After leaving the town as quickly as they could, Ezekiel and his group headed further north, not bothering with stopping at any of the villages or towns that were originally in their path. It was assumed that, from the information they had gained, that there would be nothing more than ruins.
The time traveling through the barren desert wasn’t entirely horrible. The fact that he was with a group meant that Ezekiel was able to relax more than he had when he had been sneaking through the Desolate Lands for the Morncrest Forest Spirit. Something that he greatly appreciated.
There were some ups and downs, however, as he made attempts to get to know the Hunters better than before. He was surprised to learn that the assumptions that had prevented him from getting to know them before, like their involvement in criminal activities and such, were not as horrible as it seemed.
While they were certainly tied to Underworld elements, in particular the casinos and transport of illicit goods, the Redstone Guild mainly dealt with bodyguard services. As well as covert operations for the Church of Ten within the borders of Tarquessa. The extent to which they performed those operations was up for debate, but none of the people within this particular group were as bad as he feared.
Shine did point out that that might be Ezekiel latching on to whatever hope he could find. Which he admitted was a distinct possibility, so he still kept his distance. He just enjoyed the conversations when he could get them. Especially since Shine was dedicating so much of their time to increase their Step to help Ezekiel increase his own.
It was roughly two weeks later that the group came upon their next target. Given the number of ruined towns that they had apparently passed, it was decided that Ezekiel would perform a direct scouting mission to ascertain the likelihood of hostages. Only after he had searched every nook and cranny that he could find would the group come up with a plan.
Since he was just doing a scouting mission, Ezekiel was able to get in and out fairly quickly. He hadn’t even needed Shine to help with his spells. Which was fortunate, since that meant that the Void Spirit could continue to hold onto their mana for a while longer.
Given their fervent dedication to their meditation, it was likely that Shine would be able to break through to the next Step within a week or so. Almost entirely due to the fact that the Tempest and Cavern Mana were incredibly abundant in the desert. Ezekiel figured that the speed would pick up once again when they reached the Fjorya, given it was a place with natural Pure mana crystal deposits.
Returning to the roughly made hideout, Ezekiel reported his findings. Luckily there weren’t any hostages this time around. But Ezekiel did find an area that likely held hostages at one point. Perhaps it was for holding hostages at a later time.
Glad that they weren’t going to be causing any casualties on their own people, the captain ordered Ezekiel to rest, and stated that they would be making their attack as soon as he was ready to destroy their defensive formations.
Thus, just before the rising sun began to peek over the horizon, Ezekiel broke in once again. This time destroying the formations almost immediately, since he didn’t have to look for them again. In less than an hour the base was wiped out. The resources within were taken away, and the party moved on.
However, just as they were leaving the ruined base, Ezekiel and Shine both felt a sudden dread within their souls. For Ezekiel, there was also a sense of melancholic reflections, like a reminder of something from the past, nagging at the back of his mind. For Shine, there was a sense of anticipation, like there was a surprise that they’d been waiting for was going to appear.
These mixed feelings stayed with them as they left the base. While the feelings faded over time, they never really disappeared. The both of them couldn’t help but cautiously wonder what fate had in store for them next.
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Further north from the base that Ezekiel and his party had cleared out, a gathering of Adepts was occurring. Hidden with a series of outcroppings, Riley sat at a table as she discussed plans with her fellow Adepts. A large map detailing several bases that were relatively close by was laid out before them all. Several lines were drawn that detailed the different territories of the Followers of Light and the Church of Ten. Her Spirit sat on the table in front of her, growling slightly at a few of the other Spirits.
“We’ve gotten word from another base. The Anathema was seen, but we couldn’t get much information. We can confirm that they’re heading north, however, and that it is likely that they are avoiding any towns and villages.” One of the Adepts said. “It’ll be difficult to determine where they’re headed, but given their last location, it’s likely one of three bases.”
Several bases close to their current position were laid out. Three different bases, one for supplies, one that defended a major trade route, and one that was situated near a village under their control were focused on.
“We know that they’ve been hitting the supply bases, though there was the one with the spring beneath it. As such, I think that they are likely to be attacking here.” The Adept said as he pointed to the supply base.
“That might’ve been the case before, but I do not think that that is true any longer.” Riley said. All the Adepts turned to look at her. Some held contempt in their eyes, and others looked at her in fear and reference. Specifically, as they gazed at her one golden eye.
“What makes you say that?” The Adept asked.
