For Marco, things were going well, as far as he was concerned. Though the dull throbbing in his soul as it was squeezed for all its worth to forcefully draw out more mana was getting annoying. But just a little while ago he had received a feeling from his Light. The Anathema had arrived.
Screaming out his challenge, he continued to fight the local Legendaries. Their desire to stay alive prevented them from going all out from the start. A problem that he didn’t have, since his elixirs and artifacts ensured that his mana never ran dry. Though his defensive artifacts had all been broken by this point. Same as using up his healing potions.
Finally, after taking down most of the remaining Legendaries, he realized that he was incredibly close to the Anathema now. He threw aside the charred corpse of the Lightning Hunter that had managed to push him back temporarily.
Now, floating in the sky with his Spirit’s wings, he looked down at his target, who had foolishly run back into the city. Marco was just about to send down a burst of Flames to wipe out the Anathema. But the challenge that had been screamed at him could not be left alone. Inside him, the Light sang its agreement. The Anathema needed to be taught its place before it died.
Floating down towards the ground, stone melted as Marco approached the Anathema. His ultimate enemy. He was somewhat surprised to see that the heat he released didn’t seem to affect him. But realized that the Anathema wouldn’t be such if this was all it took to harm him.
As Marco continued to approach, he got right up to Ezekiel’s face. He tilted his head down to look Ezekiel in the eyes. With his Spirit armor adorned, he stood nearly two feet taller than the young man in front of him. Marco couldn’t think that it was actually quite pitiful that this was the one that had been causing the Followers of Radiance so many problems.
He opened his mouth to speak to his enemy. Full confident that there was nothing that the Anathema could do to him. But the Light within him suddenly urged him to attack. So, he did. But it was too late. His senses screamed at him as the ten strange artifacts on the Anathema’s waist were activated.
Multi-colored lights filled his vision as his senses screamed at him. He wildly swung his arms to attack. But it was too late. An opalescent swirl seemed to implode in on itself, sucking the Anathema into it. His target disappeared before his eyes, even as blood fell to the ground as the Anathema’s body seemed to be trying to tear itself apart.
Confused, disorientated, and off balance from his wild attack, Marco fell to the ground, gasping for breath as he tried to bring his mind and body back under control. He couldn’t let things stand as they were. The Anathema wasn’t dead yet. Worst of all, he hadn’t confirmed the presence of a Void Spirit.
Pushing himself to his feet, he knew that he still had a chance to succeed. He had seen the Anathema’s companions retreating to the north. If he could just catch up to them, then he could rip the Anathema’s location from their screaming flesh.
But a sudden impact on his back threw him to the ground once again. The Light within him screamed at him in surprise, as well as to get him up, but he suddenly felt weak. Like his flames were going out. Darkness was filling his vision, but his mind felt as clear as ever. So, he didn’t think he was falling unconscious.
Looking down at his chest, he saw three large, talon-like blades protruding from his chest. They glowed with a silvery light that indicated Tempest mana was channeled through them. But from what he could tell, there was very little of it. Barely a full Step of Legendary mana was being used.
“I didn’t think the kid had it in him.” A masculine voice said. “If I ever meet him again, I’ll have to buy him a full night of drinks, just for this. Wouldn’t you agree, Stella?”
Marco tried to bring up his flames, but the talons in his chest were ripped out, tearing his torso apart. The Light inside him grew quiet, and he knew he was dying. His mana had been sundered, and his soul was too damaged to summon it forth at this point. His defensive and healing artifacts had also all been used up. So, this was it for him.
“Perhaps, Talon, perhaps.” A woman covered head to toe in dark clothes whispered as she stepped out of a shadow. “If he managed to survive.” The gray-haired man covered in bird themed Spirit armor just shrugged his shoulders.
“That guy’s too smart to do something that would guarantee his death. Though, he’s lucky we were here. Else his friends might’ve suffered for it.” Talon stated as he stepped on Marco’s body. “Now, let’s finish this.”
