Exalt Harras was looking down in disdain at the Inquisitor who was currently groveling on the ground. He knew that he wasn’t going to enjoy this meeting. But he hadn’t expected to be brought to such an indescribable rage. Lightning crackled around him in a semi-contained ring, and there were cracks spreading through the room as the might of his mana physically put pressure on the environment.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I quite heard what you just tried to tell me.” Exalt Harras said. “It sounded somewhat like you were trying to give me orders. Something that only the Emperor can do. A privilege that cannot be granted to anyone else. Even by the Emperor.”
The Inquisitor on the ground tried to reply, but he was under so much pressure that he was barely able to moan in pain. His eyes were opened wide in fear and pain as his entire body slowly broke down. Next to him was a large dog. It was similarly unable to move and had actually fallen unconscious from the strain. A puddle was forming beneath it as the Spirit’s Glacial mana was beginning to leak.
Usually, a Legendary Hunter would still be able to at least stand, and even move about freely, if with difficulty, while under the influence of a Mythic Hunter’s mana pressure. But Exalt Harras wasn’t playing around. He was actively pressing down on this man with his full might.
Exalt Harras had never thought that the Empire he served could have fallen to such lows. Yes, he knew full well that the Emperor was an idiot who only sought personal wealth and power, but he had thought that the man would have at least bothered to learn about his forefathers. If only to understand the contracts that bound the Exalts to his service.
Specifically, the Exalts of the empire served the Emperor, and only the Emperor. But there were limits to this service. These were made so that the Exalts wouldn’t have a reason to revolt due to their pride being stepped on by someone of a lower Tier than themselves.
Of the limitations included in the contract, the fact that the Emperor did not have the power to delegate their service to the word of another was the most distinct. This was done in part to ensure that there were no mix-ups in the chain of command. But it was also done to ensure that loyalties wouldn’t be split. It was easy for orders to create conflict if they came from multiple sources, after all.
On top of that, one of the things that the Emperor couldn’t do was prevent or recall an Exalt from an active warzone that they had been dispatched to. Unless there was proof that the capital was under attack. This was because the old Emperors had determined that the Empire was the most important thing for them to protect. Other rules included defending the nobility and ensuring that the Exalts didn’t simply take over.
As such, the official documentation with the mana imprint of the Emperor, stating that Exalt Harras was to submit command to the Inquisition, as well as return to the capital post-haste, regardless of the current situation, conflicted with the terms and conditions of his contract not once, but twice.
“I can’t believe that brat would do something so stupid! Every faction in the world knows that when a Broodlord is at your border, and has actively participated in an attack, the area is considered an active warzone. To be defended by whatever Mythic Level Hunters are able to be stationed there.” Exalt Harras nearly growled as he spoke. “For him to dare to do so... Either he is far more stupid than I thought, or he is truly being manipulated behind the scenes.”
The Inquisitor continued to try and say something but was barely able to breathe at this point. Exalt Harras turned away from him. Moving over to his desk, he began penning a letter. Explaining, in detail, how he would not be following the orders he was being given, as they directly conflicted with the contract that kept him in service to the Emperor.
He blatantly informed the Emperor that, if he didn’t like how things turned out, he was welcome to come to the front and give him an order directly. Though he also explained that doing so would break the contract the Emperor held over him. Thus, Exalt Harras would lose his Exalt Status, and become a free Mythic Hunter once again. One that had been slighted and kicked out by the Emperor.
Taking the letter in imbuing it with his mana signature, Exalt Harras carefully sealed it before moving back to the still suffering Inquisitor. Bending down, Exalt Harras gazed at the Inquisitor with a look of disgust on his face. He then grabbed the Inquisitor by the throat and raised him into the air, not once releasing the pressure he exuded.
“This letter is for the Emperor’s eyes only. Your subordinate will be returning to the capital. You have performed traitorous actions in your attempt to usurp the Emperor’s authority as the sole person capable of commanding myself and my fellow Exalts.” The Inquisitor’s eyes widened, but before he could say anything Exalt Harras formed a small ball of lightning in his hand and shoved it into the Inquisitor’s mouth before releasing his mana pressure.
