CH 242 (Book 6 Ch 17): The Shroud Family
The handover of the Shroud family members that the Guilds had captured went relatively smoothly. But it was clear that the elders weren’t interested in leaving things as they were.
They were smart enough not to do anything in enemy territory, but two weeks later, when the Guild and Church forces had arrived at the Shroud family compound one region over, Ezekiel found himself and his sister being summoned by Wolken after their new base had been set up.
“So, what do they want now? I thought that the agreements had already been handled.” Ezekiel hadn’t meant to sound angry at Wolken, but the frustration at the Shroud family’s behavior was grating on him.
Just behind him, Riley, who had accompanied him and Wendy, reached out to help him keep calm. He also saw her throw Wendy a concerned glance, but the younger Hunter was just as frustrated, though she was keeping quiet.
“The agreements between the Guilds, the Church, and the Alliance families have indeed been completed. We will be setting out to the front lines tomorrow. There is a contested territory that we will have to take control of within the next month.” Wolken looked over a map as he spoke.
Ezekiel noticed that there were several large groups that indicated split forces of Alliance families and different Guilds. “The problem is that this was a personal request, directed at you and Wendy alone. One that I could not refuse on your behalf since there are certain laws that we need to go along with. Including ones pertaining to bloodlines, and magic that is tied to them.”
“... Is this about the spell that Wendy used when she was fighting for her life?” Ezekiel’s question was answered with a sigh from Wolken. He could hear his sister shuffle uneasily behind him. “You’re not in trouble Wendy. It’s these damned Shrouds that are being a pain in the ass.”
His words seemed to lighten his sister’s mood, but he could tell that she still felt a bit guilty.
Wolken ignored this byplay. “While this is indeed about the magic that Wendy used, it was actually an offer from Elder Thadeus that makes this interesting.”
Ezekiel thought back to the only elder he could think of with that name. “Was he the male elder that we saw in Patriarch Lorry’s city?”
Wolken nodded. “Yes, he has asked for both a demonstration of Wendy’s prowess with the spell, as well as offered an additional spell from his personal repertoire, not bound by the Shroud family’s restrictions, as compensation.”
Ezekiel fell silent. While he didn’t want to let his sister go anywhere near the Shroud family’s private areas, let alone in the company of one of their elders, he also knew that this would be a great opportunity for her.
“... It’s your choice, Wendy. There are pros and cons, either way. But I won’t take this opportunity away from you if it’s what you wish for.” He turned to his sister, who looked surprised at the offer he was giving her. “I’m not your master, I’m your brother, and I think you’ve matured enough to handle this decision. Though, you won’t be going alone, even if you do decide to go.”
If anything, Wendy looked relieved at Ezekiel’s words. “If that’s the case, then I’d like to see what I can learn from them. But if they demand any sort of loyalty, or extended bindings or debts to their family, we leave. Go to the front lines and ignore them until this war is over.”
He smirked at his sister’s decision. “Agreed. Then, if you’re ready, we can go now.”
Wendy nodded.
“Good. If that’s settled, here.” Wolken held out a set of tokens to Ezekiel. “Three entry tokens that will let you meet up with Elder Thadeus. I expect all three of you back tonight. Let them know that, unless all three of you are directly in front of me when you report back later, I will be entering their headquarters personally to speak with you.”
The three Hunters nodded, with the siblings appreciating the amount of care that the Exalt was showing them. Ezekiel took the tokens, handing one over to Wendy and Riley each.
Saluting Wolken as they left, the trio made their way to the compound proper, where they made their way inside after showing two very shocked guards their tokens. Both of them were informed of Wolken’s words, just in case someone had something planned for their group.
They didn’t even make it a hundred feet inside when they were utterly surrounded by darkness.
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Outside the Shroud family compound, Wolken let out a sigh, as his senses, which reached well beyond the range of the Guilds’ camp, lost track of Ezekiel and his group. Just as he stood up to head over to the Shroud family, a flicker of darkness touched the corner of his vision.
“Get out here old man... I’m in no mood for these games.” He let out a pulse of mana that disrupted the concealment magic that was keeping his unwanted visitor hidden. “What the hell are you doing Merlind? You know damned well that this won’t end well for you.”
The figure was an old man with graying hair that was streaked black. He was a peak Obscurity Mage with several scars lining his face and arms. Marks of battle that seemed old and weathered. As if they had been healed, only to reopen, over and over again.
“Calm down, brat... I’m not here to make moves against you or my descendants.” Merlind raised his hands in surrender as he spoke.
Wolken snorted in disdain, and his Spirit swiftly wrapped around Merlind’s body. “Then what are you doing? I thought kidnapping was the Kindled family’s thing.”
For his part, Merlind did flinch at the accusation, and a hint of guilt crossed his face.
