Far from the Spirit Haven, within the untamed wilderness of the Fjorya Mountains, a gathering of Hunters and Mages was occurring. Each one wearing a cloak with the familiar symbol of a golden man on a white sash. The Cult of Light was moving their forces.
Mixed in, however, was a group of Hunters wearing the symbols of the Kindled family. All of whom were separated and keeping to themselves, rather than mingle with the cultists that currently outnumbered them.
However, regardless of the mixed emotions of these two groups, every one of them was focusing on the smokestack rising into the sky not far away.
A flash of light, and Norton appeared next to the apparent leader of the Cult. One of the three Legendary Radiant Hunters in the assembled group.
“Do you feel it as well?” Norton didn’t bother greeting the cultist as he spoke.
“The ripple in my mind as it tries to look away, only to be drawn back? Yes. I feel it. Though I’m surprised that you can as well. What with the pressure you are no doubt under.” The cultist chuckled, the joke going over the heads of the others who might’ve heard.
Norton grimaced, and his hands shook, as if he was in pain.
“I will not submit to this. My power is my own. Not your master’s.” Norton glared at the cultist. “However, we have more pressing concerns. The smoke is nearly fading. It will not be there for much longer. We need to find a way to mark the origin before the natural formation that is protecting whatever that was reforms.”
The cultist just smiled beneath his hood.
“You needn’t worry about that. We are not the only ones that saw that. We have at least three other groups that have marked the direction relative to their position. It will be easy to mark the point by cross referencing the different directions the smoke came from, relative to the position of the different groups.”
Norton just hummed in disinterest. He was familiar with such tactics. But he didn’t like the fact that the cultists were acting so self-assured in their victory.
From where they were right now, it wouldn’t even take an hour for the Legendary Hunters to fly over and investigate. But as they became aware of the smoke seemingly appearing from nowhere, they were also made aware of just how dangerous the situation was becoming.
“Such a massive natural formation is not something we can take lightly. It is likely a Spirit Haven. Such a thing will have more Legendary Spirits than we have Hunters.” Norton was not as confident as the cultist clearly was.
“Our new weapon will deal with their numbers easily enough. Whoever remains will be wiped out afterwards.” The cultist glanced back at a set of a dozen heavily reinforced metal carriages.
Each of the carriages had a dozen or so metal cylinders sticking out the side. Launchers for the cult's new secret weapon. The carriages themselves were quite weighty and clunky when it came to traversing the forest. But ample use of magic was used to move the deceives into position.
They had only been used a few times so far, and their existence was one of the cult's greatest secrets. It was actually argued that their use was not needed for their efforts in the Fjorya. It was only after they had lost numerous teams and had received a report from Norton after they agreed to temporarily team up, that the cult allowed such a thing.
“The fact of the matter is the cult is going to take over this mountain range. With the knowledge we liberated from the Church, the light of our lord will be spread far and wide.”
The cultist’s words made Norton snort in derisive amusement. But he immediately held his head, covering one eye, as a searing pain lanced through it. The cultist just smiled, mockingly, at Norton’s pain.
“You accepted our lord’s gift, yet you continue to refuse his embrace. I do wonder how much more pain you will be able to endure before you finally see the light. That is what your clan is so famously known for, is it not?”
Norton kept silent as he slowly walked away. Slowly lowering his hand, his eye briefly flashed gold in its entirety before returning to white with a golden iris.
“My soul is my own. This power was offered freely. Had I known that it would corrupt me like a Brood, I wouldn’t have accepted it.” Norton’s words were, fortunately for him, unheard by any of the cultists, else he would’ve been lynched on the spot.
“My lord?” Another Radiant Hutner from the Kindled clan approached Norton. She was the same Hound that lead a part of the original attacks on Warren and Evelyn. Her face scrunched up in worry. “Is the... blessing, acting up again?”
Norton simply nodded but waved off the helping hand she offered. Coiled around her neck was a snake Spirit, not unlike the cobra wrapped around Norton.
