekiel had landed with the rest of the Scholars from the Sanafalls Cathedral. There was initially a welcome atmosphere as the ships sailed in. But as the much-diminished party made its way through the city, it was obvious that many hadn’t made it home.
The mood in the city quickly turned somber when it was realized that the number of Scholars walking to the Cathedral was quite reduced. If not for the fact that a similar scene had occurred in Ironmast, when the Island Hoppers headed home, Ezekiel might not have had the nerve to walk through the city as easily as he had.
As it was, he was amongst those that didn’t shy away from the crowds that stood around them. During this time, it was also apparent that Sasha, who was still new to being a Church affiliate, was not comfortable with what was currently happening. It didn’t take long before she broke off and headed to see her mother. As she previously resided in Ironmast with the Island Hoppers, she was in need of a new lodging.
Ezekiel, however, continued with the rest of the Scholars, hoping to simply get back to his dwelling at the Cathedral and rest. But the guards and other members of the Church that were there to meet them all meant that getting a break was the last thing they would be getting right now.
“Greetings. I know you all must be looking forward to getting some rest after your endeavors. But I’m sorry to say that we need a report from each of you before that can happen.” Grand Scholar Leonard, the man who had initially tested the range of the Com-Slates, told them as they entered the Cathedral.
Ezekiel was somewhat surprised at how calm and kind Leonard sounded. Usually, the man was much more harsh in his words and treatment. But Ezekiel guessed that the man must’ve understood that none of the expedition members were in any condition to receive such treatment.
“Understood. For the moment, would my initial report be enough to at least give my expedition members a chance to drop off their things before reporting in?” Scarlett asked.
“For the most part, yes. We are well aware of the fact that getting individual reports will take time, so for now, just the highest Step Scholars will be reporting today.” Leonard explained. “The rest can go and unwind for now. But they’ll need to have a fully written report ready for submission by tomorrow. Except Ezekiel.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the Void Mage in question. Fiana and George ended up moving in front of him protectively. Ezekiel, himself, just found himself rolling his eyes in annoyance. But nodded in understanding and acceptance as he pushed past Fiana and George to approach Leonard. Shine conveyed feelings that were much in the same vein as his own. Neither were caught unaware by this.
“I’m sorry, kid, but you’re kind of the main topic of discussion right now.” Leonard said with a genuinely apologetic tone. While not as close as Carrian had been, Leonard had been quite appreciative of Ezekiel’s efforts, even if he did think that Ezekiel was too young to be a fully accredited Scholar. Let alone at such a low Tier.
“It’s okay. Grand Scholar Scarlet informed me that we would likely have to report once we arrived. I’m fairly certain all of us have at least a breakdown written up for submission.” Ezekiel said.
All the Scholars immediately took out the reports they had written up on the journey back. Ezekiel himself had a slightly less detailed one. Due to the fact that he was away from the expedition for a significant amount of time. Though he figured the details regarding his foray into the Cruor’s territory would make it worth it for whoever read it.
“In that case, please come with me. You and Scarlet will be reporting first.” Leonard said. “Though, I guess your companions can come as well. If they have their reports ready.”
Fiana nodded her head, as did George, though he looked far less sure of himself. Ezekiel figured that it was only a draft and hadn’t actually been proofread and edited to the standards of a Scholar.
The group of five Mages and one Spirit, split off from the group of Scholars and walked with Leonard to whichever meeting hall had been put aside for them. Looking through the hallways, Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel himself become relaxed, just by a little bit, at the sight of the familiar halls.
“It’s good to be home. Isn’t it?” Shine said as they also took in the familiar sights.
“Yes, it is. Let’s hope it’s still our home once this meeting has ended.” Ezekiel replied.
“...You don’t think they’ll really exile us, do you?” Shine asked.
“I don’t know. I just know that that’s what happened the last time the Cult got involved and screwed everything up for me.” Ezekiel said.
“But everyone says that it wasn’t your fault!” Shine exclaimed.
“What people say can be very different from what they do!” Ezekiel said back, a bit more harshly than he intended to.