“... This is actually an opportunity for all of them.” He muttered before groaning as the Mythical Spirit wrapped around him began to squeeze. “No! Really! Despite some elder’s intentions, we will not be doing anything to keep them here against their will. I am well aware of what will happen to us if we try that. We’ll try to convince them, sure, but we won’t force them.”
Wolken let out a bark of laughter. “Your son already tried to, so forgive me if I don’t believe you.”
Merlind flinched. “Thadeus had been severely reprimanded for that. Though his intentions weren’t bad, I assure you. He just wants to protect the daughter of the sister he feels he failed. Given young Wendy’s skills, he also likely wants to take her on as an apprentice.”
Wolken gave Merlind an unamused glare. I know that working in shadows is your family’s entire thing, but this isn’t something you should be keeping a secret. Tell it to them straight, let them make an informed decision, and accept it if they don’t agree.”
Merlind sighed in exasperation. “It’s not that simple... The rest of the council is already unhappy with the actions we’ve been forced to take in pushing back the Kindled family. Giving power to what they consider to be outsiders might be a step too far. I was actually hoping that this little test they set up would change a few minds.”
“All this test will do is further alienate your descendants.” Wolken pushed past Merlind and looked at the large black sphere that had covered the entirety of the Shroud family’s compound. “Such a shame...”
“What? Were you hoping that they might actually become friendly toward us?” Merlind didn’t understand Wolken’s sudden melancholy.
“No... I just think it’s a waste that such a magnificent elemental formation is going to be destroyed because of your family’s arrogance.”
“Destroyed? How could that be? This formation is one that I discovered in a Ruin that remained from the Age of Growth, prior to the birth for the Cruor, and made from a Relic of the Ancient Obscurity themself. Two Legends and an Adept won’t be able to destroy it.” Merlin sounded somewhat insulted at Wolken’s statement.
For his part, the Exalt didn’t bother to respond for several seconds.
The massive sphere trembled and warped, as something tried to get out.
“I’m only going to say this once. You did this. Your family chose to do this. As such, My Guild members will not be held responsible for what happens next.” Wolken turned to glare at Merlind, and he released a gust of wind that knocked back and pinned the half-a-dozen other Obscure Mages and Hunters hiding in the shadows. “If you attempt to do anything other than disable this formation, before they can break it, I will see to it that it won’t matter if the Kindled family is beaten back and destroyed, because I will be the one your family faces.”
Merlind swallowed nervously in shock and awe as he witnessed his family’s oldest treasure fighting back against a force that neither he, nor his family members, could possibly comprehend.
Nearby, the assembled Guilds and Church members moved to a more offensive position. But a whisper in the wind stopped them from going too far.
Instead, they sat back to watch the show, knowing that it would truly be spectacular.
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Standing in the middle of the darkness that surrounded him, Ezekiel remained calm, even though a part of him momentarily panicked as he lost his senses. Surrounded by nothingness, he briefly worried about what had happened to his sister and Riley. Those feelings disappeared, as he knew that allowing himself to be concerned with them wouldn’t help in this instance.
The fact that Wolken would likely do severe damage to the Shroud family if he and the other two were to die was also something that kept him calm.
‘I wonder what they’re trying to do this time...’ Shine was just as calm. Their mood was even more relaxed than Ezekiel’s. Though, that was likely because they had already circumvented the sensory deprivation of their current surroundings. ‘Incoming Mages. They’re slowly making their way to Wendy. Riley seems to have surrounded herself with her hottest flames. Her [Will] is keeping them from hurting you or Wendy.’
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Ezekiel sighed, and a moment later white outlines filled his vision. Utterly colorless and devoid of light, his senses were no longer barred by the strange formation he had found himself in.
“Impressive. If not for the fact that I’ve experienced this before, I would almost be impressed.” He couldn’t hear his own words, but he could tell that the Shroud family members that were moving in could hear him just fine, though most of them ignored him. “A [Domain] magic that falls under the control of the wielder... Though, it looks like this one isn’t under anyone’s specific control. There are simply those that are immune to the effects, and those that are not... Well, there are those that can circumvent the effects as well, I guess.”
This time, his words had a much stronger reaction, since he had summarized the general effects of the formation, which most wouldn’t be able to understand.
He didn’t allow the Shroud Mages to reassess the situation, however, and immediately created a [Domain] of his own. Filling the area around him with a starry sky as mana filled the atmosphere.
Four Mages, dressed totally in black, suddenly appeared without the outlines that previously surrounded him. Same with Riley and Wendy, both of whom were garbed in their respective Spirit Armor and [Mantle].
Riley, who was surrounded in white-blue flames, turned to face the newly appeared Mages. They were merely Adepts, so it wasn’t hard for her to knock them back with some concussive force by creating several flameless explosions. The three Mages went flying into the nearby wall and crumpled to the ground in a heap. The sound of snapping bones was enough to make Wendy flinch.