“You should never have accepted the cult’s deal. Given enough time, I’m certain we could’ve killed the traitor and his whore. Their children would follow soon after.” The other Legendary Radiant Hunter’s face changed to a snarl of fury as she thought of Ezekiel’s family.
Norton just scoffed.
“You only say this because I am suffering. Where is the cool-headed thinker that planned out and predicted the need for aid? Do not lose yourself to your feelings just because I am not long for this world. Do you understand me, Meli?”
Meli winced at the reprimand from her fellow Kindled Hound. She knew she was acting on her emotions right now, but she felt that it was warranted. If anything, she was the one that should’ve taken the so-called blessing of Radiance from the cult. But Norton had refused.
He knew that there was something the cult wasn’t telling them, and he wasn’t about to sacrifice the clan member he had personally trained just to test an unknown power up. The fact that he had such difficulty with the voices in his head meant that Meli would’ve lost her mind within hours of receiving it.
“Do we have any specifics regarding the battle plan?” Meli asked as she fell into step with her mentor. “I assume that this wouldn’t even be happening if the cult’s weapons were not powerful enough to tip the scales.”
Norton nodded in confirmation.
“Indeed. Usually, such a battle would result in our loss well before we could even reach the haven. But in this case... You saw the devastation that a single one of their ‘Barrage Carriages’ did against those rebels. If all twelve of them are used, I would be surprised if there was still a mountain left in front of us afterwards.”
Meli turned pale. Her face displayed sheer terror at the thought of such destruction. But Norton wasn’t done yet.
“It will likely keep the odds even. At least until they run out of ammunition. Then they will have to wait for a month before another batch can be made. That’s the main reason they kept the damned things secret. Takes too long to make their projectiles. Else they’d be using them whenever they could.”
Meli silently agreed with Norton’s statement. If the cult could use these weapons freely, they would’ve taken out the rebels well before this. She even figured that they would’ve started attacking the Empire from the outside by now.
“Well... I just hope that we’ll be able to finish our goal without the cult getting in our way. I don’t care what they say about the Void Mage. He is ours to deal with. Him and his family.” The thought of Ezekiel made Meli clench her fingers in anger. But it was the silence from her mentor that snapped her out of it.
Turning to look directly at Norton’s face, she saw that he was clearly frowning in thought.
“...When this is over, you will need to lead our Hounds back to the clan. We’ve already lost too many of our numbers. We cannot let this go on for much longer.” The Radiant Hunters had reached the center of the Kindled camp. His and Meli’s tents stood side-by-side. They entered Norton’s. “Something big will likely happen within a few days. That is how long it will take for the cult to move their devices to a range close enough to break the formation on the Spirit Haven. Once the battle begins, you will need to take a small group into the haven. You will need to be hidden.”
Meli grimaced at the thought of hiding herself and infiltrating the Spirit Haven. Usually, only the weaker Radiant Hounds of the Kindled family used such tactics. Those at the Legendary Tier were considered above such deceptions as using light to conceal themselves.
Not that such a thing had ever actually stopped any of them before.
“I understand... What will you be doing?”
“I will be working with the cultists. Though I hate it, I can no longer defy their direct orders. Right now, their leader has... an authority over me that I cannot deny. Which is why after this battle, you will leave me behind, no matter the outcome.”
Norton sighed, sitting down in a chair in his tent. No longer was he the proud and authoritative leader of the Kindled Hounds. Now, he was just a tired man who knew he was going to die.
He had thought he’d be able to fight off whatever side-effects the blessing from the cult might’ve had. But it was clear that he was mistaken.
At this point, he believed that not even a Mythical Being would be able to fight off the blessing from the cult’s lord. It’s presence was just that powerful.
But no one else would ever know this, as the knowledge had been sealed in his mind the moment he was blessed. He couldn’t give any more warnings than the ones he already had. Even then, the pain he felt when he gave them was almost enough to knock him out.