Now, Marco’s vision was fading to black, and he raged inside his own mind at the unfairness of it all. At his failure and disgust at the survival of the Anathema. But he couldn’t do anything. Not when a gust of tearing winds ripped him to shreds, scattering blood, bone, and flesh across the city streets.
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For Ezekiel, he knew his chances of survival were low, but he also knew that he needed to do something, or he was guaranteed to die. So, in a mad attempt to get away, he tried something that, theoretically, should work, but there was no guarantee. Especially since the circumstances weren’t ideal.
One of the things he had learned over the years about magic was that it was easier to use spells in environments where a Mage’s element was present in great quantities. Flame mages were stronger in volcanoes, Cavern mages were stronger in caves, and Glacial mages were best in the ocean, or near rivers and lakes. This was because the mana needed for their spells was already present in the environment and could supplement the mana in the spells.
As such, if there was a great deal of Void mana in the environment, Ezekiel could theoretically supercharge any of his spells. Including his Jump spell.
The only problem, of course, was that Void magic didn’t naturally occur in nature. Not unless it was contained in Pure Mana Crystals, or briefly appearing before being turned into a different element upon the clashing of two opposing elements.
However, Ezekiel had managed to create a device that had within it mana of all Elements. Carefully devised to be incredibly sturdy until activated. Upon which time chaos would become prevalent, and a Spirit would suffer immense pain from the resulting explosion. Usually useless against humans, besides being very loud, but possibly disorientating if used in close proximity. Even for a Legendary.
Thus, when Ezekiel called out to Marco, he was risking everything to have the Legendary Cultist come close to him. This was an unnecessary step, but one that he wanted to take all the same. For all he knew, it was possible that one of the surviving Legendaries was still around and could take this chance to kill the man that had destroyed Zime.
So, when the Flame Legendary approached, Ezekiel immediately activated all ten of the Ten Sparks Flares. The resulting explosion of mana nearly tore him apart. But the Barrier Shroud he had Shine throw up mostly protected him. Giving him enough time to shove all his mana into a Jump. The only intention he had was to go north, so that was where he directed it.
But, as the mana released by the flares interacted with his barrier and his Jump, it seemed he was correct in his hope that the Void mana, and the clashing opposing mana released by the flares, would support his spell. He just didn’t expect it to become twisted.
Ezekiel found himself pulled and pushed in multiple directions. His body froze and burned. Vitality was gained, just before it decayed away. Parts of him seemed to grow heavy, while others seemed to drift away on a breeze. All while he was blinded by light and darkness both.
Shine seemed to be suffering the same sensations, as both of their screams mingled together as they were sent flying through space towards the north. The intensity of the spell was too much for Ezekiel to handle, but he couldn’t fall unconscious. The pain was just too much and woke him whenever it seemed like he would pass out. Not even his soul was spared, as the Life and Death elements invaded that as well.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime of pain and suffering. Ezekiel and Shine arrived at their unknown destination. But as the cold and the snow that surrounded them was blown away, and Shine’s blade shattered into multiple pieces as Ezekiel bled out on the frozen rocky surface of a mountain side, they immediately fell unconscious. Shine’s handle held in Ezekiel’s grasp, and all of their supplies scattered around as their Void Pouch exploded.
Alone, injured, and lost. Ezekiel and Shine had just barely managed to escape.
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Several hours after escaping from Zime, Fiana was still frantically worrying about what had happened to Ezekiel. George and Marc had dealt with it much better, but even they were worried. All the while Cinder kept her eyes on the path in front of her. Their group had long since fallen behind the Spirit pulled transports belonging to the Mora Mining Company.
It was fortunate that this was an official trade route, and it wasn’t too long before they reached a waypoint. There were some difficulties as they were asked where they had gotten the wagon from, due to the side having a large symbol of the Mora Mining Company on it. But it seemed like there was enough panic going on that they were let through after confirming their identities as non-Cultists.
“We should go back for him.” Fiana said after having fallen silent at the waypoint. “This is the third time he’s gone off on his own without any form of assistance. He’s doing too much for us. For everyone.”