“AH!” The Inquisitor began screaming as his insides slowly disintegrated from the Lightning coursing through him. Exalt Harras looked at the unconscious Spirit in the room for a moment before shooting it with Lightning powerful enough to destroy it in one go.
Opening the door to the corridor outside his office, Exalt Harras saw several other Inquisitors on their knees, pinned down by Exalt Harras’ personal forces. The second in command had his face pushed into the floor, but at such an angle that he could see his commander’s body collapse into a spasming mess as his screams died out. Smoke wafted out of the corpse's mouth as its movements came to a stop. The nerves had finally been destroyed, and the involuntary movements no longer occurred. But even so, the body crackled with electricity as the Lightning turned it into a mass of crumbling charcoal.
The Inquisitors on the ground all refused to look at Exalt Harras. They rightfully feared that they would be next. Though they did wonder why and how the Exalt could do this. Weren’t they the hands of the Emperor? There would certainly be consequences, wouldn’t there?
Exalt Harras, as if sensing these thoughts, addressed them directly.
“I am under a Spirit Covenant, and Soul Binding Contract, as all Mythic Hunters in the Empire are. It is these contracts that determine whether or not my actions were legal in the eyes of the Empire, as anything less wouldn’t work. Yet my Spirit is still here, and my mana is clean and untarnished.” Exalt Harras’ words were like buckets of ice water being turned over on top of them.
Each of them knew that the Exalt words were true. But none of them wanted to believe it.
“You will be taking this letter back to the Emperor. Tell him that if he wants to break our contract so much, then he can continue with his current course of action. But until the Broodlord is either dead, or the Cruor are all pushed back across the Turnbout River, I will not be returning to the Capital.” Exalt Harras declared before waving to his men to stand down.
The Inquisitor’s stayed on the ground, however, as they were still too afraid to move. There was even one Inquisitor that was crying, while another would need a new pair of pants. Disgusted and disappointed, Exalt Haras just sniffed in disdain before walking away.
He still had traitors to deal with. He had no time to worry about a bunch of crybabies who merely threw their weight around thanks to the Emperor’s name.
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Naeri was sweating as she continued to work on Evelyn’s wounds. While The Obscure Hunter’s arm had been successfully reattached a while ago, it seemed like those who had a grudge against the Luminance family were more tied to the city’s forces than expected.
Apparently, the healer who had tried to steal Ezekiel’s sword a couple of days ago had had a sister, who was now also locked up and being interrogated. It was a shame to find out that she truly didn’t have any connections to the Cult, or any other traitorous factions. But the fact that she decided to take revenge for her brother was making things difficult for Naeri and the other healers.
For the most part, it was fortunate that there seemed to be a lull in the current conflict. A positive change from the previous retreating battles that they had been doing for the past few months. It meant that they were able to mostly recover every Hunter and Mage back to fighting shape. Which meant that situations like Evelyn’s were something that a Legendary Healer could focus her attention on.
Originally, it had been a simple procedure of flushing out any lingering Ichor that might’ve been draining Evelyn’s mana, then cleaning out and reattaching her arm. A relatively simple procedure that should’ve gotten Evelyn up and about within a couple of days of rest and recuperation.
Thanks to the traitorous actions of one of the attending healers, however, Evelyn’s arm was tainted with Ichor when it was reattached. This meant that the mana used to heal her was being drained, and the reattachment process could not be completed in a clean and swift manner.
Hence, Naeri had been forced to not only take down and hand over one of their valuable healers, but she had also been forced to lock herself in a room with a small group of people that she had personally vetted for security and loyalty. That had been nearly three days ago, meaning she had been unable to see Ezekiel off on his mission. It was also only recently that Evelyn’s condition had started to improve. But at a cost.
“How are her other extremities doing?” Naeri asked as she focused on regenerating as much flesh as she could. Her hands were covered with a bright, verdant glow that had several streams of ethereal light flowing into a stump where her arm should’ve been. A stump that Naeri herself had been forced to make.
