There was a relative quiet as Riley gazed out from beneath the shadow of a large, snow-covered, tree. It was currently midday, with clear skies above, but dark clouds in the distance.
She was dressed in specially made camouflage equipment that hid her from those that were searching for her. Utterly motionless as she hid, Riley mentally said thanks once more for the Artifacts that were aiding her.
Fitted around her neck was a small pendant. It was infused with an ‘Understanding’ of Obscurity from Feynari that provided additional stealth as the crunch on boots in the snow drifted through the area.
Riley sank deeper into the shadows she was hidden in. A snowdrift slowly piled up around her.
Celia was bundled up beneath Riley’s coat. Riley was using her developing ‘Understanding’ of heat to cover themselves in a dome of cold while Celia kept them warm.
A team of cultists was making their way through the Fjorya. They were supported by a group from one of the Guild in Tarquessa. Over a dozen Hunters filled the group, with half again as many Mages.
“Any signs?” the Legendary from the cult called out to one of the Guild Hunters.
“None. It’s like she disappeared,” the other Legendary of the group replied. “At this rate, I don’t think it’ll be possible to find her before it starts to snow. At which point, most of our Adepts and Apprentices will be at risk of falling to the elements before we make it back to camp.”
“What camp?! That traitorous bitch burned our camp down! Not even the stone supports were spared. Only melted rock and rubble remains.” The cult leader spat to the side as he expressed his frustration.
Riley couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face at the reminder of what she had done.
The Feathered Peaks tribe had begun supporting the rebels that had fled Tarquessa. Once Riley and the Luminance family had taken the time to settle in with the tribe, she had eagerly joined the Hunting teams in taking down cult forces.
There were issues when it was discovered that the cult was outsourcing to the Guilds. Their official status being that of a legal entity, since no one in Tarquessa could contest such a thing anymore.
News had spread that it had gotten so bad that the Church of Ten had been forced to consolidate their forces entirely on the east coast of the desert.
Though, word had been passed on that one last middle finger had been given to the cult. When the Church detonated all the captured cathedrals and temples in the cult’s control.
It had been an unpleasant revelation when the rest of the world had discovered that the Church of Ten was capable of such a thing. But it had been overshadowed by the fact that the cult had developed weapons that matched the Mana Cannons of the Church.
Ones that weren’t covered by the various treaties that prevented such weapons from being used against fellow human factions. An issue that was swiftly dealt with, less than a month after their existence had been revealed with the early fall of the Fjorya’s Spirit Haven.
“It has been several months since the traitors and Anathema were last seen in the Fjorya. Are you even certain that they are still here? Perhaps the girl broke off while the rest moved on.”
Riley noted the Guild leader’s use of the word ‘Anathema’ as it was a distinct term that only the Cult of Light, and their sympathizers, bothered to use.
The cult leader’s face turned red. “You dare question the word of our Lord!? We have been informed that they are still in the Fjorya, and the fact that the Traitor Flame is here is only proof of such!”
Traitor Flame.
Riley felt a fuzzy feeling bloom in her chest at the title the cult had given her. It meant that she was officially on their list of priority targets. Something she took as a sign of pride, as it indicated her status as a threat to the cult itself.
The Guild leader looked stunned. Not expecting such an outburst.
“Apologies... I wish to destroy the Anathema as well, but at least for right now, we waste resources looking for a ghost. Laying a trap would be more efficient at this point.” The Guild leader bowed his head in difference to the cult leader.
The fact that a Legendary at a high-Step was bowing to a low-Step told Riley that the man was likely new to his ties to the cult. But the glint in his eyes told her that he was still reluctant to do this, so he wasn’t fully indoctrinated.
The cult leader sighed. “Perhaps you are right. The Traitor Flame will be dealt with soon enough.”
With those words, the group turned around and left the area. But Riley knew better than to exit her hidey-hole right away. She still didn’t move, even an hour later, when the snowstorm finally blew in.
Her vision was filled with white as she and Celia forced themselves to maintain a stable temperature, all while hiding it under a dome of cold air so as to remain hidden.