“The fact that they likely stopped here, before heading to the most recent base.” Riley pointed at a mark on the Church of Ten’s side of the map. It was the town that Ezekiel’s party had stopped in. “If they did, then they would know that the current battle lines have changed. If you’ll look at the previous attacks, they never went too far into our territories. Given how much further behind our lines the supply base now is, they will likely try to avoid it.”
Riley drew a dotted line on the map and placed new bases on it in a more southern position. The comparison of where the bases were, in relation to their border lines, was significantly different when one thought of how things had changed in the previous month or so.
“They won’t be attacking here, as it’s too close to where we might be able to provide reinforcements.” Riley said as she pointed to the base near the village in their territory. “As such, it would make the most sense to try and disrupt what trade and transportation that they can. The fact that destroying the case would also close off a small mountain pass also means that they will be able to lessen the pressure on their own forces that are within that vicinity.”
Several people at the table nodded as they thought over Riley’s suggestion.
“I see the Light is guiding you well. It’s about time, if you ask me.” The Adept that had suggested the supply depot said with a mocking tone.
Riley ignored his words, but Celia spat out a thin line of fire that burned a hole in his shoulder.
“AARRHG!!!” The Adept screamed in pain as he jumped from his chair, holding his shoulder over the cauterized hole that had formed in it. “YOU BITCH!”
The man’s spirit, a brown colored dog with stone patterned fur, raised its hackles and rose to the table, defending its partner. But as Celia and Riley released their mana, the Spirit reluctantly backed down. It moved to its partner in an attempt to help him as best it could.
“Apologies, it seems like you’re injured. Feel free to excuse yourself from the meeting so that you may get healed.” Riley said in an airy tone. “Take your dog with you. I don’t want it barking as we make our plans.”
Had Ezekiel seen this happening, he would be hard pressed to believe that the fiery girl he knew would be so cold hearted and ruthless. The Adept could barely say anything as he fled from the room to find a Life Mage to heal him. His Spirit quickly chased after.
“Get the men ready, we set out tomorrow for the trading outpost. Several of us will need to be suitably hidden, for when they make their assault.” Riley commanded. “We know where we’re going, but now we need to set a trap. Tell me, how do you all feel about hostages?”
The grins that spread throughout the meeting room were eerie, and any member of the Church of Ten would have found them incredibly disconcerting. But as the Cultists discussed the people that they were going to tear from their homes to use as bait, they all couldn’t help but feel elated at the thought of destroying their Lord’s enemy.
All the while, a voice continued to scream in the back of Riley and Celia’s minds. Easily ignored by the entity that was influencing her body but present all the same. Though it was slowly growing quieter, alongside the Flames that existed inside her soul, well before the Light.
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It had been a week and a half since their last job, and Ezekiel and Shine were concerned. The feeling of dread that they had developed after the last base they hit had grown. It had actually grown to the point that he had wanted to give up on their current target. An outpost inside a rocky outcropping that spanned several dozens of kilometers. It was basically a small mountain. Something that was, apparently, not their original target.
“Hey, captain, are you certain that this is our next target?” Ezekiel couldn’t help but ask. “And can we please skip it if it is?”
The captain and several other Adepts turned to look at him. They took in his pale complexion and the captain felt a hint of concern. He could tell that Ezekiel was in fairly poor condition, but there was little that they could do at this moment. They were all under contract. If they simply backed out without even making an attempt to clear out the cultist forces, then that would mean consequences that none of them were willing to accept.
“You sense something?” The captain asked. “If so, are you sure you can trust it?”
“I don’t know.” Ezekiel replied. “All I know is that, if I survive whatever is happening in that base, something is going to change. Something big, and not just for me.”
The just shook his head. He couldn’t just pull Ezekiel back. Not when they were right on their enemy’s doorsteps. They wouldn’t be able to make it to any of the other nearby bases either. Too far into enemy lines to be worth the risk. Though, apparently this target was a higher risk than expected as well.
“Scout the base. Come back with information. We’ll work things out from there.” The captain said.
Ezekiel just nodded in reluctant acceptance. He and Shine then activated their Shroud and made their way toward the base. Luckily, Shine had managed to reach Step eight a day and a half ago, so their time was extended by a fair bit.
“I don’t like this. Why can’t we just leave, and make our own way?” Shine couldn’t help but ask as they crossed the walls of the base. “We could probably make it in good time. It would only take us... a month? Maybe less if we can make it to one of the towns ang get transportation.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t do that. The contract we signed would have us blacklisted, and our bond would be destroyed.” Ezekiel replied. “For now, we just need to get in, and out. That’s all.”
