After taking down the cult’s Legendaries, the trio returned to the den they had concealed. Evelyn had taken the time to ensure that they weren’t being followed, while Riley carried Ezekiel.
Upon returning to their base, Ezekiel was fed some potions that Welt had provided before they left. The moment he drank the glowing green liquid, Ezekiel felt his body warm up as he felt the magic in the potion flow through his veins.
“Remind me to thank Elder Welt when we return to the peaks,” Ezekiel muttered. “It’s a shame that they didn’t have any Legendary Life Hunters. It would certainly make this job much easier.”
Riley sighed at Ezekiel’s indifference to his injuries, but still smiled and nodded. Ezekiel smiled back, happy that his attitude had somewhat lightened the mood. He then helped Riley pull off his armor so she could wrap him up in some of the enchanted bandages.
For the most part, Ezekiel knew that he wasn’t that injured, and was mostly just fatigued, and suffering from a lot of muscle strain. But given they would be moving out as soon as they had regained their full mana, it was better to get back into top shape as soon as possible.
After she finished wrapping him up, Riley sat next to Ezekiel, holding Celia in her lap. The two soon fell into a meditative state, their Spirits staying aware to keep watch.
Several minutes later, a figure rose from the shadows. Evelyn looked at her son and Riley meditating together, smirking at the sight. Though she frowned as she looked at the black and blue skin from where Ezekiel had strained his body too far.
The bandages covered most of it, but there were still some parts of his body that were open to the world. A soft glow from the wrappings showed that Ezekiel’s skin was returning to its normal color, however, and they would be able to head out without any extra delays.
Sitting down across from the other two, Evelyn dispersed her Spirit armor, and Reya snuck out of the den, intent on doing a more active patrol as she slunk into a shadow. The Obscure Spirit would keep an eye out for anyone that got too close.
As she fell into her own meditative state, Evelyn gave Ezekiel and Riley one last look. A chill seemed to pass over her as she slumped forward, just a little bit.
For a moment, nothing seemed wrong, but then a tear slowly trailed down her cheek.
“We’ll get you back. Just stay strong,” Evelyn whispered to herself in the silent den.
Shine and Celia were aware of this but made no moves to reply or otherwise react.
Their focus was on the surroundings, and their partners.
Quietly, the three Hunters recovered themselves as best they could. The second base would be hit within the next two days. So, they needed to be ready, as there was no way that the next place that they hit wouldn’t be ready for them.
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The second base was set up far differently than the first. From what they could see, the cult had created this one for the purpose of acting as a medical center. It was obvious that there were an abundant amount of Life Mages and Hunters present, since there was an artificial forest that had been grown on the rocky mountain side.
Roots and branches created both an artificial flooring, and the walls that surrounded it. They also twisted and grew into shapes denoting Runic Enchantments that were providing additional defenses.
A part of Ezekiel was in awe at the ingenuity of the humans and Spirits that had created this structure. While another part was somewhat regretful that they were going to be attacking what was, essentially, a hospital.
Until Ezekiel saw a group of carriages passing into the base. Each one covered in the cult’s symbol and filled to the brim with reinforced cages that held injured Spirits within them.
At that point, the only thing he felt was rage, and any regret at what they were about to do faded away. Instead, he reveled in the thought of taking out this center for the cult.
“I thought that the cult had stopped their poaching operations for the time being.” Ezekiel glared at the wagons and carts that carried Tier one and two Spirits. “How the hell do they have the numbers to keep this shit up?”
Evelyn and Riley were also glaring, as were Reya and Celia. In the back of his mind, Ezekiel also knew that Shine was less than pleased.
For a second, Ezekiel was happy that Shine was so unique, as it meant that they would never be going through this kind of thing. Though, he did wonder if it would be possible for Void Spirits to be born in the future at some point.
‘A thought for later.’ Ezekiel turned his attention to his mother, who still hadn’t replied.
“This is likely one of the last batches of Spirits that they can afford to move out,” Evelyn said. “We might be able to use this. From what I can tell, it seems like there’s a larger number of Spirits than there are Guild members and cultists. So, it might be possible that we can get the Spirits to fight with us.”
