The rest of the trip passed without issue, as Invera decided to take a more active hand in clearing the road to Tollren. This allowed the caravan to move at their top speed and cut several days off their travel time.
During this time, Ezekiel learned a lot from Invera regarding the Spirit Enchanting method that she had shown him. Much to his regret, Ezekiel found himself having a hard time getting the hang of it.
Though there were still a few instances where he succeeded. He just needed to slow down and take a few steps back. If only to figure out what his mistakes were.
“Slowly,” Invera’s voice was soft and gentle as she directed Ezekiel as he attempted to infuse his ‘Understanding’ of ‘Nothingness’ into the rock he held between his hands. “Your own mana is not enough, so you must allow Shine’s mana to use your body as a conduit. Shift it slowly into your own and merge your ‘Will’ throughout its form as thoroughly as you can.”
Shine kept a regular and consistent channel of mana to keep Ezekiel’s reserves as full as possible. Ezekiel’s mismatched Pathways made the flow much more convoluted than it should’ve been. But he was slowly making it work.
A stray thought passed through Ezekiel’s mind. A sense of impatience and desire for this to be done passed through his ‘Will’ and tainted his ‘Understanding’. A stutter occurred in the flow of mana from his hands. The amount that he pushed into the rock jumped to nearly double the previous amount in half a second.
‘Shit!” Ezekiel’s outburst was followed by him cutting the flow on mana entirely as the rock was filled with opalescent cracks. He threw himself backward as fast as he could. Unable to actually touch and throw away the rock else it exploded in his hand.
The mana within turned into a chaotic storm that ripped the rock apart at the deepest level.
A flash of Lightning cracked through the clearing, and a violet shield of mana formed between himself and the rock. The next moment filled the area of light, and Ezekiel felt a ringing in his ears as the rock disappeared in a flash of light.
Invera’s shield held strong, however, and other than the noise, the actual explosion wasn’t that bad. Though, Ezekiel knew that his parents would certainly reprimand him later.
Ezekiel could still remember the first time he had caused a rock to explode as his ‘Understanding’ ripped it apart with his mana. The noise at that time was much worse, as was the explosion.
Seeing his parents appear in the clearing within seconds of the explosion occurring was somewhat entertaining. But the frowns on their faces, and the pain in his ear as his mother grabbed and twisted it was less so.
It wasn’t all bad. Invera had been watching him closely and had been able to tell him exactly what he had done wrong.
He had tried to use far too much mana in that attempt, and the clearing had a brand-new crater.
No debris, however, as he had discovered that his ‘Understanding’ of ‘Nothingness’ seemed to try and remove something from existence. But doing so was like trying to tell the world itself to do something. Which resulted in the explosive backlash he was currently experiencing.
Explosive, in that there was a shockwave that spread outward, but the object itself had disappeared alongside the mana Ezekiel channeled into it.
“Perhaps we should move to something even smaller. You still use too much mana when you try to infuse your ‘Understanding’.” Invera alighted from her perch on a small boulder and landed on Ezekiel’s shoulder. Her shield faded away a second later. “That, or you should take my advice, and try one of your other ‘Understandings’. This one is incredibly complex. Even if it is the first one you comprehended.”
One of the things that Invera had advised was to use a different ‘Understanding’, but Ezekiel still felt that this was the best one for him to master first. The sheer utility in being able to disperse someone’s mana was simply too useful for him to give up.
If he could infuse a set of armor with his ‘Nothingness’ he would be able to tank basically any spell he wanted. So long as it was at or below his own Step in Tier four.
“I will consider it.” Ezekiel muttered as he looked over the space where the rock had once been.
While there wasn’t a hole like the first big mistake, there was still a change in the atmosphere.
The amount of mana in the area had dispersed, but something strange was happening. The mana that moved to fill up the space where his Void had just been was now greater than before. Not by too much, but enough that Ezekiel was able to notice it.
It was something that Invera had pointed out before. Somehow, when the rocks he had destroyed disappeared, it was as if their mass had been converted into mana.
This was something that he, Shine, and Invera, had all decided needed to be kept a secret.
“Well, regardless, we won’t be able to make any more attempts for the next few days. We arrive at Tollren tomorrow, don’t we?” Invera asked.