“We’ve managed to isolate the Ichor into a few of her toes. Her other arm is safe. As are her organs, brain, and vital systems.” One of the attending helpers stated. Her hands were also glowing green. Covering Evelyn’s chest and torso as she double checked their condition. Three others were focused on her other limbs, with one streaming as best he could as he contained the Ichor in Evelyn’s body to her toes. Another focused on her head, making sure that it was also clear.
Taking a glance at the aforementioned toes, Naeri pushed down the nauseous feeling that grew within her with a well-practiced ease. The toes had begun to mutate and were growing feathers as they twisted and elongated into a warped and talon like shape.
“Cut them off. Take some of her foot when you do. We can’t risk recontamination. Then begin closing the wound and completing the purge of her system. I’m almost done with the remains of her arm. So, I’ll be able to assist in a few seconds.” Naeri said. The attending healers moved to complete her commands.
Usually, Ichor wouldn't have such an effect on a Mage. Its primary purpose was to drain mana from a Human, or Spirit, and weaken them until there was nothing left but a husk for Cruor or Umbral Beasts to feast on. Even if Ichor got into your body, its effects never should’ve gotten this bad. At worst, Evelyn would’ve fallen by a Step, maybe a Tier, if her mana fell too low and her soul was damaged.
She would’ve had to actually have died or had more than a half her blood replaced by Ichor for such an extreme condition to have occurred. Something generally couldn’t happen naturally. Let alone with the miniscule amount of Ichor that was running through Evelyn’s system.
It was only due to the machinations of that rogue healer that things had gotten this far. With her using her magic to affect Evelyn’s body so that the Ichor would have a more physical effect on her. Essentially leaving a piece of her own mana inside Evelyn’s body to act as a catalyst to increase the mutative effects of the Ichor.
This was one of the few abilities that all healers eventually became aware of. Simply because they were taught how to alter the physical body for the sake of healing others. But such abilities also meant that alterations to exacerbate the effects of foreign contaminants were also possible. Like altering the physical body so that the innate immunities were suppressed. Like the naturally mana infusion that prevented mutations caused by Ichor.
Naeri was lucky that she had personally agreed to check over Evelyn when she did. Had she not, then it was unlikely that any of the Adept Level healers would’ve been able to notice what had happened before the mutations had spread from her arm into her organs. By the time she had isolated the limb and cut it off, the Ichor had begun to run rampant and had turned the limb into a twisted and mangled lump of flesh with several inhuman features.
Focusing as she closed the wound on Evelyn’s shoulder, and leaving a blemish-less stump in place, Naeri moved her attention to the rest of Evelyn’s body. As she had been focusing, she hadn’t noticed the removal of Evelyn’s toes. But as she reviewed the aftereffects, she knew that the removal had been as close to perfect as possible.
“Pull back.” She said as she moved to heal over the toes herself. The healer that was working there did as told, backing away as Naeri moved in and healed the toes much more quickly than the tired Adept. She then moved onto the rest of Evelyn’s body, cleansing it of any impurities she found, and ensuring that there wasn’t any Ichor that remained. From what she could tell, nothing harmful was there. All of the Ichor had been isolated and directed to the removed extremities, and now, Evelyn was in a state where she simply needed to rest and recover.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Looking over the gaunt and pale woman whom she had known for years, Naeri couldn’t help but feel a wrathful helplessness stirring within her as she thought about the people who had done this to Evelyn. It seemed like sentiments regarding Void Mages just couldn’t die down in the Empire. If anything, they were getting worse, even without the Cult’s direct interference. Not for the first time she considered packing everything up and leaving with the Luminance family to go to the Archipelago.
“Alright, it seems like we’re finally done. I’ll move her to a secure room so she can recover in peace. One of you go and inform her husband that she’s now officially out of danger.” Naeri said as she began undoing the enchantments and formations that were aiding her and her team’s efforts. As well as securing the room from outside interference.
As the formations came down, a large shadow suddenly sprung up from the ground. A ten-foot tall, snarling feline bared its fangs at Naeri and the other healers. If not for the terrifying aura she was releasing, the Obscure Spirit would’ve almost looked comical with how squished it was within the room.
The Legendary Life Mage didn’t back down, however, as she glared at the Spirit that currently had over ten times as much mana as she did.
