Ezekiel considered himself to be somewhat fortunate to have the final watch of the night. It meant that he was awake for several hours before everyone else, but it also meant that he didn't have to worry about being as tired from just waking up.
That didn’t change the awkward atmosphere in the group, however, as most of them could no longer look at Tory the same as before. While none of them could begrudge him for wanting to be a noble, they certainly didn’t approve of his mindset of changing himself to become one.
The way they saw it, since none of them were nobles, it was better to have a noble that stuck to their non-noble roots. So that there would be fewer and fewer nobles that looked down on civilians and Hunters that came from commoner backgrounds. Acting like the nobles that looked down on others, and listening to their words and rumors like they were the ultimate truth just made you an ass-kisser as far as they were concerned.
“Alright, it seems like we’ll need to pick up the pace if we want to reach the older border. If the amount of Cruor and Umbral Beasts we fought yesterday were any indication of what’s to come, we might not get back within a week.” Garrad said as he looked over a map he had pulled out from his Void Pouch. “Hopefully we don’t run into too many Legendary Cruor. That would really delay our job.”
Ezekiel looked somewhat confused as he heard this. He was under the impression that this was a simple search and destroy mission. Something that they couldn’t do earlier due to lowered manpower, but thanks to the reinforcements that wasn’t an issue anymore.
Looking around, it seemed like only Nonette had a clear idea of what was going on, as the rest also shared confused glances with each other after the camp was cleaned up. None of them looked like the were too concerned, however, and it didn’t seem like anyone was going to ask.
“I don’t like this.” Shine said after a moment of thought. “Do you think that the Exalt sent us out here for something else? We didn’t get lied to again, did we?”
Ezekiel figured that the only way he’d get an answer at this point was to ask. So, as they set out, Ezekiel moved up to the coach seat next to Garad after the teams headed out.
“Excuse me, Guild Leader Garrad.” Ezekiel opened up, showing the proper respect given to a man of Garrad’s position and status. “I had a question regarding what you mentioned earlier. About our destination at the old border. I thought that this was simply a search and destroy mission, to wipe out any remnant Cruor forces that hadn’t retreated after the counterattack in Harkem. What’s so important about the border?”
Garrad turned towards Ezekiel with a raised eyebrow. Though it seemed like he was more baffled at the tone and respect than he was at the question itself. Very rarely did the Wandering Titan’s Guild care that much about how you addressed one another.
“First, no need to be so uptight. Nonette and her Guild are about as relaxed with their address regarding Guild members as we are.” Garrad explained; to which Nonette giggled behind her hand as she watched Ezekiel duck his head in embarrassment. “For your question, however, were you not informed of the full extent of our mission?”
“I mean... I’m fairly certain that the Exalt just wanted me out of the city so that he wouldn’t have to hunt down more people that were trying to kill me. But I can’t be certain.” Ezekiel explained. “But other than that, I was just told that we’d be hunting down Cruor, not much else.”
Garrad turned to look at the rest of the party. Including Nonette, who seemed to realize that the Adepts were all looking at Garard curiously. It seemed she hadn’t even realized that no one else understood the full purpose of the mission. Garrad couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation as Nonette looked bashful. But he didn’t say anything, as his own Guild Members were also curious.
“To put it simply, prior to the full retreat to Harkem, there were reports regarding the Cruor that indicated that they were building something.” Garrad said. “Given the fact that we don’t know their full forces, we’re only going to the border to see if they’d been building anything else as they moved closer and closer to Harkem. That’s only a secondary objective, however, and our main objective is still to kill as many Cruor as we can while moving through the area. To make it easier for the army to move in once we get back.”
“I see.” Ezekiel said as he got a thoughtful look on his face. He couldn’t help but feel concerned about what the Cruor might’ve built. He couldn’t imagine anything they tried to put together would be a good thing.
“Don’t worry too much. The reports indicating the first structure came from an area that would take us nearly a month to reach at our current travel speed.” Garrad said. “I doubt that whatever they’re building is too big of an issue. Perhaps a few outposts to act as rudimentary defenses and lookout. They can’t use enchantments like we can, to reinforce their buildings, after all.”