Ezekiel knew she was just making conversation. He knew full well that she had scouted out the geographical region they were in. So, it was impossible for her to not know exactly how far out they were.
“More or less.” Ezekiel started heading back to where the caravan had set up camp. “Though we won’t be there for too long. Just to check in, get supplies, and rest up for the night. If all goes well, we’ll be back at the mountain within a day or two.”
Invera nodded her head in agreement. It had been decided that, once they were done in Tollren, ideally within a day, Ezekiel, his family, and Riley, would all leave the city, and Invera would fly them all back to the Fjorya. Specifically, to the Feathered Peaks.
“It’ll be interesting to see if things go as well as we hope.” Invera dug her talons into Ezekiel’s shoulder in anticipation. She was well aware of how badly things could go tomorrow.
Ezekiel stayed silent this time. There was no sinking feeling in his gut at the moment. But he knew better than to tempt fate by allowing himself to relax.
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It was just after midday when the caravan arrived at Tollren. They ended up spending some time waiting to enter the city as well. For some reason, there were several different groups heading into the city from the surrounding villages.
The final steps regarding the Luminance family’s plan were also falling into place.
“You know what you need to do?” Warren was going over the plan with Ezekiel once more. He was once more dressed in somewhat formal clothes for the meeting he would be having with the Morse family. Though, Ezekiel noted a larger than normal Void Pouch on his hip.
The Radiant Hunter had just finished getting the rest of the Caravan through the gates. Each of the guards were overjoyed to be home. Though there was a somewhat somber mood due to the deaths that had occurred.
It was fortunate that both the Morse and Alkena families were well known for their benevolence. So, it wasn’t like their deceased allies would be leaving them behind without any compensation for those they had left behind.
But that was for Ezekiel’s parents to deal with. He had other priorities.
“Yes. I’ll get the supplies and tie up any loose ends before returning to the Alkena estate. From there, we’ll stay until later tonight, when mother will get us out of here.” Ezekiel casually looked around, acting as if he was happy to be home. When, in reality, he was carefully examining the area for any spies and Spirits that might be watching them.
He and his father had set up some basic defenses against being overheard, but they couldn’t be too careful. They had been attacked in Tollren before, after all.
So far, there hadn’t been any indications that they were being watched or followed.
Riley still stood not too far away, her own presence as a Legendary Hunter concealed so as to not raise too many suspicions. She was, technically, their secret weapon, as a Hunter whose status wasn’t well known.
“Good. Is Lady Invera watching over the twins?” Warren gazed out to where Evelyn and the twins were headed toward the Alkena Estate.
“Yes. She’s currently hiding inside the purse mother has on her waist,” Ezekiel explained. “I don’t think she’s too happy about it.”
The Mythical bird had been somewhat indignant at what she had been asked to do. But not so much that she was unwilling to do it.
Even so, Ezekiel promised to do something nice for the powerful Spirit when he got the chance. It couldn’t be fun, squeezing herself into the small purse she was currently hidden in.
“We’ll do something nice for her later. For now, I’m just happy that she’s been willing to go along with our plans so far.” Warren continued to watch his family until they were out of sight. The buildings in the city now blocked his view.
There was a beat of silence for a moment before Warren walked off.
“Dad!” Ezekiel called out. “Are you going to be alright on your own? I’m sure if we waited just a bit longer, Invera could probably watch over you too.”
Ezekiel knew that they couldn’t afford to wait. But he also knew that having his father go to the Morse estate by himself was dangerous.
Invera was there to protect his mother and sisters, and Ezekiel had Riley and the public areas where the Kindled family and cult couldn’t attack without consequences, but Warren had nothing but himself to rely on.
Warren shot Ezekiel a solemn grin.
“Along with ourselves, we need to keep our allies safe. Both the Alkena family and the Morse family are under threat due to our presence.” Warren walked back and placed a hand on Ezekiel’s shoulder. “I don’t like making this choice, but if I need to pick who needs to be kept safe, it’s you, your mother and sisters, as well as the Alkena’s.”
He then shot a look over Ezekiel’s shoulder. “Your little lover too, of course.”
Ezekiel couldn’t find it in himself to feel embarrassed. He was much too worried about what was about to happen.