Sensing Shine mentally recoil, he did his best to reign in his emotions a bit better.
“I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, just at everything that’s happened.” Ezekiel said. “I, honestly, do believe that the Church will let us stay. But for all we know there are factors that we’re not aware of yet.”
Shine remained silent, knowing they didn't have a rebuttal for Ezekiel’s statement.
The group ended up coming to a stop in front of an out of the way meeting room. Far from the grand assembly halls and other much larger rooms. It was clear that this was being kept quiet, at least for now. But Ezekiel figured that it made sense. Getting all their facts straight before announcing the death of a Grand Scholar to the public was definitely in their best interests.
Entering the room with his companions, Ezekiel saw one person waiting for them. The fourth Grand Scholar of the Sanafalls Cathedral. A woman that Ezekiel hadn’t met. She looked even older than Carrian had. But seemed to have a vitality that was nearly unmatched by the other Grand Scholars in the room.
Due to her age, her hair was entirely gray or white, so it was impossible to tell from that what her Element was. If not for the bright Violet color of her eyes, it would’ve been impossible to tell what her element was. Unless she was using her magic in front of you.
As Leonard took a seat next to the woman that was already seated, he couldn’t help but feel that this was going to be an annoying day.
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It had taken well over an hour for the four Mages from the expedition to go over everything that was relevant to their report. This included the questions raised by the presiding Grand Scholars that were accepting the reports. Leonard looked furious as he heard about what happened to Carrian. But he toned it back when he saw how despondent Ezekiel and the rest were. Especially Scarlet. It was well known that she was the closest to the elder Glacial Mage.
During the report, Ezekiel’s eyes had fallen to the floor as he was reminded of all that he had been through. From the Ruins of Trigat, to the Forest Spirit kidnapping him, to the Cruor Territory, and the final battle with the Cult of Light. He found inside him that something was changing, as he was scrutinized and forced to revisit all his mistakes and successes.
“I see.” The Scholar next to Leonard said in a calm tone of voice. If not for the slight crack as she spoke, Ezekiel would’ve doubted that she actually cared.
“It seems like we’ll need to be making some changes moving forward.” She continued. “But first, it seems like we must decide whether or not mister Luminance should remain as a citizen of the island of Sanafalls.”
Fiana looked shocked at this, George looked upset, Leonard looked conflicted, and Scarlet looked frustrated, but kept her silence. Ezekiel was the only one that didn’t show any changes.
“You seem unsurprised by this, young man. Were you expecting this?” The unnamed Grand Scholar asked.
“...May I have your name before answering?” Ezekiel asked in a polite tone.
The woman smirked before answering.
“How polite. My name is Linette. Just, Linette.” The Grand Scholar said.
“Thank you, Grand Scholar Linette. To answer your question, I was expecting this. At least in part, due to my previous experiences in the Empire.” Ezekiel explained. “Just like the last time I went to a Temple of the Void, the Cult of Light disrupted the expedition, and the destruction of the Senera Temple was blamed on me. Something that, due to my interaction with the Remnant of the Morncrest Temple, we now know was not actually my fault.”
Linette looked less than impressed but didn’t interrupt.
“At the time, I knew it wasn’t my fault that the Cult hated me and wanted me dead. But no one else was of the same opinion. This time it’s different. I’ve known for years that the Cult is after me. So, a part of me will always blame myself for what happened.” Ezekiel explained. “However, Carrian once told me something, during the first time I met him. He said that this is not the Empire. He said that things were different in the Archipelago.”
By this point everyone in the room was looking at him. Even Linette was looking interested in what he had to say now.
“He told me that, to survive in the Archipelago, you need to make friends if you want to survive. I think I’ve done that. I certainly wouldn’t be alive right now if I hadn’t. I’d still be drowning in guilt if I didn’t have friends to knock some sense into me.” Ezekiel said. “I also think that you, and Leonard, and certainly Scarlet, were all Carrian’s friends. So, I don’t think you want to waste his sacrifice.”
At this, the three Grand Scholars all gave a small smile. Though Scarlet did so with watery eyes.