Ezekiel couldn’t help but disagree. While it was true that the Cruor couldn’t build something that they could reinforce with enchantments, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t grow something. The corrupted trees from Morncrest came to mind as he remembered the structures they had. While certainly not as strong as a large Human city, they were more than capable of fending off most assaults.
It was only because the Forest Spirit managed to attack from within, and with massive numbers, that Ezekiel’s infiltration was able to destroy their headquarters on the island. Even that still failed to remove them entirely. From what he understood, the Cruor on Morncrest were still being pushed back, even now, nearly five years later. Though it seemed like no attempts to push back in full had been made.
In that situation, however, the buildings were made from the carcasses of the various structures that had lined the island prior to the Cruor’s invasion hundreds of years ago. In this case, maybe the buildings they were making were using different materials. Materials that were more abundant than the massive trees from the Archipelago. Many of the trees in the Empire were smaller than those found in the truly untamed wilderness of some of those ancient islands.
Ezekiel couldn’t be certain. He had never seen the structures and buildings that existed in the deeper areas of the Desolate Lands, after all. The few areas within a week's journey of the border rarely had any significant structures of note. Usually the Cruor, from the reports he had read, would make use of the cities and towns that were built by humans prior to the Age of Despair.
As the party continued traveling in the wagon, pulled by Garrad’s Spirit. They couldn’t help but let their minds wander for a bit. They all felt a morbid curiosity as they thought about what the Cruor’s architecture and building might consist of. None of them had been to the deep Desolate Lands before. This might be the first, and only, time that they would see such a thing.
If they managed to get that far. Their priority was still wiping out the Cruor that were wandering around the area, after all.
----------
----------------------------------------
It was well into the day before the party ran into another group of enemies. This time it was only Umbral Beasts, but the mix of Fang and Bone Cruor meant that they once again covered most of each other’s weaknesses. The issue this time was just how powerful they all were.
Previously, there was a mix of Tiers, ranging from Tier two to Tier three. But it seemed like the numbers were slowly becoming stronger and stronger. To the point where the enemies were entirely composed of Tier three Umbral Beasts.
“It seems like things are going to be getting harder and harder from this point forward.” Herend couldn’t help but mutter as he and Ezekiel carved the carcass of a Fanged Cruor for its more usable parts. This was after he helped wash off the Ichor from everyone who had fought.
“It’s not like that wasn’t an expected outcome, though.” Ezekiel said. “It only makes sense that they’d have their more powerful forces stationed near their border. Scouts and stragglers are one thing. But the more you go into their territory, the more obvious it becomes that this isn’t healthy land anymore.”
Looking around, Ezekiel felt his words were truly an understatement. Previously, the land and plants in the area had still retained some of their coloration. But as they traveled further and further away from Harkem, the color began to drain from the landscape. Only red and gray colors became predominant. The sky as well was becoming darker and darker. Not to the point of the true Desolate Lands, but it was obvious that the region was changing.
Heren couldn’t help but wince at Ezekiel’s description of the world. It was obvious to him that Ezekiel was right, but it still hurt to hear it put so bluntly. The fact that the battles were just going to get harder also meant that things were not looking well for them. It was actually possible that, with the change in opposition, they wouldn’t even be able to make it to their secondary mission’s destination.
“Oy! If you two are done, we need to talk about some things.” Garrad called out, bringing Herand and Ezekiel back to reality. The two dashed over the moment they were finished with the corpse.
Garrad and Nonette nodded in approval at the pair’s reaction time. Then, turning to address the rest of the party, Garrad had a grim look on his face.
“I have some relatively bad news. Though it can’t be confirmed just yet, it’s likely that we’ll start running into Legendary Cruor soon. If not larger teams of Adepts with reinforcements available.” Garrad said. Everyone tensed up with his statement.
“Why do you say that?” Philip asked. “I know we haven’t run into any Tier twos recently, but that should only mean that their Adepts will start popping up, won’t it?”