Ezekiel held his chin in thought. “That should be possible, but we’d need nearly three times the Spirits than there are humans. Are we sure that’s the case?”
“It’s not like we wouldn’t be attacking them anyways. We’ll just plan how to do this without the Spirits, and if it turns out they can help, then all the better, right?” Riley’s words were true enough. Do we know if the Spirits will be stored within the base either? Cause if they are, then that means we won’t be able to use the bombs.”
Unfortunately, Riley was right. Using the bombs when there were Wild Spirits within the base would not bode well for them when they returned to the Feathered Peaks.
After a few more minutes of observing the situation, however, it was apparent that the Spirits were not going to be remaining at the base for long. It seemed that the carriages and wagons were only making a short resupply and were headed out again in less than an hour.
They would be well outside the range of the cult’s base by the time the trio attacked later tonight.
In this situation, the presence of the Spirits was just a fortunate surprise, not a necessity for them to begin their attack. It would be best for them to right off the Spirits as a non-issue for now. Though they would move to rescue them later if they had the chance.
“Well, let's get ready. Given the time, we’ll be able to attack them tonight. That will make things easier for me at least. Are both of you ready as well?” Evelyn turned to Riley and Ezekiel.
“Ready enough. Though, I have a feeling that we’ll need a clear road to retreat this time.” Ezekiel held a hand over his heart, a familiar feeling of dread filling him up as he looked at the building in the distance. “I have a bad feeling about this one. We might need to use more than one bomb this time.”
Riley and Evelyn both grimaced at the thought, but trusted Ezekiel’s judgment enough to not dispute him on this. His danger sense had proven itself correct more often than not by now.
With grim thoughts in their minds, the trio retreated in order to wait until nightfall.
In just a couple of hours, they would attack.
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Ezekiel had quickly realized that the cult was growing used to his usual tactics.
When he had struck at cult bases and camps in Tarquessa, there wasn’t enough information regarding what he had done in order to make a defense against it.
After hitting bases in the Fjorya, however, the cult obviously realized that he was truly a threat now, since he had fully reached the Legendary Tier. Hence, the changes that had been made apparent in the previous and current cult buildings he was destroying.
‘It’s both a shame, and a relief.’ Ezekiel conveyed to Shine as he made his way to the edge of the cult base’s territory. Roots and leaves on the ground writhed and twisted along the ground.
‘How is it a relief?’ Shine didn’t have the same feelings for the situation as Ezekiel. They would much rather be able to just steamroll over all of their enemies, and not have to worry about it.
‘It means that we are not invincible, and there is room for us to grow,’ Ezekiel explained. ‘I know that it’s not helpful in this situation, but knowing that it’s possible for others to match, and restrict us, means that it’s possible for us to have equals. Which means that we won’t be alone as we grow stronger.’
Shine remained silent as they thought about Ezekiel’s words.
‘Not that I would ever be alone. I’ve got you stuck inside my head, after all.’
Ezekiel smiled beneath his Shroud, palming the two bombs he had taken from the boxes he left behind in the makeshift camp his group had set up hours before.
‘You ready?’ Channeling his mana into the bombs, he knew that the countdown had begun.
‘Let’s do it.’ Shine focused their own mana, locating a couple of different areas in the base. Their senses were only partially restricted by the formations surrounding the base.
During their scouting earlier, Ezekiel and his party had been unable to do much besides figure out the exact size of the base, since it was completely overgrown, as well as closed off from the sides, and the sky. This meant that, unless he wanted to do a blind ‘Jump’ Ezekiel wouldn’t be able to get inside.
This would be easier to do than with the last base, since he didn’t risk ‘Jumping’ into a rock. But it still wasn’t something he wanted to do.
The fact that the floor was made of roots and leaves also meant that his Shroud wouldn’t conceal him when he walked through the base. He would be able to use his anti-gravity to avoid it, but that would expend a large amount of mana that he would need in order to fight any survivors.
Something he fully expected to have to do, since the dangerous feeling in his gut was still present. Even with the use of two of the bombs, rather than just the one.
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‘Send them’
Shine immediately followed Ezekiel’s order, and ‘Jumped’ the two bombs into the base.