“I can’t promise that bad things aren’t going to happen because of me. That’s impossible for anybody, and I know that now. I can’t promise anything regarding what others will do regarding this fact either.” Ezekiel said, his eyes glowed white with a black ring as his mana was subconsciously channeled from the intensity of his emotions.
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“All I can promise is that I will do better, that I will never purposefully cause problems for this Church, and that I will not let Carrian’s sacrifice be in vain.” Ezekiel stared. “As such, I think the question you should be asking is if you will let Grand Scholar Carrian’s sacrifice be in vane?”
Ezekiel’s declaration was met with silence as Fiana and George looked on in a mix of concern and awe. Neither one of them had seen Ezekiel like this, but it was clear that Ezekiel had realized something that had brought about a change in him.
“Ezekiel...” Shine wanted to scream out their own support for Ezekiel.
They knew that they would never leave their partner, but now, more than ever, they wanted to support him. More than anything, they wanted to help Ezekiel get stronger. His statement just now proved that he had overcome his previous worries and chains of guilt. Something that Shine realized they would have to do as well.
“Hmmm... I can see why Carrian was so quick to change his opinion of you.” Linette said. “He was worried, you know. When you first arrived, he was worried that you wouldn’t cut it as a citizen of the Archipelago. We’re a bit more chaotic than the restrictive order of the Empire, you see.”
Ezekiel’s eyes began to fade back to his non-channeling color.
“He thought that the empire had broken your spirit. That you were too scared to break the rules in order to make it in the world. While I’m glad you don’t break them at a whim, it’s good to see that you understand that sometimes, you need to do what you need to do. Something that Carrian always advocated, at least behind closed doors.”
Linette said. Leonard had a smile on his face as he recalled his own experiences with Carrian. The two had often butted heads but had always been able to work together with ease.
“Perhaps we should keep you, at least for now.” Linette said. “But I hope you understand that we’ll be holding you to your claims. If I don’t see improvements, if you don’t make contributions that outweigh any potential difficulties you make, you won’t see mercy from me, or anyone else.”
“I understand, Grand Scholar.” Ezekiel replied.
“Good. Now, if you and your fellow Scholars could step outside, I believe that me and my peers need to discuss a few things. We’ll call you in, in a moment.” Linette said as she gave the three lower Tiered Scholars a shooing motion with her hand. “I need to confirm a few things with them. Regarding a choice that we need to make.”
Ezekiel felt a tightness in his gut as he was suddenly filled with a brief concern that they were going to be discussing him once again. But he forced himself to relax as he, Fiana, and George all left the room. The door shut with an ominous click behind them.
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Linette, Leonard, and Scarlet all shared a look as they waited for a moment before sealing the room with an enchantment engraved into the walls. Now, no sound nor any other sensations would escape the confines of the room.
“So, what exactly do you need to discuss with us? I believe that things have already been decided, though testing the boy like that, again, was a bit mean.” Leonard said.
“I wished to see how he was dealing with things. It’s obvious he still blames himself, but it’s good to see he’s moving on.” Linette said. “However, what I need to discuss with you is something that Carrian once mentioned in one of our talks, prior to his departure.”
Scarlet and Leonard both looked curious. Linette was the least social of all the Grand Scholars. She only ever tended to perform her own studies in private. No one had ever been apprenticed to her, and neither Scarlet, nor Leonard, were fully aware of her connection to Carrian, or any other parties.
One thing they did know, for certain, was that she was fully supportive of having Ezekiel placed under their care. It was something that she nearly fought for when they were first approached regarding taking him in.
Of course, Carrian wanted to see if Ezekiel was suited to life in the Archipelago, rather than the protective walls of the Empire. Linette was opposed to such tests, but it seemed like she had changed her mind.
“Given the situation when we first found out about the presence of the Cult of Light within the Archipelago, Carrian and I began discussing how best to keep Ezekiel safe.” Linette said. “Nothing much came of it, as the Cult had hidden themselves extremely well. However, perhaps it was an instinctive concern, but before he left Carrian mentioned to me that he was hoping to apprentice Ezekiel.”