“You’d better be there when we leave. Otherwise, when I can, I’ll tear this world apart to find you.” Ezekiel glared at his father, who tried to reprimand him. “You’d do the same for me. Don’t deny it.”
Warren fell silent. He seemed to be fighting something internally, but he finally nodded his head.
“Take care of your mother and sisters.” With those final words, Warren turned and walked away. Falling into step with Lance Morse and his guard captain.
Ezekiel waited for a second before turning around. His Void Pouch felt heavy, filled with coins as it was. He still didn’t feel any sense of bad omens. In fact, he actually felt no warnings at all. As if everything was going to be alright.
But even so, there was a sinking worry in his chest.
“Are you alright?” Riley asked as Ezekiel approached.
“I don’t know yet.” Ezekiel knew that lying about his mood right now wouldn’t help. He also knew that they had a job to do. “Let’s get going. We can’t be the ones that hold up the plan.”
Riley nodded in agreement. The two then headed into the city. There were several things they needed to get before they returned to the Alkena estate. Time was of the essence at this point.
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The time it took for Ezekiel and Riley to gather all the supplies they had been tasked with getting wasn’t long. But Ezekiel still tried to move them along as fast as he could without causing them to stand out in the crowds.
It was only an hour or so before sunset when the duo returned to the Alkena estate. Much to their surprise, they were stopped at the gates, even after showing the badges they had been given prior to their departure.
“Please wait one moment. We need to check on something before we let you enter.” One of the guards at the side gate said. His partner looked apologetic and was one of the guards that Ezekiel recognized from prior to their departure.
“Please hurry. We’re in a bit of a rush.” Ezekiel replied as he waved Riley off. The two prepared themselves to run away if need be. Shine even began channeling their mana for a long range ‘Jump’ if need be.
Thankfully, it didn’t come to that, as a shadow formed on the wall, much to the two guards’ shock.
Stepping out from it, Evelyn appeared, but her face was far from happy.
“Here. Quickly.”
Ezekiel and Riley rushed forward and sank into the wall with Evelyn. Leaving the two guards confused, and almost panicked. They had no time to raise the alarm, however, because another pair of guards came up and calmed them down.
No explanations were given, and the guards all simultaneously decided that they were better off not knowing for the moment.
In the meantime, a small brownish-orange rat skittered beneath a pile of trash at the end of an alleyway that looked into the street next to the estate.
A buzzing sound cut through the air for half a second. A charred spot on the ground where the rat Spirit had just been suddenly appeared.
Small motes of light fading into the air.
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Stepping out of the shadows with his mother, Ezekiel and Riley nearly fell to their knees.
This time around the movement via shadows was different from the last time Ezekiel had done so. It was far rougher and felt like he was being squeezed on all sides. There was also a sensation like a thousand needles poking him all over his body. Like every part of him had fallen asleep.
He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe, and he honestly believed that he was going to die.
Then it stopped.
“What the hell was that!?” Ezekiel exclaimed as he barely managed to catch himself.
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Resting his hand on his legs, and bent over as he breathed in deeply, Ezekiel tried to catch his breath and calm his rapidly beating heart.
Beside him, Riley was doing the same, but had fallen to one knee after a few moments. Celia had fallen to the ground and begun twitching as she tried to regain control of her body.
“Sorry about that. Traveling in the shadows within things like walls and stone is difficult, but I didn’t think it would be so rough on you two.” Evelyn was looking slightly paler than usual, but other than a slight sheen of sweat on her brow, she wasn’t displaying any signs of strain.
After regaining his breath, Ezekiel took the time to look around. It appears they were in an underground bunker of some sort, with smooth walls and perfectly carved corners in the hallway leading away from the small room they were currently in.
“Where are we?” Ezekiel asked.
“The Alkena’s secret bunker. They had it made when the estate was constructed.” Evelyn explained as Ezekiel moved to help Riley to her feet. On the floor, Celia had stopped twitching and was climbing back up Riley’s leg to her shoulder. “C’mon. We need to see the twins and head out as soon as possible.”
Evelyn started running down the hall. As she did, Ezekiel realized that she wasn’t wearing her Spirit armor, and Reya was nowhere to be seen.
“What’s going on? Where’s dad, and where’s Reya?”
Evelyn flinched when Ezekiel asked about his dad but didn’t visibly react when he mentioned Reya. So at least it wasn’t the worst-case scenario in his mind.