“My lord... I heard rumors... about the Void Mage.” Meli seemed to curl in on herself, almost as if she wasn’t sure if she should be saying this. Norton turned away as his eyes began to glow. “Some of the cultists have mentioned that, if his powers are returning, he might be able to remove the blessing. Apparently, he has done this befo-”
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Meli was unable to finish her sentence. As she spoke, Norton’s face twisted into a beastly snarl. His Spirit constricted around his body, as if to hold him back. But Norton whirled around before the Spirit could seal his arms. The Legendary Hunter’s hand wrapped around Meli’s throat.
“Do not speak of the Anathema in front of me!” Norton’s voice was a grave whisper. His face was flush with anger, and his eyes were pure golden orbs. No humanity could be seen within them.
Melid just whimpered and choked as she lost her breath. She clawed the hand around her neck. Not capable of thinking straight, she failed to cast any spells that might free her.
Fortunately, her Spirit, who was also partially grasped due to her position around Meli’s neck, was able to bite down on Norton’s hand, and inject a Radiant venom into it.
The possessed man reeled back, and his Spirit finished constricting him. He struggled violently, but the snake Spirit would not let go.
At the same time, Meli fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
Both Kindled family Hounds took several seconds of struggling before they recovered. Meli stood up once more, just as Norton’s eyes returned to their normal, natural, golden color. His Spirit finally let him go after he stopped struggling in the Spirit’s grip.
Norton frowned and looked down at his hands. Turning back to Meli, he held his hands behind his back as he addressed her.
“That’s not an option, unfortunately.” He flinched and his Spirit tightened up for a brief moment. “I have no doubt in my mind that the blessing in me will explode and kill me, well before the Anathema can even get close...”
Norton trailed off, as if he just realized something.
“I can’t even address that Anathema as anything else anymore...”
The current leader of the Kindled Hounds sounded lost and confused as he spoke. The knowledge that his mind was becoming less and less his own seemed to be breaking his heart.
“I cannot tell you to let him live. That is beyond me now.” Norton looked directly at Meli as he spoke. His face set into a stern and emotionless mask. “But I can tell you this; you will decide what to do with the Anathema. The cult has their own forces that will move in. But you do not answer to them.”
Meli could tell that these words were putting a strain on Norton, so she simply nodded. Showing that she understood what he was trying to tell her.
“Good. Now go. We will both need our rest for what is to come.”
The weaker Legendary saluted at her mentor’s dismissal before leaving the tent.
A small tear streaked down her face as she let the flap close behind her.
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Far away from the Spirit Haven, at a peak that was usually guarded by Legendary birds, two elderly men were huddled within a large sitting area within a reinforced building.
Elders Rosen and Welt did their best to ignore the utter chaos that was happening outside. A low standing table was placed between them. Cups of tea and other snacks were laid out as the two played a board game.
A loud ‘snap’ echoed through the room, and wind rushed inside a newly opened crack, nearly dousing the sconces on the walls. Welt waved his hand, and the wood regrew. The crack closed, and the walls and supports of the building shifted as they were subtly reinforced even further.
“Thank you.” Rosen lifted his tea sip. “I must say, you are acting far more calmly than I thought you would be. Given the current situation.”
“Hmmm,” Welt just hummed in disinterest before moving a game piece, “I am not the grand elder of the Feathered Peaks. As such, I have no need to worry about things right now.”
Rosen glared at Welt’s move. His side of the board was now in danger. But he eventually sighed and toppled his key piece.
“The village is secured, and tunnels formed as a temporary means of moving about without going outside. My job is done, at least for now.” Rosen leaned back in his chair. “For now, I will enjoy the relative calm while it lasts. For while the world outside is in strife, the world in here is at peace.”
Welt just scoffed at Rosen’s seemingly blase attitude. The man was well aware that the, relatively, younger grand elder was currently screaming internally over their current situation.
They were fortunate enough to have always made sure to have ample supplies should hunting and harvest ever be poor. So, it wasn’t like they weren’t going to survive this mess. But it did mean that they would be unable to leave the mountain in any sort of efficient manner.
This meant that they were unable to provide any aid to the forces acting against the cult.