It wasn’t until the sky turned dark, and her vision was truly obscured, that she finally began to move. She didn’t even think about bringing out a visible flame, else she risked being seen by other patrols belonging to the cult.
Stepping out and onto the snow, she nearly stumbled in the ill-fitting boots she wore. But they were a necessary inconvenience, as they were enchanted, traditionally, with Runes and such, to allow her to walk across the multiple layers of snow without crunching down on it.
With her pure white cloak, and the help from her pendant, Riley moved swiftly through the pitch-black forest. Few, if any, animals or Spirits were out and about at the moment.
The conflict between the Fjorya tribes, and Tarquessa rebels, against the Cult of Light and their supportive Guild had driven most of the wildlife from the area.
Riley continued on like this for several minutes. Keeping a lookout for anything that might be following or watching her. Confident that there was nothing, she diverted her path and headed toward a frozen pond that wasn’t too far away.
Reaching the icy water, Riley held out a hand, and an invisible flame quickly melted a hole in the ice. Riley dove into the water the moment the hole was big enough to fit through.
The icy cold immediately seemed into her veins as she was barely able to hold back her shock at the sudden shift in temperature. A crinkling sound spread softly through the water as the hole was filled with ice once more.
A familiar maw opened up from below where Riley floated near the top of the pond beneath the ice. But she didn’t panic. This had happened to her a number of times by now. It was an ally.
Swallowing her hole, Akland swam to the depths of the pond as fast as he could, reaching an underground river that he followed up and away from the area. All while Riley warmed herself up inside his mouth. Much to the Life Spirit’s minor discomfort.
Swishing his tail as he swam, Akland collapsed a portion of the tunnel the water flowed through. It would be repaired later, once the tribes had confirmed that this path hadn’t been compromised.
Breaching the water in an underground cavern, Riley stepped out from Akland’s mouth, nodding in thanks to the large aquatic Life Spirit. She received a nod in return before Akland turned around and dove into the water again. Likely to provide transportation to another Hunter elsewhere.
“I see you managed to succeed in your mission. Were there any difficulties?” A familiar voice called out to Riley.
As she turned around, she saw Talon sitting on a rock not too far away. He was weary and fidgeted alongside his Spirit at the lack of open sky. Something Riley was familiar with after having worked with the man on several hits so far.
Today had been her first solo mission, after she had broken through to the second Step of Tier four. A surprise to many, given how long she had been a Legendary so far. But her dedication had proven her ability to all. Despite her relative inexperience.
“Somewhat. The Guild sent a Legendary of their own this time. It meant that my retreat was a little bit delayed. But I managed to make up time when I moved after they fell back when the blizzard hit.” Riley shook her head, a wave of heat removing the last remains of water from her body. “But I managed to torch the place, sufficiently enough that they didn’t even question whether or not I got these.”
Riley reached into her Void Pouch, pulling out a stack of scrolls and maps in one smooth motion.
Unrolling one of them, she revealed a detailed battle map with the positions of several more cult bases, as well as a list of intended trails and paths that they were planning on using to get deeper into the Fjorya.
Talon gave a slow clap at the sight. This was a great deal of information that would help them. It was more than he had managed to acquire in his own recent missions. Though his job had been more to steal or sabotage cult supplies. So, the opportunities hadn't really arisen.
“Very nice. It almost makes me regret that you’ll be on leave for the next little while.” Talon said as he accepted the maps and scrolls that Riley handed to him.
“What do you mean?” Riley asked.
Talon frowned in thought. A sinking sensation filled Riley’s gut. Had something happened to the Luminances while she was gone?
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m just surprised you apparently lost track of how long you’ve been out here fighting.” Talon calmed her nerves somewhat, but she was still confused.
Then she thought about it, and she realized just how long she’d been out in the wilderness this time. She had hit nearly a dozen bases in the past month or so, to mixed success, so she had lost track of time. But now she remembered.
“He’s waking up!?” Riley felt joy blossom in her chest at the thought.
Ezekiel had entered a healing coma nearly a month ago. Right before she had set out into the wilderness with Talon. If she was getting time off from fighting, that meant that Ezekiel was showing signs of coming to.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Talon nodded his head, confirming Riley’s suspicions. She leapt forward, giving the man a hug, before jumping away and running down the tunnel nearby.