Garrad shook his head. “If the forces in this group were Cruor, then maybe I’d agree. But they’re Umbral Beasts. How common do you think a full pack of Adept level Umbral Beasts are?” He asked.
Philip’s eyes widened in realization. For Umbral Beasts, it was nearly impossible for them to reach Tier four. Tier three was usually the limit, and that made such Beasts pack leaders. Yet this group, even though it only had a handful of Beasts, was entirely composed of Adept level Beasts.
The only reason so many Adept Level Umbral Beasts would work together was if there was a stronger being giving them orders. That meant a Legendary Umbral Beast, or more likely a Legendary Cruor. Such individuals didn’t operate in mere scouting teams.
Worse yet, since the Winged Cruor were setting up shop in the area, it was likely that they were scouting beyond the party’s sensing range. Meaning that it was possible they would end up walking into a trap or an ambush if they pushed all the way to the border.
“Given this increase in danger, it would make sense to prioritize the primary mission. We won’t go any further than this, and simply clear as many Cruor as possible before heading back in three days.” Garrad explained. “This will allow us to meet our quota for hunting, as well as ensure that we clear the road for the army, once they arrive.”
Garrad looked over everyone in the party. His gaze was clear and intense, as if he was looking through each and every one of them, searching for faults and doubts. He paused when he looked at Ezekiel, but only for a moment, pausing longer when he looked at Tory. But it seemed like he found nothing of note as he continued with his speech.
“With this information, I need to know if you all are willing to continue with the secondary mission or not.” Garrad said. “I’ve spoken with Nonette, and she agrees that the level of risk has grown, exponentially, from what it was when we first set out. But that also means that, whatever the Cruor are making, is something that is seriously important to them. Which makes it a major threat to us.”
Ezekiel swallowed nervously. He couldn’t imagine what it could be that the Cruor were making, but the more he thought about it, the more he knew they couldn’t just leave without getting at least some information. If they didn’t, it was possible that the army would end up facing whatever was being made, and that might have catastrophic results if it ended up being too much for them.
“So, what’s it going to be?” Garrad asked.
“Continue!” Ezekiel and everyone from the Wandering Titans answered. Half a beat later, the members of Nonette’s Guild replied the same. Though it appeared that Tory was somewhat reluctant. He didn’t back down, however, so no one called him out for it.
Garrad shared a look with Nonette. She nodded at his silent inquiry. Ezekiel figured that they must’ve talked about this beforehand and were simply confirming whatever they had discussed.
“In that case, we have to rearrange our plans.” Garrad said. They then spent the next hour or so determining the different ways that their teams would be split.
While the team only had three fliers, besides the Guild Leaders who could fly under their own power, that meant that they had nearly enough people to carry the Hunters away if they needed to retreat. For this reason, it was decided that Filia, who was solidly in the middle Steps of Tier three, would be partnered with Ezekiel, and should things take a turn for the worse, she would carry Him and herself to safety. The other Adepts were also split up in a similar manner.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Tory would take Yara and Philip, as their Elements synergized well with one another if need be. While Jill would carry her brother, Mac, and Herend. Given that Tory and Jill were both in the upper Steps of Tier three, they would, hopefully, be able to carry more people more easily. Especially with the support magics that Herend and Philip had should they need to do a fighting retreat.
It was decided that Garrad and Nonette would remain on their own. They could both fly under their own power, so it was best that they didn’t rely on their underlings for an escape. The fact that Garrad and Nonette were most likely going to be holding off whatever forces came after them so the Adepts could escape remained unsaid. But Ezekiel knew that he wasn’t the only one that caught that.
They couldn’t head out right away, however, as they still needed to take care of the supplies and equipment that they had brought with them. In particular, they had a large wagon that would draw attention if left behind or used to travel. So, a bit of time was taken to tear it down as carefully as possible, before the individual pieces were stored in Garrad’s Void Pouch.
“Let’s get moving. This time, we’re going for stealth, not search and destroy. If we get caught, kill them quickly and quietly. We can’t let them know that we’re this close to the border.” Garrad said.