Scarlet and Leonard were shocked to hear this, as Ezekiel had already been credited as an Apprentice Scholar and member of the Church in full. Something that was very rare, but not unheard of. Given his discoveries it was permitted even though he lacked the usual requirements. Though in this case it was simply the lack of a high enough Tier.
Technically speaking, he had already met the primary requirements. Those being a new discovery pertaining to magic that could be applied to everyday life, or the Ancients and their methodologies, the completion of study at one Cathedral, and finally the act of traveling to a separate Cathedral from one’s training Cathedral, wherein they are accepted as a full time Scholar.
“I know that this is strange, given he has already received his accreditations, but that’s not the issue here. The issue is that it is now known that Ezekiel has a Spirit. The first ever Void Spirit at that.” Linette explained. “As such, legally, in accordance with the treaties with the Prime Guild, and the various political factions of the world, we can no longer keep him as a Scholar. He must now be labeled a Church affiliated Hunter.”
Scarlet and Leonard had looks of understanding spread across their faces. Scarlet, after a moment of thought, couldn't stop herself from massaging her temples at the thought of the headache this was going to cause. Leonard looked like he was nearly at the same point but managed to hold himself back to giving a look of distaste.
“As such, we need to figure out what we can do, since the option of taking him on as a personal apprentice is no longer on the table.” Linette stated. “So, any ideas?”
The three Grand Scholars all took a moment to think. Finally, it was Scarlet that spoke up first.
“Can’t we just keep him with us? Just change some words in his contract?” Scarlet asked. “Like, I know the Guilds chose to split power. Church gets secret knowledge, Guilds get Hunters and fight on front lines, that kinda stuff. But the Church handles affiliated Hunters by paying them for missions, right? Just take him off the Scholar roster for the stipends, and make sure he knows that he doesn’t get a pick regarding treasures unless it’s a sponsored expedition. All stuff goes to the Church.”
Leonard and Linette looked thoughtful. Technically it could work, but neither of them believed that it would be putting Ezekiel’s talents to their best use. Hunters, technically, weren’t allowed to perform the more advanced research tests, or have access to advanced research facilities.
This was a choice that the Church devised, as it ensured that the Hunters didn’t get something that would allow them to one up each other should another Guild War break out. Such things were rare, but the fact that a single Guild managed to wipe out three others within the same city as themselves, using a spell formation that they had kept secret from the Church, just reinforced why they needed a middleman for such knowledge.
The balancing act between the Guilds and the Church of Ten was strange and seemed to hold itself together by threads at times. But it had worked for centuries, so no one wanted to be the first to make changes to their mandates.
“He wouldn’t be allowed to live on the Cathedral’s grounds. He’d need to live in the city proper.” Leonard said. “I don’t like it, but that’s an unfortunate fact of the treaty. Only non-Hunter affiliates can have permanent residence on Cathedral grounds. Our Scholars and the guard personnel that not all the Cathedral’s actually employ.”
“Housing shouldn’t be a problem. We can even ask some of our Scholars if they wouldn’t mind commuting to keep an eye on him. The problem is allowing him to continue doing his own research.” Linette said. “He can’t have access to our facilities anymore.”
“Then give him a loan; or old equipment that’s damaged or not being used.” Scarlet said. “Most of our stuff’s stationary, so there’s no helping that. But that’s not too bad. It’s not like it’s set to sense Void Magic anyway.”
Linette and Leonard look contemplative at that.
“Also, if you’re worried about where he could fit that kinda stuff, just give him one of the old manors in the Old Channels. Let him have one of the buildings. He earned it after this expedition.” Scarlet explained. “It’s not like we would’ve gotten to the Temple of the Void without his efforts.”
The three Grand Scholars took a few dozen minutes to bounce some more ideas off of one another. But it seemed like the simplicity of Scarlet’s idea was their best bet. They could implement some powerful wards and defensive formation once they found a property that Ezekiel could purchase.
Seeing they weren’t really going any further at this point, they called Ezekiel and the others back inside.
