Ezekiel and his party only spent a few hours in the small waypoint village before moving on. As they were leaving, Ezekiel looked into how long it would take to get through the rest of the Fjorya. Apparently, Invera was somewhat incorrect regarding how long it would take to finish getting through the Fjorya. The mountain clans might be able to get through in a couple of days, but the trade route went through several waypoints, so it wasn’t a direct route.
The only reason his friends had managed to get to the village they were currently at was because they had been traveling from dawn till dusk. It should’ve taken them roughly a week to get to where they were right now. But it had only taken them around five or six days. Apparently, he was unconscious for longer than he thought when he was with the Feather Peak tribe.
They were still past the halfway point, but it would be at least another three or four days before they managed to get to the border town in the Empire. Luckily, it seemed like Riley would be almost fully recovered in just over a week. To the point that she could use her mana, at least.
For now, however, he was sitting comfortably in the back of the wagon with Riley and the rest, with Marc taking a turn driving at the moment. Riley and Cinder watched as Ezekiel sat in a hunched over position with George behind him. Fiana read a book as she relaxed on the bench.
“So, you’re saying you managed to almost totally recover from your soul damage, in less than a day. When you were incapable of anything but the most basic of self-reinforcement prior to doing whatever, it was you did.” George said with an incredulous look on his face. “I want to call bullshit and proclaim you a liar for all the world to see. But I can’t deny the results that I’m seeing right now.”
George had his glowing hands placed against Ezekiel’s bare back. They hadn’t done this the previous night, but when Ezekiel had finished going through his story of what he had done in the mountains, Fiana and George insisted that he undergo an examination.
Fiana, as she was concerned, and George, since he was curious as to how Ezekiel could’ve not only recovered, but also grown by an entire Step. Something that should’ve taken quite some time, given that he hadn’t been an Adept for that long.
Riley and Cinder were both somewhat envious when they heard this. The former had shed blood, sweat, and tears on a regular basis to reach Tier three. While the latter was older than both of the Hunters and was still stuck at Tier two.
After the examination, Ezekiel explained the process that he went through. The augmentation of his bond with Shine, allowing their connection to become stronger, and the slow release of mana via their bond. As opposed to the regular transference. Allowing them to passively absorb each other’s mana at a rate that would not exacerbate their souls’ injuries. As well as using said mana to revitalize their souls.
“This is amazing. That may very well be a new means of treating souls for damage. Hell, it might be one of the secrets regarding the improved progress that Hunters have over regular Mages.” George said as he started brainstorming with himself over what new fields of study this could lead to.
“I think that I might have some insight to that already, but I can’t be certain.” Ezekiel said. Pulling George’s attention back to him. Even Fiana and Marc perked up in interest. There wasn’t an Adept Scholar that wouldn’t be. This was a potential means of progressing that didn’t rely on a Spirit, after all.
“Well, go on, spit it out!” George exclaimed. The main reason that he had wanted to become a Hunter was to reach Tier four. Becoming a Legendary Mage, a Grand Scholar, was something he wanted more than almost anything.
A bit put off by the intense interest, Ezekiel nonetheless explained his theories. He didn’t have much to go off of, but he based his theories on the magic dispersal that he could perform, but not Shine. The descriptions he gave seemed to correlate to the ‘feeling’ of magic that Hunters tended to talk about when they first Tiered up to Legendary.
It seemed that this was something that wasn’t uncommon but was never reversed like it was with Ezekiel and Shine. It was nearly unheard of for a Hunter to reach Legendary before their Spirit. Which made sense, in a way, since Spirits could progress without a bonded Mage, though much slower. Something that Mages couldn’t do once they reached Tier three.
Riley and Cinder just looked on. Lost and confused at where the conversation was now heading.
“So, you’re saying that it is the innate and instinctive understanding of magic that Spirits have that allows us to reach Tier four?” George said as he looked at his notes. “That would make sense. Since we rely on Spirits to reach Legendary, the main limiting factor is whether or not a Spirit reaches Legendary before their Hunter is piggybacked to Tier four alongside them.”