As the Hunters all concealed themselves as best that they could, having changed to camouflaged cloaks and uniforms, they silently made their way forward. Moving further and further north. Prepared for a fight, and a retreat, if needed. But utterly unprepared for what it was that they were going to find.
----------
----------------------------------------
For the most part, the party had little difficulty as they proceeded north. They only ran into one more group as they traveled, and it was quickly dispatched. But they did need to change their camping area for the night. A second patrol that was a bit larger passed by where they had considered stopping. Luckily, they were all properly concealed, as this group had actual Cruor, two of which were Winged. So, it was decided that taking them out when they hadn’t been caught wasn’t worth the risk.
Things had grown more and more tense as they progressed. Most of the party was unable to rest properly, but thankfully sleep was unnecessary for mana regeneration. Thus, even though they were mentally exhausted from the constant need to be alert, the party was able to move forward without any major issues.
Suddenly, right around noon of the third day away from Harkem, Garrad held up a fist, bringing the party to a stop. Everyone moved to a covered area, and each person was fully alert to find what Garrad had noticed, but it didn’t seem like there were any enemies.
From his own position, hidden behind a large rock that he blended in with, Garrad looked around. As the only Cavern Mage in the party, he was the one with the most extensive sensing skills in the group. However, what he had sensed wasn’t something on the surface. It was something deep underground that was playing havoc with his mind as he failed to grasp what he was sensing.
“Cover me.” Garrad whispered as he sank to the ground. Brucey stood right beside him, propping him up and sharing his mana with his partner. Everyone else moved into an encircling position that would allow them to defend Garrad from anything that came their way.
“What do you think he saw?” Shine asked Ezekiel as they cautiously examined their surroundings. The feedback they were giving Ezekiel was incredibly helpful, as it allowed him to see more than just his eyes showed.
“I’m not sure but depending on what the Cruor are doing right now; I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ve gotten closer to our destination. But it would have to be massive, and subterranean, for only Garrad to notice it.” Ezekiel replied. “Neither of those things is good for us. I don’t think we’re properly equipped to handle a proper base. Let alone one that would be reinforced enough to go deep underground.”
The party continued to observe their surroundings as best they could. No one seemed to be nearby, however, and it wasn’t long before Garrad came out from his trances. But the party’s relief quickly ended as he and Brucey slumped to the ground. Filia and Mac rushed over as fast as they could. They were the only ones that had any medical training.
Filia hovered her hands over Garrad’s back as he gasped for breath. A soft purple glow emanated from her fingers as she examined Garrad’s spiritual state. To her side Mac was doing the same thing, but with a golden glow being more predominant.
“What the hell...?” Filia muttered under her breath. “His soul seems fine. No major indications of a backlash or anything like that. But his mana is nearly depleted.”
“Physically he’s fine as well. Just drained. Incredibly fatigued from it, though.” Mac said. “We need to set up a camp. He needs to rest properly. He won’t be going anywhere for the next few hours.”
Nonette looked grim as she heard this news. Not only was Garrad down for the count, leaving her in charge, as the most senior and powerful Hunter, but since Garrad was out cold, he couldn’t even tell them what he saw.
“Jill. Can you send your Spirit to scout for a safe area for us to rest?” Nonette asked. “Keep a low profile, and make sure that they’re hidden.”
Jill nodded her head, and her Spirit leapt into the air, turning invisible as the light was bent around their body. The rest of the party didn’t relax. They were constantly looking out for any hostels that might be too close for comfort. Finally, after a few minutes, Jill’s Spirit landed on her shoulder again, and Jill indicated for the party to follow her.
Ezekiel, having the strongest natural physique due to his element, moved to carry Garrad and Brucey. Lifting them both over his shoulders, he dashed after the rest of the party as quickly and quietly as he could. Luckily, it seemed like whatever Umbral Beasts and Cruor that were native to the area had fled for some reason. That, or they had been recalled for something else.
Several minutes later, the party came to a rocky outcropping that had a fair bit of cover from the air due to the number of broken and dead trees that were growing out of it. It stood out from the surroundings fairly clearly, but with the defenses the party set up, nothing looked out of the ordinary from outside.
