As Ezekiel and his party entered the city of Gates, with the caravan they were fortunate enough to travel with, Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel nostalgic as he saw the familiar architectural styles of the Empire. It had been nearly ten years, but the style of buildings that was a part of his childhood brought back memories; both good and bad.
Looking at the guards standing by the gates, Ezekiel could also see the confused looks directed his way. It was much warmer here in Gates. So, the fact that Ezekiel was still bundled up in his Feather Peak tribe coat and clothing. But, given Ezekiel’s unique appearance, he knew better than to have his snow-white hair and white and black eyes displayed for everyone to see.
“C’mon, Ezekiel, we need to get to the Cathedral. If anyone has news regarding the situation in Harkem, it would be them.” Fiana called out, pulling Ezekiel from his thoughts.
Moving to catch up, Ezekiel noticed something as he made his way through the crowds near the gates. There was a large number of people gathering, mostly for the purpose of leaving. This fact, coupled with the current situation with Harkem, caused him to worry about what he was going to find out.
Fortunately, the crowds thinned out as they got closer and closer to the center of the city. But as they got to the Cathedral, it was apparent that the Scholars of the city weren’t trying to abandon it. Instead, as Ezekiel saw the fortifications being made, it seemed like they were hunkering down for the long haul.
Walking up to the first Scholars that they saw, Fiana and the other Scholars in their group presented their documentation. They also explained the situation so that they could hopefully get an audience with a Grand Scholar more quickly. As the local Scholar read through the paperwork and listened to their introduction, he stared at Ezekiel, wide-eyed, before leading the group inside as quickly as possible. They were assured that their Wagon would be well taken care of.
Walking through the familiar architecture of a Church of Ten Cathedral, Ezekiel felt himself relax just a little bit. But, as they walked through the building, it seemed that their unfamiliar faces were enough to cause gossip to begin spreading, as the Scholars that passed by looked at them in confusion.
As they arrived at their destination, Ezekiel noticed that the office for the Grand Scholar they were going to meet was incredibly worn down. Almost like it was a recycled piece of wood. It was also made of multiple different types of wood. So, Ezekiel felt his assumption was likely correct. A sentiment Shine shared with him as the Scholar knocked on the door.
“Grand Scholar Kris, there are visitors from the Archipelago here. They have documents of referral, as well as Ezekiel Luminance accompanying them.” The Scholar said before immediately backing away from the door.
SLAM!!!
Which was apparently a smart move, as the door was thrown wide open. Showing an elderly woman with gray-black hair, and a blurry left eye. Her glasses seemed to be held together with wires that were twisted around the frames holding the glass in place. It was apparent that she also wasn’t wearing anything new. Most of her clothes seemed to be a mix of different items and fabrics.
The only item she seemed to have that wasn’t a mix of different pieces was her official Robes. The black embroidery and emblem denoting her as an Obscure Mage. Something that Ezekiel hadn’t seen before when it came to Grand Scholars. It seemed like it wasn’t an element that was particularly common among Grand Scholars.
As the Grand Scholar stared at the group, her face spread into a wide grin as she eyed Ezekiel. Given that he was the only one that wasn’t revealing his identity, it was obvious who he was when compared to his party members.
“I have many questions for you. So, get in here and answer them.” Grand Scholar Kris said to the group. “You won’t be getting your pardon by just standing around, after all.”
As Ezekiel and his group entered the Grand Scholar’s office, he couldn’t help but feel concerned. He wanted to get his pardon and get to Harkem as soon as possible, having wasted so much time in Tarquessa. But it seemed like he had reached another roadblock. One that he would hopefully get over soon. Hopefully.
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An hour later, in a room filled with miscellaneous items and various artifacts and dead relics, Ezekiel had answered and spoken of more Void magic theories than he ever had in such a time period before. He hadn’t expected the Grand Scholar to have such an obsession with Void Magic. But no matter how tired he grew of talking about the Void, and the magic that he could use, he knew that he couldn’t just get up and walk away.
Though that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to ask if they could move things along. Especially when he saw the amused looks on his companion’s faces. Something that irked him more than a little bit. Fortunately, Shine was able to help him calm down, and he remained respectful when he asked for his pardon.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Ezekiel finally said, “But would it be possible to get my pardon now? I returned to the Empire for a specific reason. One that I’d like to fulfill as soon as I can.”