“What’s going on?” She turned to ask Ezekiel, whose opalescent Spirit Armor shone brightly with the dome that had surrounded them.
“The Shroud family is trying to mess with us again.” Sounding incredibly exasperated, Ezekiel was done with this shit. “Hold still. I’m going to break us out of here.”
A moment later, the other Shroud family members attacked, but Riley intercepted as Ezekiel crossed his arms and began channeling his mana.
“Let Wendy take a couple of them. She should be able to take part without too much trouble.” He called out, and Riley allowed one of the Adepts to pass through, followed by another, as a Legendary presence finally appeared. “How annoying.”
Taking Shine in both hands, he stabbed their blade into the ground. A pulse of mana filled the area, and the ground rippled as the darkness that laid beyond Ezekiel’s stars rippled. It looked like the surface of the ocean going up and down like waves beneath a ship.
“Tch- It looks like this formation is more advanced than I expected. Less of a hard defense, more of a soft defense...” Taking a step back to reflect on what was happening around him, Ezekiel saw that Riley was having a relatively easy time keeping up with the Legendary Hunter that had come to face her.
The thing that annoyed him, however, was the fact that the snake on the woman’s Spirit Armor was quite distinctive. A familiar, if more refined, pair of daggers also caught his sight.
“You’re the elder that met us in Lorry’s city. That fool, Morlot’s, mother.” His words had a profound effect on the battle, as the other Shroud family Mages, and Hunters, as he could now see, paused in surprise at his awareness.
He took the chance to send a concussive punch at half a dozen of the Hunters that were swarming toward his sister. They were merely middle Step Adepts, so they went down without issue.
‘How’s it going with the analysis?’ He mentally asked Shine. ‘Any ideas?’
Beyond the domain that he had formed, he found that there were several more Legendaries that were headed his way. They seemed to range from the middle to upper Steps. But only half appeared to be emitting any sort of killing intent or offensive desires.
‘Not yet. It’s like there’s a defined edge, but it’s constantly moving. All the damage is being spread out to the rest of the dome. So, the actual damage we’re doing is minimal. At least in the grand scheme of things.’
Ezekiel hummed in annoyance, even as he helped Riley with her fight. The elder now taking a more offensive stance and was covered in her own [Mantle of Darkness]. Two large snakes made of misty shadows appeared, and it was obvious that she was trying to form a domain to entrap Riley.
“Denied.”
[Nothingness] filled the domain that Ezekiel had created. All magic not cast by Riley or Wendy was suddenly interrupted. The elder found herself retreating for a moment, as her spells were disrupted and disappeared.
Except for the [Mantle of Darkness].
‘... We’ll have to further study that spell after this.’ He mused as he let out another pulse.
‘Agreed. Now get ready. Things are about to get harder.’
Feeling two more Legendary Hunters enter his domain, Ezekiel felt a massive strain appear as they successfully pushed on [Confined Space] with their own [Mantles of Darkness].
The Adepts from the Shroud family retreated, as they knew that there was nothing they could do now. But Ezekiel still felt worried. Wendy was still there, and there was no chance that she would get out unscathed if she stayed.
Just at the edge of his senses, he could feel Thadeus and Samuel arguing with their fellow elders, and he made a choice.
“Wendy! Brace yourself!” His sister tensed up at his call, and a moment later she was surrounded by a [Void Barrier], only to be shot off with a [Slingshot] spell that sent her flying at the people Thadeus and Samuel were arguing with. “Keep her safe, or I’ll take your heads!”
Infusing his voice with [Force] caused a ripple to spread out over the whole of the family compound. The vibrations even caused another tremor in the dome surrounding them.
‘That’s it!’ Shine exclaimed as Ezekiel locked blades with one of the new Hunters. One wielded a sword, and had bird-like motifs on his armor, while the other wielded an ax, and had a bear motif.
He and Riley were now back-to-back as they faced off against the three Obscure Legendaries.
‘You figured out how to get us out of here?’ He let out a small pulse of [Force] that sent his opponent backward. Only for tendrils to rise up from the ground to wrap around him.
His domain was filled with [Nothingness] once more, and he found himself free to swing at the Hunter in front of him. Only for one of the others to strike him from behind.
A barrier from Shine kept him from taking the brunt of the attack, but he still stumbled.
‘Yes. Don’t let that happen again, or I won’t be able to do it.’
Ezekiel just sighed and threw a dagger from his Void Pouch at the elder that was fighting Riley. Her flames were keeping the others away, for the most part, and the [Nothingness] in his domain was preventing them from doing much regarding constructs and other spells. But it was clear that the effects were diminishing.
He could sense Shine weaving some sort of spell in the back of his mind. From the feel of it, it would be a few more seconds before they could let it loose.