George and Marc shared a look. George knew full well that this was something that Ezekiel’s friends were always worried about. As Ezekiel often tried to do whatever he could to help those that helped him. But he also knew that Ezekiel didn’t do anything unless he was certain that there was a chance that he’d survive. Ezekiel was one of the least suicidal people that George knew. So, if Ezekiel was taking a dangerous action, that could only mean that Ezekiel believed that he would survive.
Marc didn’t have the same connection to Ezekiel as Fiana and George. But during their time traveling together, in addition to their previous work together, he had long since realized that Ezekiel was like a cockroach. There was little that seemed to be able to kill him. Though he did think that it would be a miracle if he managed to pull this one off. Adepts didn’t just go face-to-face with peak Legendaries and live to tell the tale. Not without a lot of help and luck.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“There wouldn’t be any point in that.” George said to Fiana. “Even if we returned, Ezekiel isn’t stupid enough to stay there when he knows that the Cult is after him. The moment he could, he would’ve gotten as far away as possible. Moving north, as any other direction would be pointless.”
Marc just nodded in agreement, not wanting to dispute things at the moment. As well as knowing that Fiana didn’t need anyone disputing Ezekiel’s chances of survival right now. While Fiana fell silent once again. She couldn’t help but feel like she had failed again. Just like she had when Ezekiel had given himself over to the Forest Spirit in Morncrest.
“Perhaps we should focus on where we are going.” Marc said. “Ezekiel was heading to the Empire to meet up with his family, after joining the conflict to get pardoned, right? Well, where do we go to make sure that’s possible, so we can wait for him, and see to it that his goal is easier to achieve?”
Fiana, George, and Cinder all looked at Marc, who looked away under their combined gazes. He didn’t think that his idea was that bad. Just because he was trying to change the topic didn’t mean that he deserved such looks.
“...You’re right... We should focus on helping Ezekiel when he gets back.” Fiana said, looking much more determined, though she still looked upset. “When we get to the midpoint of the mountains, we should look for any updates and news coming from the Empire. That way we can figure out where to go next.”
Marc let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Fiana looking less despondent than before. George looked like he was ready to move forward, with a great big smile on his face, though there was a worried glint in his eyes. Cinder turned back to the road, watching for any obstacles that might get in the way.
“Can you tell me about him?” Cinder suddenly asked. Everyone looked towards her. “It’s just, you guys literally went around the world for him. I’d like to know what he did to inspire such loyalty. As well as know why he can do what he can do. He’s not exactly a normal guy, even outside the fact that he’s a Void Mage.”
The three Scholars smiled a bit as they thought of Ezekiel and their experiences with him. Thus, to distract themselves from Ezekiel’s missing presence, they started telling Cinder stories from Ezekiel’s time as a Scholar. As well as his time before and after. The stories beggared disbelief, to the point where Cinder started digging for additional details.
All the while, the final members of their party, who lay quietly on a cushioned seat, began to twitch as consciousness began to return.
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Back in the city of Rime, dozens of new faces were mingling about in the Cult of Light’s headquarters. Changes were being made, in preparation for the arrival of a new Red Light of Radiance.
The knowledge that the previous Red Light was off on a suicide mission, was unknown to them. Instead, the man had been shamed and denounced. Regarded as a traitor, and no longer considered a member of their faith. Having defied the orders of the Speaker, and gone off to destroy the Anathema, rather than push the Follower’s mission forward.
Only the highest-ranking members of the Followers of Radiance, the Lights of Radiance and their direct assistants, were made aware of the truth. This was done to prevent any leaks by the lower members who were fighting on the frontlines.
The fact that they hadn’t yet suffered any direct attacks from Legendary forces implied that the deception was working. Though it had only been a few hours since the attack on Zime. But during that time, it looked like Chime was well on its way to coming under their control.
But the most important thing to occur at the moment, was the introduction of one Amelia Inra as the new Red Light of Radiance. An even that was occurring elsewhere, in a temporary headquarters where Amelia was stopping at, on her way to Rime.