Kris, who had paused to write down some notes, looked up at Ezekiel with a surprised expression on her face.
“Oh right, I actually mentioned that earlier, didn’t I. One moment.” The Grand Scholar then pulled out a bundle of papers from the drawer of her desk.
Flipping through the papers, she pulled one from the stack. It was covered in official legalese that indicated that the signatory of the document was required to fulfill the terms of the contract. Reinforced by the magical nature of the runic scripture, Ezekiel knew that this was a genuine contract.
“Just sign here. You’ll be forced to go fight for your life after I let you go. Though, you could also fulfill your side of the bargain by staying here and answering my questions until the conflict is declared over.” Kris explained. “Technically, you’d have to serve the Empire for the pardon, but given the current state of things, we managed to get a few pardons for service directly to the Church.”
While somewhat interested in the reasoning behind such, Ezekiel was mostly interested in making sure that the pardon wasn’t going to screw him over. Which it didn’t. Mostly because it had a limit on how long he had to serve for the contract to release him from his service.
However, it was clear that there was skewed length of service for the Empire. It seemed that fighting in the conflict would only require six months of service directly for the Duke, or until the conflict ended. While service for the Church would require two years of affiliated Hunter services. Basically, fulfilling the Church’s orders to the letter.
There were the regular safeguards to prevent them from being enslaved entirely, but it was obvious that this wasn’t something that would grant him any freedom. Given that he wasn’t here to serve beyond the limit that he needed to, he didn’t feel like serving the Church at the moment. He would rather serve the Duke for a few months as a Hunter than spend two more years away from his family, serving the Gates Cathedral for two years.
Set on signing for the Empire, Ezekiel was about to complete the contract, but as he reached the bottom of the page, he realized that the contract only seemed to have space for the Church services. The space for the Empire apparently needed the approval of a City ruler.
“Who do I need to speak to in order to get this approved for service under Duke Harkem?” Ezekiel asked. But as he looked up at Kris, he saw the disappointed look on her face. It was obvious that she wasn’t interested in allowing him to join the conflict directly.
“I know I only said it in passing, but why on earth would you not wish to serve the Church? The amount that you could contribute to the world is so much more than just fighting in a conflict with the Cruor for a while. Not only that, but even though we’re close to Harkem, we aren’t in any real danger.” Kris said with an insistent tone. “The Emperor has already begun moving his forces to ensure that the Cruor are kicked out of the Empire should Harkem fall. So, there’s really no reason for a mind as bright as yours to join the conflict. If you’re interested in getting a pardon, then just sit in the Church for a couple of years.”
Ezekiel could somewhat understand where Kris was coming from, but there was no way that he was going to waste two years of his life serving the Church. Yes, he might be able to make some progress, but after over five years of freedom to progress as he liked, he wasn’t going to simply go back to being under someone’s thumb once again.
He would much rather go to Harkem and get his pardon as soon as possible. That, and he would hopefully get to see his parents again. Maybe even his sisters, if they hadn’t been evacuated just yet.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be tied down so easily. What will it take for you to get me an audience and pardon from the ruler of the city?” Ezekiel asked. He could immediately tell that Kris was utterly opposed to him entering the conflict once again. So, he knew he needed to give her something that she would consider worth the potential loss that his death would lead to.
“Nothing.” Kris stated with finality. “You may think that you’ll survive the conflict, but you won't. There are no guarantees that the Emperor’s Mythics will survive. Not if the rumors of a new Broodlord among the Winged ones are true. I know from experience, just how deadly the Broodlords really are.”
Her hand thoughtlessly drifted to her face, where she briefly covered the scarred eye in melancholy. It was obvious that she had lost her eye, and likely her Spirit, in a battle with the Cruor. This didn’t surprise Ezekiel too much. He knew full well how likely it was that he was going to die. But he had made his decision. Not even Shine was opposed to it at this point.
“I’m sorry, but I have faith in the power of the Mythics of this world. I don’t doubt that they could at least match the might of the Broodlords if they actually come to battle it out.” Ezekiel said. “Besides, I doubt that the number of Legendary Cruor that are there will outnumber ours in this instance. Nor is it likely that they would send a bunch of Adepts into any such battle fields.”