“Back when we split up after entering Tollren, I had Reya follow your father. Just in case.” Evelyn guided them to a sealed stone doorway. “I had Invera, after all, and I wanted to be kept in the loop regarding his situation. When we arrived at the Alkena estate, Invera immediately executed several Hunters that had the Kindled family symbol on their clothes.”
Knocking on the door in a unique pattern, it glowed orange and yellow for a moment before sliding into the wall. Inside, Ellen and Wendy were seated and looked scared as they held their Spirits tightly.
Seeing Evelyn and Ezekiel, the twins got up and rushed them after they entered the room. The door slid shut behind them.
Looking around the room as Wendy jumped into his arms, while Ellen did the same to their mother, Ezekiel saw Reya resting on a small table. Missing a foreleg and half her tail.
“What happened?!” Now Ezekiel was starting to worry. A sinking feeling in his gut that had nothing to do with his ability to feel premonitions.
“It seems like the Grand Scholar back in Trimble was right. The Kindled family was indeed in talks with the Emperor. Apparently, they’ve come to an agreement. One that included posting men with the Alkena and Morse family. Awaiting our return so we could be extradited to the Morathi Alliance.” Evelyn glared at nothing as she spoke. “Specifically, extradited into the hands of the Kindled family. Your father was ambushed and taken away the moment he completed his contract with the Morse family. I felt the contract on my end be completed, just before Reya suffered extreme pain from a sneak attack.”
That explained the injuries that Reya had, but Ezekiel wondered why Invera hadn’t gone to help his father if she had dealt with things here so easily.
“Invera couldn’t kill all the Kindled instantly. Just the few that were in the open. Once they found their lower ranking Hounds dead, they fled, and the Alkena family hid us in their bunker while they played as the victims of an attack. Going with one of the Guilds that had come to check on the commotion.” Evelyn explained. “It also seems like Shari was essentially held hostage with the Morse family. To keep the Alkena’s in line. For now, Invera’s intervention is going to be considered an outside force that acted against the Alkena family. She’s currently cleaning up outside, and we’ll be getting away as soon as possible.”
“What about dad?” Ezekiel knew that they would have to leave before he could say goodbye to Shari and her parents, but he hoped that they’d still have time to save his dad.
However, Evelyn just shook her head when Ezekiel asked about Warren. His heart dropped into his stomach at the realization that there was nothing they could do.
“The Legendaries they had on hand had flying Hunters. They had also contracted with a couple of Guilds to get support from additional Legendaries.” Evelyn looked to the floor and held Ellen tighter. Tears streaked down both their faces, and Ezekiel realized there were tears running down his own and Wendy’s as well. “Invera moved to check on him, but by the time she had cleared up most of the Alkena estate, Reya had already reported to me through our bond, and was on her way back. Warren was being carried in chains out of the city.”
Ezekiel fell silent. He simply held Wendy tightly as he tried to keep calm. He was doing his best to restrain himself from running off and striking against the Morse family.
Logically, he knew that it wasn’t their fault, and they were victims in this like the Alkena family. Emotionally, he just knew that the Morse family had set an ambush for his father to be taken by the Kindled family.
“How did they circumvent the contracts in place to keep the Morse and Alkena families on our side?” Ezekiel was confused as to how the two families had even been able to do this. It was an obvious betrayal of the contracts promising aid to the Luminance family.
“Technically speaking, it wasn’t the Kindled family that they were giving help to. It was the Emperor, who was simply using Kindled family agents to enact his will upon one of the Noble families sworn to the Empire.” Ezekiel hated that his mother’s words made so much sense. He had used convoluted logic like that to circumvent his own contracts in the past, after all.
“The only good thing is that they won’t be killing him. His bloodline is too valuable to them as a main branch family member. They’ll likely... use him as best they can and try to make him change his mind about us.” Evelyn choked out the most likely scenario.
For Ezekiel, he just stood there as his sister cried into his chest. He couldn’t understand why this had happened. He had gotten premonitions in the past, and while it wasn’t the same feeling as his magical omens, he still had a bad feeling about entering the city.
But the lack of urgency had made him think that it was just him being overly concerned about what could go wrong, rather than what would go wrong.
Even now, he felt sick to his stomach, but nothing like his portents of danger.