Shine fell silent as they continued combing the base. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary, but Ezekiel did find something that he feared he would. He found a large group of hostages in one of the buildings. As he did, the feeling of dread continued to grow. Allowing his senses to expand, Ezekiel and Shine realized that there were several with mana restraining manacles on them.
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“That’s not good. They must be Hunters that the Cult managed to capture!” Shine exclaimed. “We need to help them before we do anything else!”
Ezekiel wasn’t so sure, however, and he wanted to get back to the captain before he decided on a course of action. So, making their way back to the walls of the base, Ezekiel and Shine quickly returned to where the Red Stone Guild had set up their hidden camp. He made his report as fast as he could.
He specifically mentioned the bad feeling he got when he was looking into the hostages.
“Unfortunately, I can’t hold back the job due to a bad feeling. Gather your mana, we’ll deal with whatever we face. Was the hostage area set to explode if the defensive formation was brought down?” The captain asked.
“I’m not certain. It might’ve been, but I couldn’t see anything that could confirm it or not.” Ezekiel said. “But I don’t think it’ll blow if I deactivate the defenses beforehand. It’ll be harder to do, but I should be able to. It’ll just mean that we won’t have the element of surprise. That’s all.”
“Do it. If we can get the hostages out, we might be able to get our own reinforcements.” The captain stated. “At that point, we won’t have to worry about things.”
Ezekiel nodded his head in acceptance. He still didn’t feel right about this, but he got the feeling that there was little to nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t let his life be determined by vague premonitions that he didn’t understand. Especially when lives were potentially on the line.
Thus, a few hours later, he and Shine returned to the base. This time, rather than blow up the formation like usual, he Jumped into the control room. He quickly dispatched the Apprentices that were watching over it, and before the Adept Mages that were guarding the room could react, he deactivated the formations properly. At which point he dismantled the control room in a more precise manner. Ensuring that no mana went to the hostage area to activate the enchantments that were there.
He then quickly Jumped out of the area. The formations were down, so it would be impossible for the defenders of the base to take out his party on their own. But the lack of surprise did mean that their own forces took a hit. Things were still going well, however, and while the battle was ongoing, the captain called out for Ezekiel to lead some of their Hunters to the hostages.
“This way, they were kept under here!” Ezekiel called out as spells were thrown about. As the only Apprentice amongst his own group, it was difficult for him to get around easily. But he was able to get himself and several of the Hunters to the underground area where the hostages were kept.
“In here. The door was sealed separately, but none of the enchantments have gone off. They probably couldn’t get out due to the mana restraining manacles I sensed.” Ezekiel explained.
“Stand back.” The Cavern Hunter in their group called out. As the rest backed away from him and the door, Ezekiel’s bad feeling got worse, something that Shine also felt.
Suddenly, Shine sensed something from behind the doors leading to the hostages. Sharing their senses with Ezekiel, he suddenly felt nearly a dozen mana signatures rise from a barely perceptible Tier one, to between the middle and peak of Tier three. That would only happen if the restraining manacles were removed. Something the hostages wouldn’t be able to do by themselves.
“DEFEND!!!” Ezekiel called out as he threw up several Void Panes in front of him and the Hunters nearest to him.
The Cavern Hunter, readying his mana to take down the doors, instead reflexively blocked as he and his Spirit raised a wall of stone in front of them. Unfortunately, it did nothing but soften the blow for Ezekiel, as a blast of Lightning, Light, Cavern, Tempest, and Flame burst from the hostage area.
As the unfortunate Cavern Hunter and his Spirit were essentially disintegrated, Ezekiel and the Hunters around him were blown backwards as Ezekiel’s shields broke, one by one, almost immediately. Luckily, due to the distance between them, the damage wasn’t too severe. But none of them got out unscathed.
“Ezekiel! Are you alright?” Shine frantically asked as Ezekiel forced himself to his feet. Blood was running down his face, and he could feel shrapnel in his arm from when he turned from the blast. His defensive enchantments held up, however, and there was no internal, or otherwise deep, damage done.
“I’m fine. We need to get out of here.” Ezekiel said back.
Just as he was about to call for a retreat, however, a voice from within the room they were headed to called to him. It was a voice that nagged at the back of his head as being familiar. But it wasn’t one that he could place. For a moment, he wondered if it was Kameira, but that was impossible, as from what he knew she had died in the Archipelago, even if he hadn’t seen her body.