“Perhaps. But you don’t know that, and you don’t know the full extent of the Cruor’s power, nor the extent of a Mythic Hunter’s power either.” Kris said. “I was a Mythic Hunter, once upon a time. But when my Spirit died, taking out one of the Broodlords, nearly sixty years ago, I fell to the Legendary Tier. All the while, I also saw one of the Peerage members of the fallen Broodlord retreat. Only for knowledge of a new Broodlord rising to power a month later.”
Ezekiel couldn’t help but swallow nervously as Kris berated him. He hadn’t known that she was a Mythic Hunter. The fact that, without a Spirit, Mythic Hunters apparently fell to the Legendary Rank was something that wasn’t common knowledge. In fact, he wasn’t sure it was known even in the upper Tiers. It was likely that this was something that wasn’t known outside personal connections. The fear that one could fall with the loss of their Spirit at the higher Tier was utterly terrifying.
“It has been a long time since a new Winged Broodlord arose. But the fact that one has means that they won’t stand to lose them anytime soon. As such, even if we manage to push them back, which I doubt will happen without the Emperor. The loss of a certain amount of territory is all but guaranteed.” Kris informed him. “The Emperor and the other Mythics know this. It is the fact that we are far enough away as to be out of the direct line of fire, that Gates will be protected. As well as the fact that we opened the Empire up to the eastern coast of Tarquessa.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Seeing Kris so adamant that there was nothing that he could do to gain his pardon from the city ruler, he knew that he needed to take more extensive measures. So, he looked over to George, who looked surprised to see any attention being forwarded towards him.
“George, could you pass me the copy of the notes that you’ve been working on so far?” Ezekiel asked. George looked scandalized at what Ezekiel was asking of him, but before he could refuse, Fiana and Marc, both elbowed him in the side. So, after wincing in pain, he pulled out the books filled with extensive notes taken from questioning Ezekiel.
For her part, Kris looked somewhat interested. But it didn’t seem like she was likely to change her mind anytime soon. But as she read the heading in the first book Ezekiel gave her, her interest peaked, and she was soon absorbed in the notes that were presented to her.
But before she could delve too far into it, Ezekiel pulled the book back into his grasp. Holding the books on his lap, he glared at her as he spoke.
“No more games. Get me my city pardon, not the Church one, or these notes are destroyed, and you’ll have to restart from scratch. Without my help.” Ezekiel’s tone had no room for negotiation, and he could see Kris become hesitant regarding the situation.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t remake the notes from scratch. But without Ezekiel’s insight, as one of the only Hunters to have advanced beyond his Spirit, it was unlikely that they would make any progress within the year. Worse yet, given the state of the conflict that was still ongoing, it was likely that they wouldn’t be able to make any attempts to make progress until after the conflict had ended. Which would probably take months, even after the Cruor were pushed out. Harkem and its surrounding lands would take time to return to a more livable condition, after all.
So, with a glare on her face, one matched by George, she reluctantly called for a messenger to get her into contact with the city ruler. It seemed that, against her wishes, Ezekiel would be going off to fight the Cruor quite soon.
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Walking out of the Cathedral with his contract of pardon tucked in his new Void Pouch, Ezekiel no longer hides beneath his tribal clothes and coat. Though he did wear a hat and hood to hide his hair. At least for now. Unlike when he entered the Cathedral, however, he was alone.
The three Scholars were, due to their documents, needed to act in service to the Cathedral. Given the state of the conflict, it was all hands-on deck when it came to the Scholars and their duties. As such, it was time to say goodbye. At least for now.
Cinder and Riley were also forced to remain behind, as the former was officially accepted as Fiana’s new apprentice. So, she was receiving tutelage regarding her new duties. The latter was still too injured from her previous possession.
It was actually revealed by the examination of a Death Mage that Riley’s soul had likely fallen at least a Step or two in level. So, not only would she be unable to use magic for at least another week, she wouldn’t be in any condition to follow Ezekiel into battle for at least a month or more, as she would need to accustom herself to the smaller amounts of mana available to her. She would also need time to ensure that any lingering wounds wouldn’t reopen if she pushed herself.