A small tremor ran through the bunker. The three Legendaries looked up as the scent of ozone filled the room. Something had happened with Invera.
“That’s the signal. It’s not dark yet, but we need to go now.” Evelyn was suddenly garbed in her Spirit armor, but her left arm was uncovered. “Hold your breath. That should make things easier on you.”
Ellen, Riley, and Ezekiel all took a deep breath, and sank into the shadows. The same feeling as before overcame Ezekiel, and it lasted much longer this time, as they were clearly moving farther away.
Suddenly, he felt like he was in the middle of a large room. But Ezekiel could tell he was still inside a shadow, as there was nothing around him that he could see.
‘Keep calm. We’re inside Invera’s shadow.’ Evelyn’s voice echoed through Ezekiel’s mind. He assumed that the others were experiencing the same thing.
A heavy pressure overcame Ezekiel as he felt an increase of the g-forces pushing down on him. It seemed like Invera had taken to the skies.
He remained like that for a while. Drifting in the darkness of Invera’s shadow. It felt like hours had passed before he finally felt a pulling sensation.
The next thing he knew, he was unceremoniously pushed from a shadow, and found himself on a feathery back, high in the sky, and well above the clouds.
All around him, he saw the rest of his family and Riley appear in the same way.
“Are you all alright?” Invera’s voice flooded Ezekiel’s ears. “Apologies... I mean, was the trip too much for you?”
Ezekiel could tell that she was aware of how devastated Ezekiel and his family were at the loss of Warren. It seemed like they were still in the middle of getting away, so he would keep himself together until they landed safely once more.
“We’ll survive.” Ezekiel watched his mother hold his sisters again. There would be time for his own tears later. For now, he needed to make sure his sisters had time to cry right now.
“How far out are we from the Feathered Peaks?” Ezekiel asked.
“We should be within the territory of the peaks within an hour. I am going in a more roundabout way in case they are somehow tracking us.” Invera banked to the side, changing their direction once more.
Ezekiel risked a glance over the side and was shocked at just how high up they were. Even more so at the speed that they were traveling at. They were already at the fringes of the Fjorya. Though nowhere near the city of Trimble.
“... See if you can set us down somewhere on the south side of the Fjorya. If possible, we should see if there are any Legendary Spirits that would be willing to ferry us secretly through the mountains.” Ezekiel figured that flying through the sky was good for moving fast, but not great for being inconspicuous.
“That’s a good idea... Perhaps Charus would be willing to aid us. I shall try to get us close to his territory when we land.” Invera took a second to ponder over Ezekiel’s words but agreed that getting some additional aid wasn’t a bad idea.
Nodding his head, Ezekiel fell into silence. He allowed Shine to comfort his soul as feelings of reassurance and support flowed into him from the Void Spirit.
It didn’t make him feel any better about what had happened, but it helped a little bit.
When Riley hugged him as well, he started feeling better.
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Flying northwest, well outside the city of Tollren, crossing the Empire high above the clouds, Warren's face was set into a calm and collected gaze as he looked out into the world beyond.
Had Ezekiel seen this image, he would’ve been both impressed and furious, for his father’s face was also covered in bruises, and his body covered in cuts and burns. As well as missing an arm at the shoulder, and a leg from the knee down.
He was bound in chains alongside Theo, who was in just as rough shape as Warren.
The chains themselves were glowing with a whitish opalescent color. Any mana that was used while in contact with them was instantly dispersed.
They were a Relic from the Age of Growth, when the Ancient were still around to directly guide humanity’s development. It was a form of Void Magic that the Church hadn’t been able to replicate, and one that the various factions that acquired them would keep to themselves, rather than hand them over for study.
The ability to capture one's enemies without the risk of them breaking free was almost too much to give up. Otherwise, all they could do was kill them.
“I am surprised that you are so calm. Aren’t you worried about the whore and her spawn?” A familiar voice filled with restrained fury spoke. It was Meli, who was a part of the team that was in charge of taking Warren back to the Kindled family.
“My family is not so weak as to fall for your traps. The Kindled family is too incompetent to have succeeded in killing them. Let alone capturing them.” Warren received a kick to the stomach for his sass.