“That doesn’t explain how the rare few Legendaries that Tiered up before their Spirits did so.” Fiana said. “If they can only Tier up when their Spirit shares the innate understanding of their element, then it should be impossible for a Hunter to become Legendary first.”
This made George pause for a moment, but then he turned to Ezekiel.
“But a soul can be at a higher Tier than their mana!” He exclaimed. “That’s how Ezekiel got his enlightenment, right!?”
Ezekiel just nodded, understanding where George was going with this.
“Ezekiel’s soul is much stronger than Shine’s, who is only at Tier three at the moment. Their unique nature seems to allow them and Ezekiel to gain different enlightenments when they Tier up. Something that doesn’t usually happen with other elements but has still been recorded as happening before.” George’s voice began to grow more confident.
“These must’ve been the times when a Legendary Hunter Tiered up first. That, or both the Hunter and the Spirit’s soul reached Tier four, allowing the Spirit to begin, and succeed, in innately comprehending a concept belonging to their element. This allowed their Hunter, who was at a higher Step than them, to Tier up first.”
Although there currently wasn’t any definitive proof that these theories were correct, the information that George was working off of was all confirmed. All of it was factual events that had been recorded in the Church as they studied for new means for Mages to advance without Spirits.
George started mumbling and he mentally went over his notes and began looking through the copies of different records in the books that he had brought in his Void Pouch. Something that Ezekiel couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at. Turning to Fiana, who also had a contemplative look on her face, Ezekiel knew that he had more or less distracted the two Scholars.
He hadn’t brought up this information before, mostly because he had been injured at the time, and hadn’t thought it was important. But his time recovering in the mountains, and his experience when he healed with Shine had made him go over the things that had happened to him since he had reached Tier three, and officially become an Adept.
He was happy to see that this information had helped his Scholarly friends. But he was still slightly concerned as he saw how absorbed in their thoughts they were. Something that Riley and Cinder were somewhat amused by. He couldn’t wait to see their reactions when he brought out the enchanted badge that didn’t have Runes engraved on it.
“The reins!” Shine’s voice suddenly called out to him. Ezekiel’s head nearly snapped as he turned around at breakneck speed. Much to Riley and Cinder’s shock. Leaping through the front of the wagon, he yanked the reins from Marc’s distracted hands, pulling them back to the center of the road before they ran into a ditch along the side.
“How about I drive for a bit, while you go brainstorm with Fiana and George.” Ezekiel said in a wary tone as Marc temporarily snapped out of his daydreaming. “Thank you, Shine.”
The Void Spirit just sighed mentally. Marc looked sheepish as Ezekiel spoke but nodded his head in thanks before climbing into the back of the wagon to talk shop with Fiana and George. Leaving Cinder and Riley to look concerned as they figured out what happened.
As Ezekiel looked around at the mountains surrounding them. He couldn’t help but appreciate the calm that they currently had. When they were in the desert, there was a sense of urgency that was ever present all around them. But now, it felt like he was simply traveling. Even though he knew he was headed for a warzone, after everything he had recently been through, he couldn’t help but allow himself to relax. Just for a little bit.
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“To the side! Push them to the side!” Marc called out over his shoulder as Ezekiel tried to push a large Adept Tier Spirit off the back of the wagon. “Its claws are too dug in! You need to move them to the side to get them loose!”
The wagon with Ezekiel and his party was currently being attacked by a pack of Wild Spirits. Led by three Adepts, the Wild Spirits were supported by a dozen or so Apprentice Spirits that were being held off by the other Scholars and Cinder. Who was causing trouble for the Apprentice level Spirits by shifting the ground around the wagon. She was also making sure that the road was clear for them to keep going.
Marc was forced to remain at the front, ensuring that their wagon wasn’t driven off the road. Riley and Celia were also out of the fight, as they were in no condition to fight. The most they could do was brace themselves and sit in the corner so as to not get in the way.
With a grunt, Ezekiel shoved the tiger-like Glacial Spirit to the side. The Adept tried to freeze Ezekiel with its breath, but failed as he threw up a barrier. As the Spirit was moved to the side, its claws were dislodged enough for Ezekiel to maneuver it off the floor of the wagon.