For a second, Ezekiel was happy that things had gone according to plan, but a second later, his danger sense went off ten times stronger than before. It was so strong that he nearly fell to his knees and lost his concentration holding his Shroud up.
Even though he had a couple of seconds, Ezekiel immediately ‘Jumped’ directly to the meeting point where Riley and Evelyn were waiting for the explosion to pass. His sudden arrival nearly made the two ladies shriek in fright as he appeared out of nowhere.
“Ezekiel! What--?” Riley lowered her flaming spear as she stepped forward to check on Ezekiel.
But lunged towards them instead. Reaching forward, he tackled both his mother and Riley to the ground, only to merge his mana with Shine’s, and perform another ‘Jump’.
This took them nearly five times further out from the cult’s building than they were before, and nearly drained Ezekiel of half his remaining mana.
But as the bombs went off in the base, it was obvious that the cult had something else within the base. Either more bombs that Ezekiel wasn’t aware of, or something else that was equally, if not even more, volatile than the explosives Ezekiel had dropped off.
The resulting explosion completely destroyed the base, even with the defensive formations absorbing a large amount of the blast.
If not for the fact that they were dozens of kilometers away, rather than the distance they were before, it was highly likely that they would’ve been hit by the blast. For now, they were simply sent away at a ridiculous speed. All while Ezekiel held up a barrier that sent them flying like a baseball into the distance. Rather than try to ride out the force that was bearing down on them.
He ended up expending the rest of his mana when they finally touched down, well over a few peaks away from the explosion.
This was the force of a Tier five spell, at the least. Meaning that there was something inside the base that they had been unaware of. Something that Ezekiel had a sneaking suspicion he had seen before or was at least aware of.
For now, however, he had to deal with the fact that he and Shine were now both out of mana, and they were now incredibly out of the way from their intended route. While they still had several more bases that they needed to strike in order to take out the cult’s rear support.
“... I don’t think that the explosives are an option anymore...” Ezekiel was quiet as he was helped to his feet after dropping to the ground when his barrier finally broke. “Not if they’re going to have results like that.”
The light had swiftly faded into the darkness of the night, but even so, with it being a clear night, the moon cast enough light to show the massive smokestack that was rising into the sky.
“Agreed. We need to figure out what that was and ensure that the cult can’t do that to us.” Evelyn stared into the distance. Her voice trembled as she realized just how much trouble the world was about to experience. “Change of plans. We return to the Feathered Peaks, and we request intervention from the Prime Guild and the Church of Ten. We need to ensure that these tools aren’t used in human controlled lands again.”
Subjecting himself to being carried, Ezekiel didn’t complain as his Spirit Armor finally faded, and his mother threw him over her shoulder like a sack.
Celia took form beside Riley, whose Spirit Armor also faded. The little dragon Spirit grew to her largest size, and the Hunters all jumped on the Flame Spirit’s back.
As they took to the air, they only hoped that they weren’t too late to take action and receive aid from an actual Tier five force.
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The sudden changes to the situation were met with outrage and disgust.
Previously, the bombs the cult had created were only on the absolute upper ends of the Legendary Tier, with the possibility of touching at the bottom of the Mythic Tier. Though that was really pushing it.
Had the original bombs been set off within the Feathered Peaks, then that would destroy the majority of the living space that had been developed by the tribe. Entire villages would’ve been wiped out, but if they evacuated, the could return and rebuild.
Now, it was revealed that the entire mountain ran the risk of being destroyed. At least, the entirety of the territory that the tribe controlled would disappear.
This could not be allowed.
“Ezekiel,” Elder Welt called out. “I don’t suppose you have any insights as to why this happened. You said you figured out how the bombs worked last time you were here, didn’t you?”
Ezekiel sighed, having been put on the spot as an assortment of Legendaries looked at him.
They were all currently inside one of the Fjorya tribes’ forward bases. A staging point for the final battle against the cult. So, it was somewhat more crowded than it was when they had met at the Feathered Peaks.
That was without the Legendary Birds taking up space, as they and other Legendary Spirits had gone out to rally the Wild Spirits in order to bolster their forces.
As well as to check out the area that had been destroyed by the altered bombs. News was already getting back to them from the Legendary birds that had gone out to check. But they were staying away from now, in order to keep an eye on the cult’s movements.