“Don’t look at me like that. A different healer sabotaged her. You can see what we saved her from over there.” Naeri said as she nodded in the direction of the sealed container holding the corrupted limbs. Reya glanced over, flinching as she saw what was there. “Shrink down, and you can ride with us as we get her to a secure recovery room. You don’t need to leave her alone anymore.”
Not even taking a minute to think about it, Reya shrank down and leapt for her partner’s body, intending to rest on her chest. Naeri immediately snatched her out of the air and held the much smaller feline by the scruff of her neck, before placing her directly next to Evelyn’s body.
“Do not lie on top of her right now. She doesn’t need you pressing down on her body and causing physical stress. Understood?” Naeri said, happy when Reya meekly nodded her head. “Good. Now I just need to make sure that Warren doesn’t try to do the same thing.”
The other healers ignored Naeri’s mutterings and complaints as they recovered from Reya’s mana pressure. As their superior exited the room with their patient, they were all left in awe as they wished that they too could reach the same heights as their senior and superior.
Snapping out of their stupor, they decided to draw straws to determine who would complete what orders they were given. A couple of them left to dispose of the corrupted limbs, while the others went to help other patients or recover their mana.
While one unfortunate soul remained in the room, looking at the short straw he had drawn, and dreading the fact that he was going to have to explain things to a Legendary Hunter that could literally eat him alive. He couldn’t help dragging his feet as he finally left the room.
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Far away from the city of Harkem, several individuals, illuminated by different colored lights, were silent as they mentally digested the report provided to them by the two remaining survivors of the mission to kill the Anathema.
“Those two should be put down for forsaking their mission.” Erkan muttered in anger as he realized that this mission would potentially affect his position in the Emperor’s court. “At least the other four had the decency to die for the Light. Those two are far too cowardly to be of any use to us.”
“Erkan, shut up before I wipe out half the Inquisition.” Typhos said in a neutral tone. Erkan couldn’t help but flinch at the words from his peers. While they might have both been Legendary Hunters, Typhos was in the Higher Steps, while Erkan was still in the lower ones.
The fact that Yarrik and his partner managed to get out of that situation is a testament to their intelligence and infiltration abilities. A choice was made to either make the situation worse, or to retreat, and return with valuable intelligence that could further our goals.” Typhos explained. “As it is, the other four failed in their duty, not only in killing the Anathema, but also in making the Cult look bad in the eyes of the Empire. We now have to worry about the Exalts directly interfering. Especially with how you sent several Inquisitors after convincing the Emperor. Something that we decided it wasn’t time to do yet.”
Erkan couldn’t help but wince. After the Inquisitors had gotten out of Harkem and had been able to report to him directly, he realized that he fucked up when he was informed about the limits of the contract the Exalts were under. Limits that the Emperor either wasn’t aware of or didn’t care about when Erkan had made his suggestion.
Erkan honestly thought it was a stupid situation. Those that are under contract should be beholden to the contract holders in all ways. The fact that the Exalts were willing to submit to a man who was weaker than them just showed that they didn’t deserve their power and should know their place as servants. But apparently, the previous Emperors didn’t have the intelligence that Erkan was convinced he had. Else they never would’ve allowed the Exalts to have any freedom.
“I’ll admit my oversight on that. I didn’t think the founders of this Empire could have possibly been so stupid as to grant such freedoms to those that weren’t of noble descent.” Erkan stated. The other Lights rolled their eyes behind their veils at Erkan’s obvious classism. Ever since he ceased to be the newest member, he had become much more vocal about his personal beliefs.
Something that pissed Amelia off to no end. To which Erkan reciprocated, as he believed that, as the newest Light of Radiance, she was his junior and needed to listen to him. Needless to say, the friction between Erkan and Amelia had long since surpassed the friction between Marco and Lana.
“You forget yourself, Erkan. Our responsibilities are to the Cult, first and foremost. Not to your worthless nobility. The Exalts have long since earned their power and position.” Amelia said. “The fact that Exalt Harras, the one who metaphorically bloodied your nose, was not born into nobility, is to be commended, as it proves his capability. The only shame here is that, due to your actions, it will be impossible to turn him to our side. No offense, Peri.”