“I am surprised that that roaring bastard was willing to nominate me for this position.” Amelia said to her new peers. “It was well known that neither of us got along well. He was far too... passionate, in his endeavors. Not understanding that a Flame can be directed and focused, rather than just raging everywhere and anywhere.”
The other Lights nodded in agreement. While Marco had been a powerful Legendary, it was difficult for them to deal with him. As he was often angry, and more than willing to create a conflict with anyone he perceived as opposed to his beliefs.
“Is your surprise indicative of an inability on your part to match our expectations?” Lana, the Blue Light, asked in a teasing tone. “Marco might’ve been a beastly brute, but he did his job. Can the same be said about you?”
“That depends. Are you an old still water hag? Yes? Good. Then so long as you don’t get in the way, my job will be done.” Amelia said in a mocking tone. “It’s not like you’ve got the guts to throw away your life for the Radiance like he did, after all.”
Lana bristled in anger as Amelia immediately raised her hackles in a way that Marco had always failed to. It was evident that there wasn’t anyone willing to interfere in this either. As the other Lights knew better than the get between the two women.
All but the Speaker, who each Light was bound to obey and listen to.
“That’s enough!” The Speaker said, cutting Lana’s reply off before a fight could begin. “How much longer will it take you to get to Rime? I know you said you were delayed.”
Amelia sat up straighter as she addressed her peers. It had been unfortunate, but there had been a turn in the Cult’s efforts not too long ago. It seemed like several major strikes against their bases had occurred, and while the front lines were okay for now, it would slow down their efforts for a while as they redrew supply lines and remade support facilities.
Hence, rather than report directly to Rime, Amelia was checking in on the major and minor bases that were directly on her route to the city. It had slowed her travel immensely, but she was concerned that things would start falling apart if she didn’t make sure that things were running smoothly.
“If I continue as I am, It will be two weeks before I get to Rime. But if I forgo the rest of my checks, I can be there within three days.” Amelia said. Much to the surprise of the other Lights, as that was much faster than they had expected.
“Do so. I will assign some personnel to take over your checks. We need you in Rime as soon as possible. We cannot afford to allow the position of the Light’s to have an absence.” The Speaker said. “If need be, we can afford to run a defensive battle on a few fronts. Just to consolidate our forces for later.”
The Lights all nodded in agreement. Pushing into Chime was worth it in the long run, but it meant that they wouldn’t be able to do so again for quite a while.
“Moving on, I have bad news regarding the events in Zime.” The Speaker declared. All the other Lights perked up, curious as to what had happened.
“First of all, the city can basically be written off as a threat. Our spies managed to disable the defenses for a brief moment, allowing Marco to wipe out most of their Legendaries in a swift opening strike. From there, his battle with the rest managed to destroy most of the infrastructure of the city. Luckily, he avoided destroying the oasis and reservoir. Even if the aqueducts have mostly been shattered.” The Speaker explained. This brought a smile to most of the Lights’ faces.
“However, it seems like we cannot confirm the death of the Anathema. Worse yet, we cannot confirm the existence of the Void Spirit, nor is Marco alive.” The Speaker said. Bringing down the other Lights’ mood as they realized that their initial goal had been denied once again.
“What happened?” Typhos asked. Determined to know how his ex-fellow Light had perished.
The Speaker explained the course of events regarding Marco’s death. Something that stirred up an anger in each of the Lights. To die from the deceptions of an Obscure Mage was unacceptable. Obscure and Death Mages were only one step below the Void when it came to the level of enmity that the Cult had for individuals.
“The Anathema?” Lana asked. “What happened to it?”
“We don’t know. All we know is that it disappeared from the battlefield. It was hurt, but it wasn’t confirmed as dead.” The Speaker said. “We will keep our eyes and ears alert for any possible news. But if the Anathema did survive, then they would be headed for the Empire. Erken, Typhos. That means that you will be in charge of the forces that are able to deal with it. Understood?”