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As the three Mages and one Spirit reentered the room, Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous as their attention immediately turned to him. He knew that something was up, but he had no idea what it was. Especially since he thought that things had been dealt with.
“Ezekiel... I’m going to get straight to the point. While we will be keeping you here, as a citizen, we cannot keep you as a member of the Church.” Linette informed him, much to his and the other Scholar’s shock. “We can, however, keep you on as an affiliate Hunter.”
George looked confused, but Fiana and Ezekiel looked somewhat relieved. Ezekiel knew that something was going to change, and while he wasn’t expecting this, it was better than expected.
“Wait, why can’t he remain as a Scholar?” George asked.
The Grand Scholars and Fiana looked at him in confusion. Ezekiel didn’t know the reason either, but he figured that there must be a reason why there were no Hunters that were members of the Church. He figured it had something to do with why Guilds only accepted Hunters for full time members.
Sighing to herself, Scarlet explained the fact that, due to the treaty and agreements between the Guilds and the Church, those with bonded Spirits were not permitted to act as full time Scholars of the Church. It was explained to be a method of keeping each of the organizations focused. As well as maintain a balance between the two so as to keep each other in check. Just in case of rogue elements.
“You mean I’ve been trying to do something that would get me kicked out of the Church this whole time?!” George exclaimed. “Why wasn’t I told about this?”
The other Scholars in the room all sighed in exasperation.
“This is information that we get told when we sign our full-time contracts after we set out on our pilgrimage. Even if your sponsor didn’t tell you when you left your apprenticeship Cathedral, you should’ve been informed when you joined Sanafalls.” Fiana explained. “Did you not read your contract?”
“...Well... this kind of thing is what you get told, isn’t it?” George asked, awkwardly.
The other Scholars decided to ignore him for now. But the look on Leonard’s face indicated that he wasn’t finished with George just yet.
“I hope George survives whatever happens to him.” Shine said. “He’s annoying, most of the time, but it seems like he’s really good at his job.”
“He’ll likely be reprimanded and told to review the various contracts he’s signed. Maybe be tested on them as well.” Ezekiel said back. “Now we just have to see what our contract will be, since I know affiliated Hunters get those as well.”
“As annoying as Scholar George Leaf’s lack of knowledge is, we have things to continue discussing, and others to interview regarding the events that happened during this expedition.” Linette said. “For now, Ezekiel, you are welcome to continue using your previous dwellings. We will finalize a contract for you to review tomorrow, but regardless of whether or not you sign, you’ll need to find lodgings in the city as of tomorrow. I’m sorry for the sudden notice. But the faster we deal with this, the less likely we’ll run into issues with the Prime Guild and its affiliates.”
Ezekiel looked somewhat upset, but he understood where they were coming from. He had already caused enough problems, and while he wasn’t letting it get to him, he still didn’t want to cause any more at this point.
“Understood. If that will be all, then I think I had best be off.” Ezekiel said. He gave the Grand Scholars all a bow before leaving.
“Thank you, by the way. For all that you have done, and continue to do, for me, and for Shine.” Ezekiel patted Shine’s hilt briefly as he left. Fiana and George headed out as well, but not before Linette called out once more.
“Be ready to go looking for properties as well. The Church still owes you your dues for your contributions on this expedition.” Linette said. “You made quite a bit of coin and made quite a number of favors with this expedition. We’ll be making sure your set up well, for the future, and what you’ll do.”
Ezekiel nearly choked up at that. Rather than talking, he simply nodded in thanks for the acknowledgement. Heading out of the meeting room and separating from Fiana and George when they reached the living quarters of the Cathedral.
“What do we do now?” Shine couldn’t help but ask as Ezekiel packed his things away and put all his stuff into his Void Pouch.
“Now, we train, we study, we delve into the secrets of the Void, and we get stronger. Much stronger.” Ezekiel said as he sat down to meditate on his bed. “Shall we get started?”
Rather than reply with words, Shine fell into a meditative trance; one that Ezekiel quickly followed after. There was little time to lose. The world wouldn’t stop moving for them to catch up, after all.