The Violet Light to the side just nodded her head. Unlike the other Lights, who had fairly distinct body shapes, this light was even more covered up than the others, even behind the Light Veil, so it was impossible to tell their features. Only their name was known to the Lights. With only the Speaker knowing their true identity and position.
“None taken. Were it possible to turn Exalt Harras to our side, then I would gladly step down from my position as Violet Light of Radiance.” Peri said to their peers. “But I believe that we have other things that we need to address, do we not?”
Erkan moved to say something else, but a wave of the Speaker’s hand silenced him. The figure that was clad in Golden Light looked at his fellows.
“Indeed. We need to figure out what steps we take next regarding Harkem. Personally, I believe that it is best that we wash our hands of the city and attempt to get at the Anathema through lawful means via the Emperor.” The Speaker said. “However, it seems that the sentiments we have sown in the city have been making such a process difficult.”
Erkan winced as he once more became the center of attention, in a way that he didn’t like.
“Given the Inquisition’s most recent failings, the Emperor has become somewhat displeased with me. Getting him to make moves against the Anathema, directly, will be nigh impossible at this point.” Erkan said. “That doesn’t mean that I can’t make something work. But it just won’t be from the Emperor’s house, that’s all.”
“If you can make moves against him then do so, but do not have it tied to us. We’ve already failed to keep our interference a secret. Best not to make it more blatant that we’re influencing the Empire.” The Speaker stated. “Do we have any news about his family? I thought that it was decided that we would be leaving them alone. Warren Luminance is not so powerful that he cannot be turned to our side just yet, after all.”
“... About that... It seems that those were the actions of some of our spies that weren’t able to get out of Harken when the forces in the city were locked in. That, or they had decided to stay and fight, but when presented with the opportunity to act against the Anathema, they couldn’t help themselves.” Typhos said as he reviewed some reports regarding what the Inquisitors and Yarrik had reported regarding events prior to them leaving Harkem.
“Had they succeeded then that would’ve been a good thing. But since they failed, it seems like Exalt Harras is going on a rampage. Ripping out apparent traitors root and stem.” Lana said as she also went over the reports they had received. “Perhaps we should provide a statement to the Emperor. I hate to say it, but we could easily claim ignorance of these people's actions, as we truly didn’t know about them. They aren’t official Followers, after all.”
As much as it irked the other Lights, Lana’s words made some sense. Washing their hands of these so-called traitors, in a public way at that, would do well in recovering some of their reputation in the eyes of the world. At least among the common folk. The Church and most factions outside the Empire and Tarquessa wouldn’t care. But it would reopen channels with the nobility.
“... Find a throw away spokesperson for the job and make it happen. Though the Light must always shine true and proud, that doesn’t mean we can’t take a step back to make a leap forward.” The Speaker said. “Anything else of note within the Empire before we move on to the other World Factions?”
Typhos pulled out another folder. This one compiled by several of his personal forces.
“I do have something, but it is less relevant for the Empire, and more so for Lana. It has to do with the work I was doing with the Kindled and Shroud families.” Typhos said. Lana leaned in, eagerly awaiting the news that would hopefully help her deal with some of the issues she was having with drawing in the two families.
“To be specific, I finally have a lead on who the two families are looking for. It’s both a good thing and a bad thing. But regardless, it’s going to make things more complicated for us.” Typhos said, now inflating the interest of the other Lights.
As he revealed the information that he received reading the Kindled and Shroud families’ targets, the Lights couldn’t help but feel their frustrations mount. Typhos was, unfortunately, correct, with his previous statement. Their identities did, indeed, make things more difficult for them.
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Far to the North of Harkem, within a large castle-like structure, composed of organic looking material, the Broodlord of the Winged Cruor looked upon a large fleshy sack that hung from the ceiling. Within it were two figures, one human, one avian, with tendrils connecting them together.
Ichor flowed through the sack and into the countless pods that lined the room. The figures within these other pods once held humanoid forms within them. But now the silhouettes appeared much more bird-like in appearance.
“Soon, my son. Soon you will be able to join me as we take the Empire over for ourselves.” The Broodlord muttered as he caressed the sack of semi translucent meat in front of him.