Garrad and Brucey were quickly left to rest, and the other Hunters were forced to wait. Impatient and stressed out as they waited for Garrad and Brucey to slowly regain their energy. It wasn’t until over an hour had passed that the two finally woke up.
“Urg--” Garrad grunted as consciousness slowly returned to him.
“Boss!” Philip exclaimed as he moved to Garrad’s side. He slowly helped prop the Cavern Hunter up, even as Filia moved to help Brucey roll over as well. “What happened? What did you see?”
“Philip! Let the man gather himself!” Nonette exclaimed. “Garrad. Take your time, but when you’re ready, you need to let us know what you saw.”
Garrad took some deep breaths. Steadying himself as he fully woke up. Herend got him some water, cooling it down, so the man could clear his throat before speaking.
“I’m not certain what I saw, but I think it was the outer fringes of whatever they were building.” Garrad said. “But it was massive, and it acted like Ichor, even though I didn’t touch it. I tried to sense how far it went, but the more of it I reached, the more mana I felt was drained away. The amount that I saw... Anywhere else would’ve let me see triple the area compared to what I spent to see what little I did.”
The party was silent as they took in Garrad’s words. This wasn’t good. If the structure was underground, then that meant there was no telling what it was before the army moved in. So, no preparations could be made beforehand, as they simply didn’t have enough information.
“But I did manage to see one thing.” Garrad continued. “Whatever it was, it extends above ground. In some places. Like spikes shooting from the earth. There’s one not too far from where I first looked. Roughly a kilometer or so northwest.”
Nonette looked grim. As did the other Hunters. While it was possible for them to go scout out the structure that Garrad was talking about, it would be risky. Worse yet, the longer they waited, the more likely it would be that they would get caught.
The best candidates for scouting were either Jill or Mac, as they had the best camouflage capabilities. Ezekiel was next, but given he was several Steps below them in power, it wouldn’t be a good thing for him to go alone.
“Jill, Mac. Can you go and check it out?” Nonette asked. “It’ll be dangerous, but it’ll probably give us some idea of what we’re looking for.”
The twins nodded in unison. Taking a bit of time to prepare themselves, they set off. The rest of the Hunters watched and waited anxiously as they headed out. Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel guilty, as he thought that he could’ve headed out as well, giving them an extra hand to help.
“I think those two work better as a pair, rather than a trio. You shouldn’t be upset that you weren’t asked to go.” Shine said. “Besides, who would help the rest of the group if something bad happened here?”
Shine’s words helped calm Ezekiel down, and he managed to rest a bit as the party waited for Jill and Mac to return. There weren’t any sounds of battle, nor flares, or other indications of trouble. So it was roughly half an hour later that the duo returned. Both looked somewhat shaken, however, and Nonette rushed over to them in concern.
“Are you both alright? What did you find?” She asked.
The twins were silent for a moment, however, as they just tried to breathe. They looked exhausted, even though they’d only been gone for a few minutes.
“It was a tower... I think...” Mac gasped for breath. “We could see that there were several dozen Cruor that were standing guard. It looked like a large white spike shooting out of the ground. At the top was a crown with nine spikes pointing out of it. Ichor was completely covering it from top to bottom.”
“There was also a mist. I think that it was made of Ichor, because our mana began draining as soon as we touched it.” Jill chimed in. “The closer we got, the more our mana was drained from us. But we couldn't even get within a hundred meters of it. There was a large wall built around it. We could only barely see the tip from the vantage point we managed to find. I didn’t dare to try flying, as I couldn’t be sure that we’d be able to keep up our invisibility.”
Ezekiel stopped in thought for a minute. He could swear that he had heard of these things before. But he couldn’t recall the specifics. The only thing he was certain of was that similar structures were mentioned in some of the oldest, post Age of Despair texts that existed in the Church’s records.
“Ezekiel, you look like you’re thinking of something. Have you heard of these things?” Nonette asked as she saw Ezekiel’s thoughtful expression.
“I might’ve, but I can’t be certain. All I know is some mentions of something similar in some very old records from the previous Age.” Ezekiel said. “Nothing concrete, however, and even then, I barely paid attention to those records. They were never my particular area of study. But I think you should hose those two down. Unless the mana drain has lessened?”