Channeling his Push-and-Pull spell through his leg, he launched the Spirit out the back of the wagon with a kick. It flew back at a speed that a regular kick wouldn’t match. Even when Ezekial was enhancing his strength with his mana.
The Wild Spirit tumbled into several of its pack members as it flew backwards. Dazed, the ice that was originally acting like armor was shattered, and the wagon ran away as Marc pushed the draft horses faster. Turning back, Ezekiel saw Fiana shooting fireballs and flaming spears into the air at the eagle-like Tempest Spirit that was harrying them from above.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Clear!” George called out from where he had used several vines grown from the wooden benches of the wagon to toss a handful of the Apprentice Tier Spirits away. “Ezekiel! Are you finished yet?”
“Just did. The back’s clear!” Ezekiel called out. “Fiana, how are you doing?”
“Not great!” Fiana yelled back. “Damn thing won’t stop moving. How’s the left side?”
CRACK!!!
A piece of the left wall of the wagon was ripped open as a clawed paw tore through it. A snarling white and blue wolf’s head shoved itself into the hole. Snapping its jaws at Riley and Celia, who were curled up not far away.
“Piss off!” Ezekiel yelled as he stabbed down into the Spirit’s eye. It wasn’t able to react as it was stuck in the wall. But the ice that was acting as armor was nearly enough to push Ezekiel back. But Shine reinforced their attack before their blade could be deflected.
“Take this!” Shine’s voice called out aloud. The Void Cutter spell that they had channeled was enough to create a small slash in the ice. This allowed Ezekiel’s attack to stay on course as he pierced through the ice. Spending most of his mana as he did so.
Shine’s blade went through the Spirit’s eye, entering its head. It took less than a second for it to go limp. Mote of blue light emanated from it as it faded away. That was one Spirit down. Now they just had to deal with the Tempest Spirit that was dive-bombing them.
Suddenly, a powerful aura weighed heavily on the people in the wagon. Shine and Ezekiel could vaguely sense a large amount of Tempest mana being channeled. Just as Fiana screamed at them to get down. But Ezekiel knew that wouldn’t be enough. So, moving to where the hole in the roof was, Ezekiel threw his hand forward, his thoughts in sync with Shine’s.
A conical barrier of Void Panes appeared above the wagon. The dense tornado that barreled down on them right after was diverted to the sides, even past the horses, to keep them safe too. The wagon continued onward, but Ezekiel knew that he couldn’t keep this up for long.
“Fiana! Channel something please!” Ezekiel called out. His voice was strained as he felt the pressure of the tornado pressing down on his barriers.
Luckily, Fiana pulled herself up quickly, forming a ball of Flames between her hands. Pulling her arms back like an archer. The small ball lengthened into a large spear, before it also began spinning. Launching the spell forward, Ezekiel briefly created a hole in his barrier that allowed the spear to pass through. He closed it immediately afterwards, as the air caught a light from the Flames that were introduced to it. All the while, the spear flew higher and higher.
Suddenly, a piercing cry broke through the air, and the wagon was able to move more freely as the tornado bearing down on it was dispersed. The Spirit that had attacked them broke off. Its wing was heavily damaged, so it glided at an angle, but there was no way to finish things off as the wagon started to turn along the road. It wasn’t long before they were out of sight of the pack of Wild Spirits.
Ezekiel slumped to the floor as he began gasping for breath. That spell had nearly drained both him and Shine of all their mana. That Spirit was well past the fifth Step, else they wouldn't have had so much trouble.
Riley, who was curled up on the floor, holding onto the bench for dear life. Looked around at her companions warily. Cinder, seeing that the battle had apparently ended, climbed off the front seat and also slumped onto a bench.
“I think I’m spent. Any idea what that was all about?” Cinder asked as she pulled out a water skin and began to drink heavily.
“No, but it can’t be a good thing. Hopefully it’s just a territory dispute between packs that has pushed them closer to the road.” Fiana said.