“Hey there, Anathema, long time no see!” The voice said as the dust was cleared from a gentler use of Tempest magic. Ezekiel saw a red-haired woman around his own age walk out, leading a group of Cultists. Behind her, he could see the bodies of several actual hostages that had died from the backlash of the attack that they had sent out.
For a moment, he didn’t recognize her, but as a little red lizard climbed onto her shoulder, the words she said made sense, and Ezekiel made a horrifying connection. One made even worse as he saw that one of her eyes was red, and the other one was gold.
“Riley!?” Ezekiel exclaimed. “You... why?”
Riley didn’t say anything. She just smiled before letting out a scream. One filled with fire as she and Celia let loose their magic. Too shocked to respond, Shine was the one who had to throw up another set of Void Panes to defend them. Their screaming bounced off of Ezekiel as the flames washed around them. He couldn’t turn away from the face of one of his childhood friends.
“EZEKIEL!” He barely felt it as one of the Hunters behind him pulled him backwards, the flames guttering out as they moved away.
“Bring it down!” The Hunter yelled.
The other Cavern Hunter slammed a hammer into the wall, a series of cracks rang out as the passageway collapsed. Given the appearance of the other Hunters, however, this wasn’t likely to do more than slow them down. But it would give them time to get out and call for a retreat.
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Meanwhile, underneath the rubble of the hostage area, several of the Cult’s Hunters were looking at Riley in confusion or anger. They had originally had a plan to attack and not let up until whoever had opened the doors was dead. Double so if it was the Anathema. Yet, after the first salvo of attacks, Riley had motioned for them to let up. Worse yet, rather than call for another group attack, she had attacked on her own. In such a way that her flames were partially blasted backwards as well.
“What the hell was that?!” One of the Hunters asked in anger. “You let the Anathema get away? We’ll have to chase him and the rest of these bastards down now. Worse yet, our Cavern Hunters will be tired from getting us out of here.”
Behind them, four Cavern Mages were working with their Spirits to shape the stone around them to support itself. Doing so would allow them a slight reprieve, as they were currently holding up the rocks with their own mana.
Riley didn’t respond to the inquiry right away. Instead, she held up a hand to her face. Pulling it away, she was somewhat shocked to see that there was blood running from her golden eye. Blood that was also tinted with strands of gold.
Taking out a handkerchief, she wiped the blood away, ignoring the concerned and angry looks being thrown at her. Instead, she focused on the task at hand. Getting out and killing the Anathema.
“It was just a lapse in judgment. I wanted him to feel despair as he died. Something that I think each and every one of you would have appreciated.” Riley said. “So don’t blame me if none of you got my signal, and failed to attack once he was despairing over my presence.”
The Hunters around her looked suitably berated. The Hunter who questioned her flinched back and held his shoulder. Riley turned back to the Cavern Hunters who had managed to make supports for the collapsing stone. They looked strained, but they were no longer at risk of being crushed.
“Get us out of here. Now.” Riley nearly yelled. The Cavern Hunters took a breath before shaping the stone to get them out. It would take them just a few seconds, but they wouldn’t be participating in the fight afterwards. No one mentioned how it was Riley’s fault that this had happened as well.
As they moved upwards, the Cavern Hunters and their Spirits threw up stone walls and pillars to distract the Hunters above them. They also made several openings to leave from. Just in case the Hunters from the Guild were laying their own trap for them.
Suddenly, the area started to shake, and the Cult’s Cavern Hunters instead focused all their mana upwards. Throwing open the area in an explosion of dust and stone, they had a brief window of opportunity to get out of their temporary prison. One they took advantage of as the elements rained down on them. To which they replied in kind.
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“Captain! We’ve got trouble!” The Hunter who pulled Ezekiel away yelled as they returned to the battlefield. “The kid’s guts were right! It was an ambush.”
The Captain and the rest were still in the middle of a battle when the hostage retrieval group returned. Things were going well for them, but they still hadn’t finished clearing things up just yet. The fact that this was a slightly more important base meant that it was going to be slightly better defended. Not enough to cause too much trouble, but enough to make things go poorly for them if they were surprised.
“Spirits damn them all!” The captain yelled. “Do not hold back! Finish things and regroup, now!”
The captain expended more mana than necessary to kill the Apprentice Hunters that surrounded him. As did several of the other Hunters in the area. Unfortunately, unlike before, it was impossible for them to hunt down the ones that ran away. The fact that they were regrouping meant that they couldn’t set up a perimeter.
“I’m assuming you collapsed the building on them?” The captain asked. The Hunter nodded. “Everybody, get into position! Now!”