The Fjorya tribes weren’t exactly allied with the newly formed rebel faction from Tarquessa, but given the actions of the cult against the Spirits, it was impossible for the tribes to stay out of things.
“Have the other guardians returned at all?” Welt asked as he took a sip of his own tea.
“No, but given the sheer might of this storm, it makes sense that not even they would be able to fly back here safely.”
“A shame. It seems like we are truly cut off from the outside world then. Do we have any idea how long this storm will last?”
“That depends; do you have any idea what it’s like to break through to the Mythic Tier?”
The two old men fell into silence. They took a minute to simply ponder over the situation.
Everyone had been in awe at the sheer power that Invera displayed when she had first come back from the Spirit Haven. It was more immense than anything the tribesmen of Feather Peaks had ever felt. Far greater than her already Peak Tier four power.
But the joy at knowing their guardian was going to grow stronger once more was short-lived, as Invera hid herself up at the top of the tallest Feathered Peak. A massive storm grew not long after. One that spread far and wide, taking in energy from the skies and extending well beyond what the Feathered Peaks could see.
“... Did you manage to get the supplies prepared?” Rosen’s tone had shifted to a much graver tone as he narrowed his eyes at Welt.
“I did. Once the storm lets up, you may wage your war as needed. Though, I hope that you understand that you and I will not be partaking.” Welt raised an eyebrow at his old frenemy.
“Obviously. I don’t like it, but I am confident in the ones that will go. My children are already leading small teams in practice within the caves. They will defer to the guardians when it is time.”
“Then let us hope that the Spirits can hold out for as long as possible.”
They fell back into silence, simply playing their games once more. Waiting until the storm passed.
SLAM
“Father! Friend Talon is here. He has news you need to be made aware of!”
A wooden panel on the ground flew open as Rosen’s daughter, Rena, threw it open.
The two elders turned their focus onto the new arrival. Both of them wondered how in the world Talon had gotten here through the storm. Let alone why he would brave it as he had.
The two entered the tunnel, ready to go meet with their tribe’s ally. Utterly unprepared for the news that they were about to receive.
At the end of it, they knew that new plans would need to be made.
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Hidden within their respective personal chambers, the Lights of Radiance were meeting once more. This time, their figures displayed a much grimmer and more worried demeanor than the last few times they had met. Hunched shoulders, and silence welcomed them all.
“I am assuming that the report is accurate, and not merely the hearsay of a declining clan.” The Speaker addressed his fellow Lights.
“Yes, Speaker. While it was difficult to convince the Hound, Norton, to receive the Lord’s blessing, once he did it was simple to confirm.” Amelia confirmed for her peers.
“How can that be? Each of us has been taught the dangers of broken Spirit Pathways. It shouldn’t be possible for them to be repaired as they apparently have been for the Anathema!” The figure that was clad in green light nearly through their hands in the air in outrage.
As a Life Mage, they had been educated in all matters of repairing and recovering from the numerous injuries that were acquired when fighting the Cruor. The fact that Ezekiel had, apparently, recovered, even partially, from as life-threatening an injury as shattered Spirit Paths was the same as saying that everything that they knew about Spirit Paths was wrong.
“The ways of the Void are well known to be strange and unnatural. It is clear that the Anathema has truly forsaken his humanity for power. Just like the Broodlords had done so in the past.” Erkan sneered at the thought but didn’t seem too surprised.
He had a particular hatred for Ezekiel. Given the number of plans that had been foiled in the Empire thanks to the young Void Mage, this was to be expected.
“I am assuming that we are taking steps to ensure that the Anathema does not survive this time, correct?”
Amelia nodded. “Yes. Given the problems that the rebels have been causing as well, I decided to grant the away teams permission to use the cannons.”
The other Lights straightened up at this news.
“You were not given leave to do so. The new weapons developed from the Church’s secret knowledge are under the entirety of this council’s control.” Peri, the Violet Light declared. “To do so is to overstep your bounds by quite a bit.”
“Are you saying that a recovered, Legendary, Void Hunter, and the rebels who nearly wiped out all our forces in the Fjorya, are not reason enough to dispatch our newest weapon?” Amelia was unrepentant regarding her actions.