“My lord...” A voice called out from behind the Broodlord.
“What!” The Broodlord exclaimed as he turned around. “I said that I was not to be disturbed for any reason until after the Ichorous Spines had fully grown.”
The Legendary Cruor that had entered the room knelt in subservience as the weight of his Lord’s presence pushed down on him. Sweat dripped to the floor as his heart hammered in his chest. His wings drooped lower as he knew that, if his words were not sufficient enough to please his lord, he would certainly perish right here and now.
“Word from the border has reported that one of the outer Spines has come into contact with Hunters from Harkem. It appears that they have discovered the Spine’s growth, and may potentially disrupt it if left alone. We seek your permission to allocate additional forces to ensure that it grows without hindrances.” The Cruor stated, his head remaining bowed.
The Broodlord paused as he reached his hand out. Originally intending to take the Cruor’s head without a second thought. But he felt something coming from the Cruor in front of him. Something that he sensed across the mental bond that he had with all the Cruor of his given Brood.
“... You wish to go yourself, don’t you. Why?” The Broodlord asked.
“... A feeling. One I haven’t felt in nearly five years. From when I was still living in the Archipelago.” The Cruor said, raising his head to look at his lord. “One that was given to me by the Brood. It is the reason I am still alive to this day.”
It was Azrak, the Winged Peerage member from Morncrest. The one that had escaped at the cost of his friend’s life when the Forest Spirit had attacked their headquarters on the island.
The Broodlord took a moment to think about it. He knew full well the circumstances of Azrak’s placement in his council. Not only had the man been forced to flee his home of several decades, but his closest friend, and fellow Peerage member of another Brood, had perished so that he might escape. Azrak had flown directly into the Winged Cruor’s Continental territory. Reporting his findings and the source of the attack on the Morncrest island headquarters.
A Void Mage, apparently ‘THE’ Void Mage, who had opened Void Meditation and mana gathering to the world, had been the reason the island had suffered such a devastating attack.
A part of the Broodlord lamented the fact that the Void Mage, whose name he found was Ezekiel, after searching the memories of the Void Mages they had captured, had not been born even five years sooner. Maybe then he wouldn’t have had to flee the Empire, leaving his son and wife behind.
Apparently, the boy was also the reason for the mess with the Temple of the Void Ruins that the Broodlord of the Fanged Cruor had looked into. The mess that had been made in the man’s territory had been difficult for him to deal with. It was actually only thanks to the Winged Cruor’s help that the Fanged Cruor were finally settling down. That, and the war that had provided fresh blood to feed their Broods.
“You believe that the Void Child is there?” The Broodlord asked. “I do not think you will be able to turn him. Even capturing him will be difficult. That’s if you even have enough time to get there before they leave, and retreat back to Harkem.”
“I understand. But I feel this is something I must do.” Azrak said.
“Do not let your feelings conflict with those of the Brood.” The Winged Broodlord said.
Azrak did not reply, but he couldn’t help but glance at the large flesh sack behind the Broodlord. It was well known that only Void Mages could successfully be turned into Cruor without complications. Usually in the form of becoming mindless abominations. But the Broodlord didn’t care. He wanted to be with his human son. So, the Winged Brood had allowed him to try and turn his son.
Every Peerage member and Broodlord alive knew that it was a wasteful and fruitless endeavor but did not interfere. They figured that it was best for the new lord to make his own mistakes.
Unfortunately, the Broodlord was easily able to see Azrak’s eyes. But rather than getting mad, like he usually would, he just sighed. He had no desire to be a hypocrite in such a situation. Besides, he had also felt a nudge from his Brood when Azrak had spoken of his feeling.
“Go. Take no more than a single Legendary Cruor with you. They may not be a Peerage member. Other than that, you will use the forces stationed at the Spine to perform whatever deeds you intend to pursue.” The Broodlord said.
Azrak nodded his head in thanks and understanding before standing up and striding out of the room. He knew that he needed to be careful on this mission, but he couldn’t help but feel somewhat giddy. If things worked out properly, then his revenge would be swift and sweet.