Her lover was about to wake up. She couldn’t afford to take her time, or she’d risk missing being there as he did.
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It had been several months since Ezekiel and his family had arrived at the Feathered Peaks. Initially, he had hoped that he would be able to soak in the pool of Ancient Glacial Water.
Unfortunately, the aftereffects of Invera’s breakthrough had tainted the area with excessive amounts of Lightning mana that was too wild to be dispersed or absorbed anytime soon.
Ezekiel had wondered how such a phenomenon had occurred, but apparently such a thing was common in areas where Legendary Spirits broke through to higher Steps. It was a phenomenon that directly affected the environment and was something that had to naturally disperse.
As such, Ezekiel and his family were forced to wait, and fill their time with helping the Feathered Peaks as best they could. Mostly by doing chores and other labor related activities for the extensive tribe.
Given their status as Legendaries, Riley and Evelyn had also been asked to take part in the various hunting parties that were put together to track and kill the cult forces in the Fjorya.
It had been at this point that Talon had been reintroduced to them. Weakened and injured from the weapons of the cult, he had been the one to spread word to the Feathered Peaks. The other rebel Legendaries had spread out to pass the word onto the other tribes of the Fjorya.
Ezekiel found himself also doing a decent amount of research, as he hadn’t been able to properly consolidate his thoughts and theories regarding the ‘Understandings’ needed to break through to the Legendary Tier. Something he now had ample time to do, and which the Legendary birds were fully supportive of. As it turned out that each of them had something to learn from Ezekiel.
Slightly less so for Feynari and Callrond, as light and shadow weren’t his forte, but Morty and Spina were able to learn a few things from him regarding their elements. Heat control in particular was something that they took a great amount of joy in acquiring.
The new spells that they developed were of great help in providing new Artifacts to use against the cult. Being able to hide in the snow, and not be found because a Flame user sensed a warm spot in the snow, was a game changer.
But as the time passed, Ezekiel had begun to grow restless, so the moment that the Ancient Glacier Water had been cleared for use, he had jumped at the chance to finally use it to try and fix his Spirit Pathways.
“Do not forget, this is a theory of mine, regarding what records we have of the Ancient Glacial Spirit’s words on this Relic. Do not destroy yourself if it turns out that it isn’t going to work.” Invera had advised before Ezekiel stepped into the pool.
While she was extremely confident that this would work, to the point of almost being certain of it, she also knew that there was a significant risk. Breaking and repairing the pathways that laid in one’s soul wasn’t what the pool was meant for, after all.
Ezekiel had understood what Invera was saying and had taken her warning to heart. That didn’t stop him from entering the pool with Shine in his hand. An instinctive knowledge that the Void Spirit would be needed for success.
The last thing Ezekiel had seen as he stepped into the pool was the worried, yet hopeful faces of his family and Riley. The latter of which he locked eyes with until he was fully submerged.
An instant later, he felt the water seemingly flow through his body entirely. Then, as if his soul had left his body floating in the pool, he saw the back of his head and body, before spiraling downward.
Past the depths of the pool, and into a familiar ocean of stars. One he hadn’t seen, since before his soul was broken.
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Ezekiel paused for a moment. Taking in the comfortable feeling of staring into the starry abyss. It was a sight that he had missed more than he’d realized. One that had welcomed him to this world and had been there for many of the Steps he had taken in his progress towards the higher Tiers of magic.
It was here that Ezekiel saw it. A copy of his soul now lay before him. One that was whole, yet smaller than his current self. Intricate lines ran up, down, and through the spirit before him.
Lines that he knew were the proper paths that he needed to repair.
Feeling something like a hand on his shoulder, Ezekiel turned, and saw Shine’s soul floating there with him. The two exchanged a nod and got to work.
As the first path Ezekiel had forged was broken, an indescribable pain filled him. But he grits his teeth and suffers through it. Moving onto the next. And the next. And the next.
Slowly, Ezekiel and Shine’s entire world was filled with the same task, repeated, over, and over, and over again. Not once did they stop. Not until they were done.