“So, how long will it take to get to Harkem from here?” Shine asked as they headed towards the Guild district of the city. “I don’t really want to spend weeks on the road again. Not now that we’ve somewhat settled into the city. Especially since we're heading into another warzone.”
“No worries there. We won’t be traveling on the road this time around.” Ezekiel replied. “Not by foot at least. Apparently, the Guilds have been working on keeping Harkem’s supply lines open. Though there have been some attacks by the Winged ones.”
Ezekiel had been given a rundown regarding how he would be shipping out with the most recent group of reinforcements later that evening. Apparently, this was a regular occurrence, with reinforcements and supplies being sent out every other day. Duke Harkem had made several deals with Gates and other southern Imperial cities to ensure that his city would last just a little bit longer.
“We’ll be riding in a caravan with a bunch of other Hunters, both unaffiliated and Guild members. So, we’ll have plenty of time to rest along the road as we travel.” Ezekiel explained. “I just hope that the Guild Leader that we’re assigned to will be willing to not ask too many questions about us. I’d rather not have to explain your existence as my Spirit. Not that I don’t want to show you off, but I know that they likely won’t believe me right away.”
“Do we know who our guiding Guild Leader will be?” Shine asked. “Maybe we can find out a bit about them before we get to the meeting point.”
“Unfortunately, not. It seems like they’re from Harkem, though. Supposedly the number of Legendaries that they want with this caravan requires a joint effort between both the Harkem and the Gates cities’ Guilds.” Ezekiel explained. “Hopefully, if they find out who we are specifically, they won’t be opposed to our presence.”
“Because of those Ruins you blew up?” Shine asked.
“More or less.” Ezekiel said. “For now, we have a little while before we need to be at the meeting point. Let’s grab something to eat on the way there.”
Shine voiced their agreement, suggesting a few different places to get some food as they walked through the city. No one was any more interested in him than they were anyone else in the street. Ezekiel couldn’t help but enjoy himself as he walked through the city of Gates. It was something he had missed over the last few months. But as he eventually got to the meeting place, he realized that there were other things he had missed as well.
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Standing at the back of the gathered group of Hunters, both unaffiliated and Guild members, Ezekiel couldn’t help but stare in shock at the Guild Leader that was assigned to his group. It was a familiar face that he had known from Harkem, and it wasn’t a shock to find out he was fighting in the conflict. What was surprising was that they were Legendary.
“Alright folks, listen up!” Garrad Mountloch called out over the assembled Hunters. “We’ll be heading out in a few minutes, so make sure your gear is all ready to go. While the Cruor haven’t been pushing too hard in the areas south of Harkem that doesn’t mean that we won’t run into them. So, I want you all prepared and ready to fight at a moment’s notice during the entire trip.”
Garrad had more scars than Ezekiel remembered, but that wasn’t too surprising. He wouldn’t have been able to reach Tier four if he hadn’t grown his soul through adversity. The fact that he was fighting in a conflict with the Cruor was also a likely cause for the scarring.
Behind the large man was an enormous bear, one that was also covered in scars. Though it was harder to see as their fur covered most of them. It seemed that Brucey had also been through the ringer more than once over the years.
However, as surprised and happy as he was to see a familiar face, Ezekiel ultimately had mixed feelings about Garrad. He knew that he and Gerome were in conflict between helping him and going along with the inquisition’s inquiries, but it would’ve been nice if they could’ve done something to help him. Even if it was just giving support regarding his character to the various people that were at the trial.
Garrad continued to describe the likely scenarios regarding what was going to happen during their journey. They had scheduled shifts with the fastest Spirits available to pull the various transports. So, it was expected that they’d enter Harkem’s territory quite soon. Possibly by the end of the next day.
Given the speeds that they were planning to travel at. It was assumed that they would reach Harkem within two days. A trip that might take a week if they had been traveling at a regular pace. The Hunters were also divided up into teams according to their Elements and their Spirits. For the sake of synergy in battle should things come to it. This was information that was required when a Hunter signed up for their pardon, or if they wanted to join in general.
As Garrad directed the assembled Hunters to the areas for their orders, in accordance to their element, Ezekiel noticed that there wasn’t any indication as to where he, as a Void Mage, should go. So, as much as he was apprehensive to do so, he approached Garrad at the head of the assembly.