“If we could capture you then we can capture them!” Meli nearly screamed as she lost her composure. Behind her, her partner ignored what was happening as he guided his Spirit through the skies. He had been surprised at how easily Warren had fallen into their hands but was growing worried at the lack of the other team’s presence.
“Then where are they?” Warren asked in response to Meli’s enraged declaration. He was kicked once more, but this time Meli was silent.
She was scarred and still suffering from her injuries from when she had fought with Ezekiel in the Spirit Haven. Her superior, the man that had been sent to replace Norton, had been far less lenient in the face of her failures. She had been forced to move at her top speed while injured just to not be killed for her failures. Even then, she had nearly been too slow to be of any use in taking down Warren.
“Even if we fail to get them now, they will die soon enough.” Meli said after taking a minute to calm down. “The Kindled family is still the strongest Hunter family in the world.”
“Which is why you had to sell out to the Empire to get their help. How many Guilds did you pay off to receive their aid in taking me down?” Meli screamed, and nearly launched herself at Warren once more, but her Spirit grew and bound her up tightly until she calmed down.
“Though, I must say, teaming up with the Emperor will indeed cause my son some trouble.” Meli turned to look at Warren again. As did the other Hunter that was a few feet away. “After all, now he’ll have two targets for his ire. I wonder which one he’ll wipe out first.”
Meli and the other Kindled Hound just looked at Warren like he was crazy. But Meli couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine as she remembered her duel with Ezekiel.
The Void Mage had held out very well, and even though she was weakened, the power that the Void mage had shown was significantly greater than many of the Hunters she had met in the past.
For Warren, he just felt regret, but not despair. He knew that he would suffer, but he also knew that Ezekiel would come for him. Nothing would be able to stop him.
Not the Kindled family, not the Empire, not the entirety of the world itself.
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Back in Tollren, a somber atmosphere filled the Alkena estate. The walls had practically been stripped bare, and the illustrious furniture and ornamental decorations had been taken away when their home was raided. There was nothing there besides the barest necessities needed for living.
“It’s a shame... Of all the ends I imagined my family would have, I never thought that it would be by my own hands...” Allon lamented as he and Sherra sat in his now empty office. “At least we haven’t been arrested and tried as criminals.”
Sherra smiled in sorrow at seeing her husband so mournful of the state of their home. At her side, her Spirit, Feris, sat at attention, ready to act at a moment’s notice.
For the moment, they still had a large amount of coins in their savings. It wouldn’t last for long, however. Especially since they had to pay compensation to the families of the guards who had died in the Fjorya. The number was small, but the Alkena’s had always been loyal to their retainers and followers.
“It’s not the end of the world. Shari is still to be married to young Noren and will be taken care of for the rest of her life, and we’ll be able to pick ourselves up again soon enough.” Sherra pulled a bottle of wine from her Void Pouch. One of the few items she had kept alongside her armor and personal effects. “A title of nobility simply opens doors. Lacking one now won’t stop us from doing business. The Church still owes us some favors, after all. I also hear that Harkem is coming along well in its recovery.”
Allon looked thoughtful when Sherra mentioned Harkem. Returning to the border city had been something he had always intended to do. It might just be something that happened sooner than expected.
A knock at the door pulled him from his musings. He and Shera turned their attention, unsure of who would be visiting them at this time.
Opening the door, Shari entered alongside Bonnie, the little brown pig, and Noren, whose Spirit was resting on his shoulders like usual.
“Hi mom, dad. How are you both doing?” Shari asked as she approached her parents. She opened her arms for a hug, to which her mother responded with fervor.
“We are getting through it. This might be the worst state we’ve been in in a long time, but we’ll recover. Like we always do.” Allon said as he slowly approached and wrapped both his wife and daughter up in a hug. “But what brings you two here? I hope that you haven’t suffered as badly as we have?”
Noren shook his head. “Nothing like that, father-in-law.”
He and Shari weren’t married yet, but that didn’t stop them from being family at this point.
“My family hasn’t canceled the engagement either. They were none too happy about the Emperor’s impositions on our family’s affairs. Especially since it could’ve cost us greatly, had we not found a way to circumvent the contracts that were in place.” Noren explained as he held out a larger than normal Void Pouch. “We’re here to give you this, and to ask if you would be okay with us moving up the ceremony to the next week or so.”