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Riley had arrived back at the Feathered Peaks within a few hours of finishing her mission and reporting back to Talon in the underground cavern.
It had taken her as long as it did simply because the process of making sure they weren’t tracked was a tedious one. With her having to go through at least two more checkpoints before finally being able to enter the actual territory of the Feathered Peaks.
It had been something of a shock to discover that the only way to enter the Feathered Peaks was to have one of the badges that had been given to herself and Ezekiel.
Invera had explained to them that, similar to the Spirit Haven, the Feathered Peaks had a boundary around it that made it seem like just another mountain. As opposed to the sprawling, nascent city, villages that were built into the mountain itself. With several open area villages with structures built separately.
Welt had gone on to explain the different tasks that Ezekiel had never really learned when he had last been there. The list was quite extensive, and each member of their group had partaken in at least a handful of tasks.
Before she had been brought into the fold of Hunters fighting against the cult, she had found herself enjoying her time working in the forges and aiding the Feathered Peak tribe with her Flames.
She had usually found herself reluctant to go and fight the cult, knowing that she would be leaving Ezekiel and his sisters behind to work in the Tribe. Evelyn had accompanied her a few times but had been given her own missions after a few weeks.
It wasn’t until Ezekiel had entered the Ancient Glacial Water pool that she had found herself gleefully throwing herself into battle. Waiting around for Ezekiel to wake up had been something she found draining and depressing. Both were things that she knew Ezekiel wouldn’t have wanted for her.
So, she had spent her time wisely, and couldn’t wait to tell Ezekiel all about the ways she had taken out her aggression against the cult.
A croaking roar echoed from Riley's chest, where Celia was still resting and keeping covered from the cold air. Riley frowned at what Celia had told her and spread her own senses outwards.
Picking up the pace, she moved as fast as she could through the village she had just entered.
The Flame Hunter pair had sensed one of the many annoyances that had been provoking them since not long after their arrival.
“Annoying pests...” Riley couldn't help but mutter as she made her way to the top of the mountain. Just below the cliffs that led to the true peaks.
Celia mumbled in agreement, mentally going over all the things that she and Riley could do to the Feathered Peaks tribesmen that thought of themselves as her suitors.
It had been the biggest frustration Riley had been forced to deal with since coming here. One that her power had allowed her to mostly shrug off but was still something she hated having to deal with.
Being a Flame Hunter in a region that mostly had Glacial and Tempest Mages meant that she was a greatly sought after woman. Especially if her children inherited her element.
Having a bloodline of Flame Mages in a mountainous tribe that was mostly covered in snow throughout the year was something that many of the different families in the Feathered Peaks tribe had desired. Even more so since it would be a new bloodline. One that hadn’t been spread thin like the remnants that were sprinkled throughout the tribe.
Of course, the fact that she was in a relationship with Ezekiel hadn’t mattered to them. Since he was just a worthless Void Mage in their eyes. Even though he was more powerful than every one of them. While he was crippled at that.
“Just wait until Ezekiel’s awake and healed. Then you’ll all get what’s coming to you.” Riley smiled at the thought of Ezekiel’s eventual payback. He had been forced to hold himself back due to politics, since they were guests. But once he healed, he’d be able to strike back without anyone knowing it was him.
The advantages of having a magic element that couldn’t be tracked by conventional means.
Riley’s happy thoughts were dispersed, however, as she reached the central area of the Feathered Peaks. Where she saw that there was a large gathering of Hunters.
A sinking feeling settled into her stomach. Something must’ve happened. Something bad, and recent, if the hastily assembled Hunters, including Evelyn, was anything to go by.
Turning toward her, Evelyn waved her over, where she waited alongside the older Obscure Hunter.
“You seem like you’re in more of a rush than I would’ve expected.” Evelyn idly spoke as she raised an eyebrow in question. “Are you that excited to get back to my son?”
Riley nodded.
“That, and I needed to avoid some more unwanted suitors. The damn vultures won’t leave me alone.” Riley’s words were met with more than a few frowns from the tribesmen in the group, but a couple of the women just chuckled. “What’s going on? Usually, we meet like this with more warning, as well as inside one of the larger gathering centers. This seems to be a sudden and unexpected event.”