“I might...” Ezekiel looked around the room. “It would help if the Invera was here to corroborate, but I’m sure you’re all aware of what the cult used, in conjunction with their cannons, when they took down the Spirit Haven several months ago, right?”
The assembled Hunters and Mages all nodded in confirmation. So, Ezekiel continued.
“Well, I think that the cult had another one of the things that they used to create that pseudo-Mythical being. It was caught up in the explosion, and acted as a catalyst, along with several more explosives within the base.”
“Could it be possible that there were only additional explosives that got caught in the blast?” Narrik, who had been silent for the most part, finally spoke up. There was a wary and almost fearful look on his face.
As a member of the Feathered Peaks tribe, he was well aware of what Invera had been forced to fight at the Spirit Haven. The thought of having another abomination appear in the battles to come was terrifying.
“There would need to be at least a dozen more explosives in the base in order for that sort of effect to occur.” Ezekiel shook his head. “Given the expense of the materials and process needed to create them, there’s no way they would risk such a large cache remaining in a single base. I’m sure you’re all aware, but it has long since been confirmed that the cult, and the Guilds, don’t keep more than three bombs in a single base.”
Several Hunters scowled. Specifically, those that had lost their homes in the central areas of the Fjorya. They had been the ones that had been on the receiving end of the cult’s explosives.
“Then we’ll definitely need to inform the Church of Ten. Perhaps they’ll even be able to get the Prime Guild’s Mythics to step in.” Elder Rosen addressed the room. “I know that no one here wants to have even more outsiders interfering in our affairs. But I don’t think we can afford to do that anymore. Perhaps it’s time we allow the Church of Ten to set up a cathedral in the Fjorya.”
There were even more reluctant looks that passed through the room at that suggestion, but no one spoke up in protest.
“Given our current proximity, I might be able to reach out to the Cathedral in Gates. I have several friends there that could expedite the process of involving a Mythic on our side. Though, I may need to make a few things first.” Ezekiel drew the attention of the room once more. “If possible, I’d also like an escort from the Feathered Peaks, simply due to my familiarity with them, so that they can convey the interests of the various tribes.”
Some of the representatives of the other tribes looked like they wanted to interject, but a sudden cry from the sky reverberated through the room.
The Legendary birds were back, and it seemed like things had gone for the worse during the time they’d been gone.
The noise they had made more closely resembled a strangled shriek, rather than a clear and proud bird cry.
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Rushing outside, Ezekiel saw the four Legendary birds nearly crash to the ground in front of the center that had been set up for the Legendary Hunters to plan and hold their meetings.
All of them had injuries that were seeped with Radiant magic. Glowing gold veins seemed to burn through their bodies as the light energy ate away at them.
The only one that seemed mostly okay was Callrond, and even he was still suffering from several physical injuries. Feynari was the worst off, however, as she was nearly fading away. Though she wasn’t missing any limbs this time.
“Shit! Radiant Mages, c’mon, we need to extract that foreign mana, now!” Ezekiel rushed forward to Callrond who was closest to him, Shine glowed brightly with opalescent light, and they both began emanating an aura of ‘Nothingness’ that they ‘Willed’ to only effect the foreign Radiant Magic.
Snapping out of their shock, the few Radiant Mages in the area all rushed forward, placing their hands on the bird Spirits in order to interact with, and hopefully remove, the Radiant energy that was burning through the Legendary Spirits.
“Be careful not to touch it directly! This mana is peak Legendary! Perhaps even Pseudo Mythic!”
Having been the first on the scene, Ezekiel had nearly gotten blasted with the Radiant mana that he was trying to disperse. For the most part, it was working fine, but he felt a pressure on his mind as the remnant ‘Will’ of the being that this mana had come from still lingered.
The rest of the Mages were wary to approach when they heard that, but the Radiant Mages, and some of the Life Mages, all continued to work. Though, they were much more cautious than before.
A few cried out in pain as they suffered searing burns when they pushed too far in trying to remove the remnant mana. The ‘Will’ within it didn’t spread, however, so they were safe from being corrupted. They’d just have to spend time recovering later.