“The bigger question, is what made such a dispute occur? Was it a breakthrough by one of the Wild Spirits nearby, or is something happening that might be pushing the packs out of their territories?” Ezekiel said. “Regardless, we need to get to the next town as fast as possible. This Wagon won’t hold out if we go over any of the rougher patches of road. I also think we need to get some proper news regarding what’s happening in the Empire. The village was okay for a general view of things. But they didn’t know anything specific.”
“Oh, c’mon. What’s the point in worrying right now? We got out of that scuffle just fine. And it’s not like the territory disputes between Wild Spirits will affect us after we leave. Why do we need to go looking for news when we could get some drinks and discuss your theories regarding how Mages can reach Tier four?” George proposed. Compared to the rest, he looked barely even a little worse for wear.
“We need news since we’re going into a warzone, George. It wouldn’t do us any good to not know what cities are still standing or not.” Ezekiel explained. But George had already fallen into his own world once again. Writing down theories and trying to come up with different ways that they could test a Mage’s comprehension of their magic.
Fiana and Ezekiel shared an incredulous look. One that Cinder and Riley also shared. Knowing that there wasn’t much point in talking more about this now, Ezekiel just picked himself up to sit on the bench. Carefully avoiding the hole in the side of the wagon.
It would be a few hours before they reached the next town. At least according to what they’d been told when they left the village. It was a bit sooner than if they had taken a slower pace. But given the run they had just experienced, that was to be expected. Though Ezekiel did make a mental note to reward the animals when they got to town. They deserved it after what they had just gone through.
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After the first attack on their wagon, the group were fortunate enough to not run into another one. Though they were stopped and checked over by a team of patrol Hunters operating out of the town they were headed to.
It seemed like there were a number of Wild Spirits wandering outside their usual territories recently. The people and Guild nearby weren’t certain if there was a new Legendary making room for itself, or if the events happening in the Empire were a contributing factor.
Fortunately, it hadn’t taken long after meeting the patrol team for them to make it to the town. This one being much larger than the village they were at the previous night. Stopping at the inn, they ensured that their animals would be fed and watered. As well as being given treats, as Ezekiel had promised. Then, they got themselves ready for a, hopefully, quiet evening and night at the inn.
“Sorry, other than the fact that they’re apparently making a push to turn things around for themselves, I’m not sure what to tell you. Things have not been going well for Harkem.” The innkeeper and local gossip told Ezekiel when he asked her if there was any news from the north. “The Duke should’ve asked for help a while ago. Wouldn’t have so many problems now otherwise. But I guess pride is the weakness of men even as great as him.”
Ezekiel couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t pride that had prevented Duke Harper from asking for help. Yes, the Duke was a man who held pride in his position and power. But he also cared for his city, though more so just because he didn’t like running it personally. Even so, if the Duke didn't ask for help, or worse, he hadn’t been offered help, then this wasn’t just a matter of pride. It was a matter of politics.
Shine could sense Ezekiel’s extreme distaste for politics as they could hear the vehemence in Ezekiel’s heart as he talked about it. He had hoped that he was wrong about his assumption, wanting to believe that the world would be able to prioritize the safety of the people from the Cruor. But as he shared his concerns with his group, Fiana and Cinder couldn’t help but nod in agreement with his assumptions.
“I hate to say it, but the Empire is known for being held together purely by enforced contracts held by the Imperial family. There are several nobles that are not opposed to letting others suffer and fall if it means that they’re able to get a one-up over them.” Surprisingly it was Cinder, not Fiana, that said this. “It’s not unlike the competitive business done between merchants. The only difference being that nobility has pointless pride that has nothing to do with personal accomplishments. Living off their ancestry, not their own ability.”
Fiana nodded along, as did Riley, who had been more involved in politics due to her presence within the Cult of Light. It seemed that Ezekiel was the only one that hadn’t thought the Empire would allow itself to lose to the Cruor, just for selfish gain.