She knew full well that she was right in her decision, and the fact that she had simply been lightly reprimanded just now was proof of that.
Had she truly done wrong, the Speaker would’ve yelled at her instead.
“Though you should’ve gotten majority approval, the short time to respond meant that you were unable to before our forces had to move out. I am assuming you sent an adequate number?” The Speaker seemed to hold a neutral opinion regarding the situation.
“I sent all of the original ones that were first developed. As well as the remaining ammunition.” Amelia’s reply was met with a much louder outburst than before.
“That will risk nearly six months of work! You risk losing our hold on the major cities of Tarquessa with this decision!” Peri screamed this time as she stood from her seat. Her silhouette became taller as she looked down on Amelia’s position.
“They took shelter in Spirit Haven! Even if half our Tarquessa forces took action all at once, there is no guarantee they would break the natural formation that protects it!”
“So, you would have our newest weapon fall into enemy hands after being used up, is that it!? Even if all the ammunition currently made was used, all that would happen would be a crack opening up for you to invade! You would then be faced against dozens of Legendary Spirits, at the least! More than a Hundred if the whole of the Fjorya decided to team up against you!”
“That is why they need all the ammunition! Only then do they stand a chance!”
“What chance do they have when you couldn’t even fight off a group of measly rebels!”
“A chance granted by the blessing now attached to that Kindled Hound! As well as the fact that the cannons are rigged to explode should the team leaders determine that they are losing. They will be sure to take out as many Legendary Wild Spirits as possible.”
Amelia’s final response brought Peri up short. The blessing of the Radiant Lord had the potential to forcibly boost any Mage or Hunter to the next Tier. For Norton Kindled, that would mean that he would temporarily have the force of a Mythical Being.
This would also allow the Radiant Lord to inhabit his body directly, though only for an instant before he died. This was truly a game-changing weapon.
Having the cannons rigged to explode was just the icing on the cake at that point. Something that would allow the cult to pull their forces back and wipe out the Wild Spirits that dared to act against humanity as they charged through the area.
“... Perhaps your actions were not as thoughtless as I believed. But if this blows up in our faces, I hope you know that you will need to be able to take responsibility for it.” Peri declared.
“That is not for you to decide,” the Speaker interjected, “but I will admit that your words are true. Amelia! If this ends poorly, you will need to begin taking action directly once more. The forces in Tarquessa need to be fully subjugated by the end of the next year. Get it done.”
Amelia nodded once more, and her figure seemed to fade a little bit. She was still attending the meeting, but it was clear she was already taking note and working on distribution of the cult’s forces to consolidate their power if anything went wrong in the Fjorya.
“Alert your men to focus on the Anathema once they break into the haven. Send a special team to deal with it while the rest fight off the Spirits.”
Amelia didn’t reply to them this time, and simply waved to indicate she heard.
“Moving on, do we know anything about the massive storm that is currently covering the Fjorya? Any word from the tubes that we’ve infiltrated?”
The Speaker’s question was met with silence for several seconds.
“I’m sorry, Speaker, but given the current chaos going on in the mountains, most of our infiltrators are dead. We’ve gotten no news regarding the storm.”
This time it was Erkan who answered.
“Then we will need to put that matter on hold for now. Are there any other items that need to be addressed before the general meeting begins?”
Lana raised her hand.
“I have managed to finally get an in with one of the Kindled clan elders. Should things go well, a deal will be made within the coming weeks, and the family will be within our hands within a couple more years. Though we will need to be careful not to antagonize them any more after this business in the mountains. I doubt they will like the fact that we have forcibly converted one of their Legendaries.”
“Then we shouldn’t allow the other Hounds to escape to report directly to the Kindled family. We’ll argue that the Anathema and its parent’s did the deed.” The Speaker replied.
Amelia nodded in agreement and made a note to message her forces.
From there, the Lights of Radiance continued with their meeting. Discussing the forces and plots that were underway elsewhere in the world.