“Yes, Speaker!” Typhos and Erkan replied.
From that point, the meeting delved into the affairs of the Empire and the other factions. It was a slow-going process, but the Lights of Radiance were certain, the world would see the Light soon enough. It was just a matter of time. And no Anathema would be permitted to stop them.
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Several days later, on a frozen mountain peak, all that could be seen was a blinding white as snow and ice covered the landscape. High above the deserts to the south, and the plains and forests to the north, the Fangs of the Fjorya were an icy hellscape that barely allowed life to persist.
Yet life went on, nonetheless, as wooden huts lined with furs and bones from Umbral beasts and other creatures lined the mountain side. A clan of the Fjorya having long since made a home for themselves, here on one of the tallest peaks.
Within one of these huts, a familiar white haired young man lay still. Unable to move as his body was covered from head to toe in bandages, and hit limbs were bound in splints. He lay next to an assortment of items, almost all of them broken in some way or another. Either cracked, scratched, or shattered to bits.
Two items stood out, however, as the pieces of a broken blade were perfectly positioned next to him. Matching the handle that he still held firmly in his grasp. The other item was a badge made of a gleaming silvery metal, with blue icicles running along the sides. A small crack ran down its face but didn’t otherwise mar its appearance.
An elderly man with white hair was hunched over in the corner. A mortar and pestle were in his hands as he ground up several herbs for medicine. A soft green glow covered his hands as he mixed several powdered herbs together to create a simple healing salve.
The flaps to the large hut were opened and another elderly man entered, alongside a woman and man that were much younger than either of their elders. They stood behind the second man, who had streaks of light blue running through his hair.
The younger man had bright and shocking blue hair. While the woman had silver hair. Both had Spirits accompanying them. A small bear for the man, and a fox for the woman. Neither of the elders had Spirits with them. But the deference that the younger Hunters had for them indicated that they were powerful. More So than the Hunters.
“How is the patient?” The elderly man who had just entered asked. “The others are growing restless. Regardless of the fact that he has the badge of friendship, he is still an unknown face.”
“The fact that he has the badge means that it was given freely. The previous user had to have removed their bond to it.” The elderly Life mage said. “Yes, the young man was not bound to it himself, but that could be because of the damage that was done to it. Besides, the Guardians wish to test the boy. But he cannot be tested if he cannot stand up.”
The old Glacial mage looked suitably chastised by his senior. He understood that the healer’s words were correct, but he had been hounded by his peers for days now. It was starting to get to him.
“I apologize for my impatience.” He said. “I suppose I am too anxious. This is the first time the Guardians have shown such... interest in a foreigner. Especially one with his colorings.”
The old Glacial mage gestured to Ezekiel’s hair, which was a shocking white, even cleaner and clearer than the elderly healer. On such a young man, this was something that had never been seen before. Had Ezekiel been awake, then he would’ve tried to hide it, much like he had in Tarquessa. But given the circumstances, doing that was impossible.
“The Guardians will decide what to do. There is no need to worry right now.” The healer said. “But if you wish for something to tell the others, his bones should be healed by tomorrow, and he should regain consciousness within two or three more days. It is unfortunate, but his soul was greatly injured, and only time will be able to fix it at this point.”
The old Glacial mage nodded in thanks before turning to leave the hut. The two Hunters that had accompanied him turned to follow behind him. As they left, the healer turned towards Ezekiel again. This time, he focused his attention on the sword handle in Ezekiel’s hand.
Not once over the last few days had Ezekiel let go of that sword handle. His grip was so strong that, in attempting to remove it from his grasp, several fingers had been broken. It had ultimately been decided that it would be best to use magic to heal him while he was holding the handle.
“I wonder what this means to you, young man.” The healer said to himself.
A nagging curiosity burned inside his chest. But he would wait. He knew his questions would be answered when the young man awoke. For now, he would do his duty and heal the young man that had been dropped in their laps by one of their Guardians. Just as he had over the course of his entire life.