Frowns settled on all the faces of the Hunters that heard her. An uneasiness seemed to settle over the group as they thought over the news that had been spreading.
Even Evelyn, who was the strongest Hunter there, looked worried about whatever this was about.
“... It seems like one of the primary paths to the peak was discovered before it could be properly cut off. The cult managed to get a Guild Hunter’s Spirit into the boundary. One of the outlying villages on the other side of the peak was devastated before the Spirit could be taken out.” Evelyn explained.
Riley winced at the thought. The only Spirits strong enough to do something like that were Legendary ones. Meaning that the Guild that the Spirit was from would be declaring war against them soon.
The Guardians of the Feathered Peaks wouldn’t have let a Spirit like that live for long after taking the lives of the people they protected, after all.
“Worse yet, a hole was made in the boundary. A small one, but it’s possible that the cult and Guilds they’ve hired will be able to track the location of the tribe sooner, rather than later.”
Memories of what had happened at the Spirit Haven all those months ago flashed through Riley’s mind. The sheer level of the conflict that had occurred was enough to haunt her and the twins’ memories.
For Ezekiel and Evelyn, they had both been through just as bad, if not worse, events several times in the past. The anger they felt at losing Warren after their seeming success was also a hard pill to swallow for them.
Riley could still vividly remember what Ezekiel had told her after he had finally allowed himself to break down. The tears from his loss had faded away, and a burning hatred had filled him. Only to be smothered and held back with an iron will.
“I can’t afford to feel sorry for myself anymore. I’ve already lost a bunch of people I cared about. But I managed to push forward and focus on getting stronger.” Ezekiel had said to her when she had asked if he was alright. “From this point on, I can’t afford to let myself be sad. It’s too distracting. Now, I’m angry, and I’m going to keep being angry, until I can vent this anger on the enemies that have wronged me. From this point forward, I’m pulling out all the stops I had before.”
Riley hadn’t liked the look in Ezekiel’s eyes. But it was a fleeting concern, because he had seemingly fallen back into his usual habits of pushing himself forward. This time in the theoretical fields, since he couldn’t train his magic until he recovered.
Speaking of which. “How is Ezekiel’s condition? Will we be heading out to fight before he wakes up?”
Some of the Hunters were displeased with Riley’s priorities, but there was little they could do about it. None of the tribe’s Legendary Hunters were here, and the two women were supported by the tribe’s Guardians.
“Unfortunately, that seems likely to be the case. But things will, hopefully, be dealt with soon.” Evelyn gestured to the sky. Invera and the Legendary birds were flying overhead. “The rebels we’ve been working with are operating with the Guardian birds to redirect the cult’s attention. We just need to pick off a few of the stragglers in a couple of different areas to draw attention away from the peaks.”
Growing at the thought of having to leave before Ezekiel awoke, Riley trampled down her frustration. Her happy reunion with her man would just have to wait for a little while longer.
“Will we be enough? They greatly outnumber us.” Unspoken was Riley’s reference to the number of Legendaries they had available. Currently, she and Evelyn were the only Legendaries gathered for this mission.
Just then, two figures walked out of one of the nearby buildings. The home of Elder Rosen.
It was Rena and Narrik, Elder Rosen’s children. Beside them both were their Spirits.
Much to Riley’s shock, they were all Legendaries. A development that must’ve happened during her time away this past month.
“Never mind,” she muttered under her breath. Much to Evelyn’s amusement.
Stepping forward, Riley readied herself for the inevitable planning session for their next steps in fending off the cult’s forces.
Giving one last glance toward the place she knew the Ancient Glacier Pool resided, Riley hoped that this would be over soon.
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Meanwhile, deep within the chambers of the Ancient Glacial Pool. A figure floated, suspended within the pure blue waters imbued with the ‘Will’ of the Ancient Glacier.
For nearly a month, Ezekiel had laid motionless. The mana within the waters kept him alive without sustenance or air. But just now, something had changed.
A finger twitched, and the color of the water began to grow clear.