Nonette looked at Jill and Mac with an inquiring gaze. The two shook their heads. It seemed like their mana drain had lessened. Which was good, as it meant that the apparent Ichor mist didn’t linger.
“Unfortunately, that’s not much for us to go on.” Nonette said after she ensured the twins were alright. “A tall spike that has Ichor all over it doesn’t tell us much. For all we know it’s just a monument for worship. We can report the fact that the Ichor is creating a mist. But that’s a feature of the deep Desolate Lands. Near to where the Broods themselves are sealed. If only we could get inside their base and get a better look.”
Nonette looked at the twins again in question. She didn’t want to ask, but she didn’t think that anyone else would be able to get close without getting caught. The twins shook their heads, however, since they knew there was no way they could do better than they had.
On the other hand, Garrad and the Wandering Titans tried not to look at Ezekiel. Who, at the same time, had once again become lost in thought as he conversed with his Spirit.
“Should we risk going?” Ezekiel asked Shine. “You and I both know that we could get in and out fairly easily. But it’ll be dangerous. We didn’t have anything like this when we were at Morncrest.”
“I don’t like it.” Shine said. “But if we’re here, we should help, right? But we’re running away the moment it even seems like we’re about to be found.”
“Agreed.” Ezekiel replied. “I can go.”
Nonette and her Guildmates turned to look at him in confusion. Garrad closed his eyes in thought, while the rest of the Wandering Titans looked concerned.
“I’m sorry, Ezekiel, but I don’t think you can. I know you have some sort of hiding magic. But You have less mana than either Jill, or Mac. There’s no way that you’ll be able to make it into the camp before your mana runs dry.” Nonette said. She felt happy that Ezekiel was willing to help, but just didn’t see how he could.
“He’s immune to Ichor.” Garrad pitched in before Ezekiel could reply. “It’s something that isn’t widely spoken of, but Void Mages can treat Ichor like mana, and it doesn’t drain them like it does other elements.”
Nonette looked at Garrad in shock. Neither she nor any of her Guildmates were aware of this. During the entirety of the mission so far, Ezekiel had acted much like they had. Washing off any Ichor as they traveled whenever he got splashed.
Off to the side, Tory moved to make some sort of exclamation, but Yara, who was right beside him, covered his mouth before he could say something stupid. But even so, she looked at Ezekiel in bewildered fear. As if she didn’t know what to think of this revelation.
“You knew?” Nonette asked Garrad.
“Since eight years ago.” Garrad said. “Not relevant, however, since there aren’t any other Void Hunters, or even Void Mages, in the world that would go into the Desolate Lands to fight the Cruor.”
Nonette looked like she wanted to argue that it was, in fact, a big deal. As well as super relevant. However, she kept silent and turned back to Ezekiel.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” She asked.
“I am. We’ll get in, find out what we can, and get out.” Ezekiel said. “Quick and easy, no killing anyone, or setting off any alarms. Just in, and out.”
Nonette examined him, looking intently for any traces of nervousness or hesitation. Finding none she nodded her head but did not look pleased. She turned to Garrad, as if to ask if he thought Ezekiel could do it. He nodded his head.
“Fine. Get ready. You set off as soon as you can. You’ll have an hour from the moment you leave before we start to head back. If you’re not back by then, you’ll have to catch up.” Nonette said, much to the Titan’s concern, but none of them could argue with her. “Finally, if you get caught, you do not bring them down on us. Understand?”
Ezekiel nodded his head. He didn’t want to bring this group any more trouble than they already had. Though, he was concerned as to how Exalt Harras was going to respond if he didn’t return.
“If there are any issues with Exalt Harras if we return without you, Garrad will deal with it. Agreed?” Nonette asked while turning to Garrad. He nodded his head, albeit reluctantly.
That settled, the party helped Ezekiel pack, though Tory stayed far away from him as this was happening. Within a half an hour, Ezekiel was ready to go. Throwing up his Shroud, he set off into the wilderness, directly headed towards the enemy base.