“In the case of the Emperor, they are one of the few forces in the world that have more than one Mythic Hunter contracted to them. As such, there’s no way that they’ll let the Cruor’s presence remain after Harkem falls.” Fiana explained. “They’ll just come in and clear everything out in one go, before assigning the land to one of the nobles that is more in line with their views.”
“... I didn’t think it was that bad in the Empire. I mean... I had my own experiences, but I had hoped that politics wouldn’t be involved when it came to the Cruor.” Ezekiel said with a sigh. He wasn’t really surprised. Just disappointed, both in the situation, and in himself for having such expectations.
“The Cruor are, ultimately, the ones that are the enemies of Humanity, after all.” Ezekiel said. “I hope that the pardon granted by the Emperor still stands. If it doesn’t, then there might not be any reason for me to go. Not if I’m going to be arrested to push for someone else's political progress. But I guess I was still too young for such information to be made available to me. My parents never did like it when I asked about politics and other similar topics.”
“Well, the repairs should be finished by tomorrow evening. It seems like there's a caravan heading to the Empire the day after as well. So, we should be able to safely get to the edge of the Empire within a week.” Fiana said. By this point, Marc and George, who had gone off on their own business in town, had returned and sat down at their table. “You have until we reach Gates, to find out if you can proceed. Though I wouldn’t be too worried. There’d be news if the emperor had rescinded his pardons.”
Seeing Marc and George’s confused looks, Ezekiel and the rest had to explain the story behind their conversation. Marc didn’t have much to say, since he didn’t know much about the Empire and its politics. George was even less helpful, not actually caring, since he believed that he could just hold himself up in the Church and do his research.
“All you can do is keep moving forward, right? Why are you getting worried right at the finish line?” Shine asked, not understanding why Ezekiel was suddenly having doubts. “I don’t think that this is any harder than our previous adventures. Neither of us has that bad omen feeling either. So, I don’t get why you suddenly feel so unsure.”
Hearing Shine’s reassurances, something that surprised him, given the number of times they had been uncertain of Ezekiel’s decisions. So, he couldn’t help but firm his resolve. They were right, nothing had changed, and besides, he needed to introduce his Spirit to his family.
Just a couple more days. He just had to keep moving forward for a couple more days.
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Finally, after several more days passing through the Fjorya, Ezekiel and his party stood at the foot of the north side of the Fjorya. The city of Gates was just a couple more hours away. The road had been surprisingly clear, with only two more instances of Wild Spirits attacking. But the fact that the Fjorya Guilds had upped their patrols probably helped with that.
“There’s the finish line you’ve been waiting for. Are you ready to register, and get your pardon?” George asked as he stuck his head out the opening from the wagon to the driver’s seat. Ezekiel had moved up here, hoping to see the land of his birth as they descended the mountain.
“Yep. Though I’m curious as to what you guys will be doing. It’s not like there’s any reason for you all to join the conflict, after all.” Ezekiel said. “Will you be joining up in the Gates city Cathedral, or will you be going to one of the other cities further west?”
“Well, it’s not like we won’t be welcome, no matter what Cathedral we go to. So, I guess it depends on how much they’re willing to grant us for our genius minds.” George said with a grin as he puffed out his chest in pride. “After all, who wouldn’t want to bring the makers of the Com-Slates into their fold.”
“Just be careful. I’m sure the Cult has similar thoughts.” Ezekiel replied. “Speaking of, how’s Riley doing?”
“She’s fine right now. But it’ll be another day or so at least before she can begin using her magic in small bursts. But whatever it was you taught her seems to be smoothing out her recovery.” George explained. “I helped, obviously, but I’m still surprised to see just how quickly she’s recovering. I wonder if there’s a way for Mages to do so.”
Ezekiel ignored George as he started mumbling about possible means to increase the healing rate of a Mage’s soul. For now, as he looked down at the city of Gates, he did his best to ignore the feeling of trepidation roiling in his gut. It wasn’t the same feeling as his premonitions gave him. But it was nerve wracking either way.
In just a few more hours, he would once again be entering a war zone. This time officially. But if it meant he could see his family again, after nearly a decade in exile, then it would all be worth it.