Taking the Void Pouch from Noren, Allon investigated it, and realized that it was enough resources to bring his family out of its current situation. He looked at Noren in shock, uncertain as to where the young man had gotten such wealth.
“Don’t look at me. This was what Warren had left to me to give to you. Apparently, he had several fortuitous encounters while in the Spirit Haven.” Noren waved his hands to ward off any doubts. “I believe that Lady Evelyn also left something behind for you as well.”
Neither Allon nor Sherra were aware of such a thing, but they hadn’t been in the bunker yet either. Though it did raise the question of why they had been in such a hurry to buy supplies before leaving. He would’ve thought that, with such wealth, they could’ve bought whatever they wanted from wherever they ended up at.
The possibility that they weren’t going anywhere civilized didn’t cross Allon’s mind.
“Also, there was one other thing we wanted to talk to you about.” Shari interjected as she guided her mother to a seat once more. Though, this time, she moved over to activate the still functional privacy wards. “What are your thoughts about the following words? Emperor, incompetent, cult, and rebellion?”
Shocked at what Sahri was implying, it took a moment for Allon and Sherra to compose themselves. But as they thought about it, they soon realized that the current state of the Empire wasn’t worth their efforts to serve.
Perhaps it was time for a change in leadership.
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Night had fallen quite some time ago, and as Ezekiel and his family exited an underground tunnel, with a little tortoise leading them, they were all greeted by a starry night sky.
Ezekiel mostly recognized the area. It wasn’t too far from the huts and shelters of the Feathered Peaks tribe. The people were all wrapped up and asleep by this time, but the few guards nearby were alert enough to notice the Hunters that breached the ground in their territory.
Before they could sound the alarm, Invera grew to her normal size, calming the guards immediately, and returning the area to its quiet rest.
Celia began to lightly glow, as did Tina, granting the group enough light to more easily see as they made their way through the village.
“Come along. I will lead you to where you will rest for the night. Tomorrow, we will need to put you all to work.” Invera began hopping forward awkwardly, leading the group to a hut that Ezekiel recognized. It was significantly bigger than before. “Preparations must be made, if you intend to take your revenge.”
A sense of burning rage filled Ezekiel at the thought of revenge. But he held himself back, for now. He still needed to recover his Spirit Paths and grow stronger before revenge was a viable option for him. Speed was a priority, however, since he needed to save his father as well.
“Thank you, Invera. We greatly appreciate the help you are providing for us.” Evelyn quietly spoke as followed along. “What tasks will likely be asked of us?”
“Scouting and assassinations. The Cult of Light has performed unspeakable acts within our mountains. Their presence can no longer be allowed.” Invera’s voice took on a harsher tone at the mention of the cult. “We, and the other tribes of the Fjorya, will be working with the Church of Ten in Zime, and reclaiming it from the cult while their forces are weakened.”
The thought of attacking the cult filled Ezekiel with joy. Something that was mirrored on the faces of his mother and Riley, as they smiled alongside Ezekiel.
Ellen and Wendy just shifted nervously, unsure of what they could do in this situation.
Something that Invera noticed, as she turned and addressed the twins.
“Worry not, little ones, you will also be given the chance to grow strong enough to save your father.” Invera’s words seemed to strengthen the twins’ resolve, because both nodded vigorously.
Coming up to Elder Welt’s home, Invera let out a noise, and a familiar old man welcomed them in.
The home was much larger than before, and there were additions to the hut that weren’t there before. As well as a proper stone building nearby that had been erected somewhat recently but appeared worn down.
No words were spoken between the elderly man and the Luminance family. Ezekiel could just tell that Welt knew that they needed rest, not platitudes regarding their situation. Instead, he just gave them some warm milk and food, before helping them settle for the night.
The group were directed to the same room, where there were enough beds for each of them. But it seemed like they wouldn’t all be needed, as Ellen and Wendy both climbed into bed with Evelyn.
Crawling into a bed himself, and feeling Riley climb in with him once more, Ezekiel fell asleep in an instant. Feelings of rage and a desire for vengeance filled him, even more than when he had been exiled nearly a decade ago.
Neither the Empire, nor the Kindled family, would be spared from his coming wrath. The number of enemies that Ezekiel had to destroy had increased.
But soon enough, that number would be cut down.