Finally, after several minutes of work, Callrond seemed to regain awareness. Turning to Ezekiel, the Radiant Spirit spoke.
“Prepare for battle. They are coming. A full push. Invera is dealing with another abomination.” Callrond’s voice was clear, even though he was still in pain. “Be wary. We don’t know what weapons they currently have.”
Callrond tried to climb back to his feet but fell to the side before he could fully rise. Ezekiel caught him, and helped the large bird move to lay beside his sister. After ensuring that Callrond was purged of all the foreign mana, he moved to begin working on Feynari.
“Elder Welt, Elder Rosen.” The two elders focused on Ezekiel, the other Legendaries had already begun scrambling to get ready for battle. “I’ll stay here until the guardian birds are purged of the foreign mana. But I don’t think I should participate in the final battle. Not yet, and not directly.”
The two elders looked like they were going to dispute Ezekiel’s decision, but Evelyn placed a hand on both their shoulders.
“The cult wants me, so it’d be best if I wasn’t here, and they weren’t tempted to use another one of their false ascension artifacts just to kill me,” Ezekiel explained. “So, instead, I’m going to go to Gates, and I need one of you two to come with me.”
Ezekiel finished purging the mana from Feynari, allowing the Mages that were working on her to begin healing her properly. He moved over to Morty, who was further away, but more badly injured than Spina.
“We’ll be taking a few of the remaining bombs with us, as proof, and hopefully we’ll be able to get the higher powers involved. Before things can go too far, or another Mythic level explosion happens, and destroys all the life that exists on the mountain.”
Rosen and Welt shared a look before nodding as they stepped away. Ezekiel continued to purge the Legendary birds, and when he was finished, he saw that Welt had remained. It seemed like he and Rosen had decided that Welt would represent the Fjorya when they went to the Church of Ten.
Climbing onto Celia’s back once more, Ezekiel, Riley, Evelyn, and Welt, all gave one last look toward the Fjorya’s forces. Each one of the hoped that the Fjorya’s forces would be able to hold out until they returned. Hopefully with the help of a Mythic Hunter or two.
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At the base of the mountain, surrounding the remaining forces of the eastern tribes of the Fjorya, dozens of Legendary Hunters, from an assortment of Guilds, as well as the cult, were assembled.
Several peaks away, a Lightning storm had appeared, and flashes of light seemed to cut through the sky. A cacophony or animalistic roars would be heard, slowly growing quieter as the Mythical bird was forced to move further and further away from the battle grounds.
“You’re certain that your pets will be able to hold off that damned bird?” A Legendary Hunter garbed in their Spirit Armor, with a sash depicting a pair of crossed pickaxes across his chest. “We’ll not succeed if she comes back before wiping out their usual forces.”
A Glacial Hunter wearing a sash with the Cult of Light’s symbol on it replied.
“It’s fine. While the plan to use three is no longer possible, two will be enough to hold her back. With a low chance of killing her as well. We’re somewhat fortunate she found out about us, or else we’d never have been able to catch her off guard. With our blessed ones fresh and ready for battle.” The Legendary Cultist turned back from the Mythical beings fighting far away. She focused on the mountain in front of her. “It is unfortunate that the majority of our explosive munitions have already been used. The two that we have left won’t be enough at this point.”
A small box was located not far behind the Legendaries. It was identical to the ones that Ezekiel had found the bombs he had stolen hidden within.
“It’s better this way.” A deep and rumbling voice called out. “Better to kill your enemies in a proper battle, than with an indiscriminate tool. Shows your own powers’ worth.”
Several other Hunters glared at the man, who was garbed in gray Spirit Armor, but none spoke out. Even the cultists looked wary to speak out against this man. A man who emanated the aura of a peak Tier four Hunter.
“... If you say so. But I would rather we simply get the job done.” The Glacial cultist muttered. “It’s not like you’ll magically break through to Tier five from this battle, after all.”
“Hmph! Battle is the best way to grow the soul. You would know that if you hadn’t sold your own.” The powerful Legendary said. “Now shut up and get ready. It is time to attack.”
Without another word, the Legendary Hunter strode off. The others looked away and headed off to their own forces.
The battle was about to begin, and it was time to finish this war.