Reaching the platform where Gerome was standing, he cleared his throat to get the attention of the Guild Leader. Who turned to him from where he was discussing something with one of the Adepts that was working nearby.
“What’s wrong? Why haven’t you gone to your element’s designated area?” Garrad asked in a frustrated tone. “We don’t have time to deal with pointless questions right now.”
Ezekiel could understand the man's frustration, but that didn’t mean that he enjoyed the treatment he was receiving. He was here to help, just the same as everyone else that was there.
“Well, you didn’t tell me where to go. I’m assuming it’s because you didn’t designate an area for my element, but I figured I’d check with you to be sure.” Ezekiel said. “Or are Void Mages not welcome here? Cause that’ll be a problem, given I’ve already signed my contract with the city ruler.”
As he said this, Ezekiel pulled his hood and hat off, showing off his pure white hair that seemed to shine ever so slightly, even in the darkening light of the evening. As he did, Garrad and the other Hunters nearby looked at him in shock. Garrad, because he seemed to realize who Ezekiel was, and the others, since they hadn’t thought that it was possible for a Void Mage to become an Adept Mage. Let alone an Adept Hunter, since there was no proof of Void Spirits existing.
“Ezekiel? But... How? Garrad asked. While he hadn’t known Ezekiel for long, there was no way that the boy he had known eight years ago hadn’t made an impression. He had single-handedly faced the rot and survived, as well as been there with him at ground zero when the Ruins of Senera were destroyed. But to see that child reach Tier three in eight years was something he had never expected.
“Life in the Archipelago was eventful. Though my run-ins with that damn Cult in Tarquessa were more so. Else I would’ve been here sooner.” Ezekiel said. “Regardless, where do you want me?”
For a second Garrad didn’t reply, but Ezekiel could clearly see that he was thinking of how best to use Ezekiel. Given that they likely hadn’t expected to have a Void Mage in their teams. Something that threw the rest of the Adepts for a loop as well. It was clear that no one had actually read the list of Hunters, or at least, they hadn’t believed him when he wrote down that he was a Void Mage.
“Wait, how are you even a Hunter? You need a Spirit to be one.” One of the Adepts suddenly asked. “General Adept Mages are allowed to fight as well, but they’re supposed to indicate that they aren’t Hunters on their contracts.”
The rest of the Adepts looked relieved, as this meant that they could probably get Ezekiel in trouble, or at least pass the buck to another group. But Garrad knew that that wasn’t the case, as the contract required that the Mage be truthful, so Ezekiel couldn’t be here unless he had a Spirit.
“You’ll be part of my team.” Garrad said. “Show me your Spirit. I’ll need to figure out how to incorporate you into my team.”
The other Adepts looked shocked, and almost appeared to want to protest it. But they understood that Garrad wouldn’t be saying this if he didn’t expect Ezekiel to be able to prove something. So, they all turned to Ezekiel to see his Spirit.
Slowly pulling Shine from their sheath, he stabbed them into the ground before stepping away. He was somewhat frustrated that he was having to go through with this, but he knew that the Empire was stricter when it came to contracts and regulations of Hunters and Mages.
So, he left the show to Shine, and as the Adepts looked at the sword that Ezekiel stabbed into the ground, they were shocked to see what looked like glass panes form a somewhat humanoid shape. Trapping light inside as it began to glow. Then, much to their shock, a voice called out to them.
“Hello! My name is Shine. I am Ezekiel’s bonded Void Spirit.” Shine said with enthusiasm. Surprisingly happy to be the center of attention. “Is this enough to prove that he has a Spirit?”
The Adepts and Garrad all looked to their own Spirits, who simply nodded in confirmation. It was strange, and they had never seen or sensed a Spirit like this before, but they could tell that Shine was a Spirit. Not a single one of them had any doubts about that.
So, after figuring out how to integrate Ezekiel into their team, Garrad accompanied him away from the assembly area. It wasn’t long before they headed out. Quickly making their way north to Harkem.
All the while, Ezekiel never gave a second thought to the fact that he had revealed Shine’s existence. He knew that it had been a long time coming, and while not the ideal situation, both he and Shine couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief as the secret was finally out.
Unfortunately, not everyone who found out about this was going to be as relieved as they were.