Ezekiel, who had snapped out of it, also moved to get into an attack position. But he knew that he wouldn't be as much help as the Adepts around him. But his allies were spent, and he had made a mistake. So, he would help them out as best he could.
“Are you sure about this? Our contract means that we can run away. You don’t have to fight your friend.” Shine said as they also prepared their mana.
“We’re behind enemy lines, and I have no idea where the nearest Church of Ten town is. We could try risking it out in the desert, but that should be a last resort.” Ezekiel replied. “Besides, I want to help her, if I can.”
His thoughts went to one of the artifacts that he had brought with him. It was entirely experimental, and it had never worked in its previous iterations. But theoretically, it should work in its newest form. Shine was less than enthusiastic about their chances.
“That’s not a good idea. There was only one time when that device didn’t blow up. Will you even be able to get close enough to use it on her?” Shine had little faith in Ezekiel’s plan. “She’s also a full Tier Higher than you. While you’re already mostly spent.”
“Which is why the other artifacts will be used first.” Ezekiel said.
“Captain! When you let loose your first salvo, please retreat as far as you can. I have something that should damage them quite a bit, but I can’t control who it affects.” Ezekiel called out. “As soon as you see the flash, let loose your attacks again!”
The captain glanced at Ezekiel, but decided to trust him on this one, as they were in a pickle and didn’t have many options.
“You heard the kid! Attack, then retreat! Getting some distance wouldn't be a bad idea anyway.” The captain yelled. “Get ready!”
Several defensive walls were raised from the ground at that moment. The captain and the other remaining Cavern Mages on their side sent their mana into the ground. It briefly shook before stone and dust were thrown into the air.
A salvo of ranged attacks went directly into the hole where the Cultists were standing. Immediately afterwards, the Red Stone Guild retreated, leaving Ezekiel to throw an item from his Void Pouch. Shine had retracted their senses, and Ezekiel sent three Ten Sparks Signal Flares towards the Cultists.
The resulting explosion was enough to nearly knock Ezekiel on his ass, but he powered through it. Ducking beneath the attacks from behind him, Ezekiel directed Shine to Jump them below the Cultists. Doing so, the two of them found what they were looking for. Several mana restraining manacles were strewn about. The Cultists hadn’t bothered to pick them up after removing them.
“I still don’t like this.” Shine said. They still had a bad feeling, but it wasn’t as strong as before. “I think I’m going to miss the Red Stone Guild. They were somewhat nice.”
“I know, but I promise, I will make it up to you. Besides, if this works, I'm certain you three will get along just fine.” Ezekiel said as he grabbed all the restraints. “Regarding the Red Stone Guild. If things work out, they should win this fight. But we can’t travel with them anymore. Not when they’re not showing mercy to any Cultist forces. Willing or not.”
Shine didn’t reply but didn’t refute what Ezekiel was saying either. If anything, they honestly hoped that Ezekiel was right about Riley and Celia. Thus, they prepared to make another Jump. This time, directly into the still recovering Cultists.
Pulling out another Ten Sparks Signal Flare, Ezekiel threw it into the air, this time blinding everyone but himself and Shine. The moment the explosion faded away, Ezekiel Jumped towards Riley and Celia. He directly clamped the manacles on their limbs, sealing their mana. From there, Shine and Ezekiel pooled their mana together and Jumped again. This time going much further away to the point where the battle was too far away to see. The stoney outcropping was actually well away from them,
“YOU WRETCHED-!” Riley couldn’t finish, as Ezekiel put the stunned girl into a choke hold. Shine followed suit, pinning Celia beneath the flat of their bladed body. The little lizard struggled, but ultimately failed to break free as Ezekiel knocked Riley unconscious.
As Ezekiel let Riley go, he turned to Celia, who looked strange as she was pinned down beneath Shine’s blade. He knew he didn’t have any reliable means of keeping her unconscious, however, since a Spirit’s biology was nothing like a human’s. So, he elected to place another set of restraints on her and tied her up with some of the rope he had in his Void Pouch.
From there, Ezekiel placed the both of them on a tarp and began dragging them into the desert. It was by no means a good method of travel, and it left them open for pursuers. But he hoped that, regardless of who one, they wouldn’t be in any condition to travel, and Ezekiel would be able to get himself lost in the desert well enough to hide. At least for a little while.
He only hoped that his plan with Riley worked. But a grim part of him, the part that was growing to hate the Cult with a fiery passion, knew that even if it didn’t, they’d be one less Cultist in the world. One less soul that was blinded and brainwashed by the monster that they worshiped.