For the most part, due to his domain, Ezekiel and Riley were holding up quite well against the three Legendary Hunters. Their ability to cast spells unhindered meant that they had an advantage. Though a minor one since the martial abilities of the Shroud family members were enhanced by the [Mantle of Darkness].
A lashing of fire struck the snake Spirit’s elder across the face, forcing her back as Ezekiel took care of the others. Shine’s blade crossed with the man’s ax but was nearly ripped out of his hands as it was wrapped in shadows and pulled. The spell was so sudden and brief that he was almost unable to dispel it in time.
Rather than pull back from the Hunter trying to take Shine away, Ezekiel pushed forward, and tackled the other man. He then used his enhanced strength to throw them both further, and slammed into the other Legendary, who was preparing to rush Riley from the side.
A sudden pain in his gut made him pull back. But not before throwing the two Legendaries away from him.
He placed a hand on his front, where he could feel his armor had a swiftly closing hole in it. Blood covered his hand as he pulled it away.
“Keep your spells close to your bodies! The [Mantle of Darkness] is not affected by his domain!” The Hunter with the ax called out as a spike had shot out from his stomach, formed from the shadows within his armor.
“So, we’re using lethal attacks? Fine!” Ezekiel focused his mana into his body, enhancing it to well beyond his normal physical parameters. He disappeared, and the next moment, his fist impacted on the ax wielder’s face.
The was a loud ‘crunch’ as the man’s helmet and nose broke in succession.
Covered in spikes and rushing toward him, the other Hunter tried to grapple and take Ezekiel out with his [Mantle of Darkness] much like the ax user had. But Ezekiel focused his full force into a [Void Slash] dumping half a Step of his mana into the spell.
It didn’t cut through his opponent. Not entirely. But that was only because the [Mantle of Darkness] was much more dangerous than he had expected. It still caused a massive gash to appear across his chest, reaching from shoulder to hip.
“You’re not so tough without your domains.” Ezekiel scoffed in disappointment as he made his way over to Riley and the last standing Hunter.
‘I’m ready when you are.’ Shine suddenly exclaimed.
‘Do it. I want to punch this bitch when she’s surprised.’
Shine chuckled, and a series of [Force] vibrations emanated from Ezekiel’s Spirit Armor. The frequency of the vibrations seemed to resonate with the dome that surrounded them. It caused ripples to form and grow as the surface of the dome further warped and shifted far more than before. But Ezekiel noticed that the mana being used was less.
He waved his hand, and the two fallen Legendaries were telekinetically pulled toward him before they could be retrieved by other Shroud family members. A moment later, the three of them disappeared, as Ezekiel covered them all in his [Shroud] spell to keep them hidden. He idly threw manacles around both the Hunters and their Spirits.
Slowly making his way over to the two women that were fighting, Ezekiel noticed that more Shroud members were approaching. Several of them were Legendaries.
A sense of panic seemed to emanate from them, and Ezekiel could tell that some were trying to get to Wendy, but it seemed that Samuel and Thadeus were keeping her safe, for now. Though, he could tell that his disappearance from their sight was obviously shocking to them.
Above him, the formation seemed to be reaching its limits.
“Break!” Ezekiel suddenly called out, and Shine released another pulse of [Force] that cause the damage being caused to exponentially grow. A sound that was just like thunder filled the region.
The formation broke, and what looked like black glass fell from the sky in jagged chunks.
Screams of terror and despair filled the air. No longer were the events happening within the Shroud family compound a secret to those that were outside. Not were the words of the Shroud family members kept silent by the darkness.
“By the Ancients!” Ezekiel heard Thadeus and the other Legendary members of the Shroud family exclaim as they looked at the sky.
Wendy took this chance to run toward Ezekiel, and no one seemed willing to stop her.
The elder that Riley was fighting was so startled that she looked away as the Flame Hunter struck her upside the head with a clean blow that exploded with fire and force. The elder’s scream was loud and harsh, and her helmet cracked, and the fire directly burned her face.
By this point, Ezekiel was right next to them, so he lashed out with a reinforced fist, breaking his [Shroud] but also knocking the elder unconscious. Two more manacles appeared and wrapped around both the elder and her Spirit.
With the three elders now subdued, alongside their Spirits, and the formation properly broken, with the sky clear once more, Ezekiel addressed the Shroud family.
“Any offensive actions directed at the three of us will lead to the death of these Legendary members of your family!”
His words spread through the area like the force of a bomb. All of the Hunters and Mages that were looking at them were terrified. But there were also more than a few that were angry.
“Each and every one of you will remove your Spirit Armor, and allow us to leave here, unhindered. We will be taking these elders as hostages and bargaining chips. You may figure out how you can get them back from us tomorrow, when we meet to renegotiate the conditions of our agreement, and the actions that will be taken over the duration of the war from this point forward.”
There was a tense standoff for several moments, with neither side willing to back down, when a new voice cut through the air. It held a presence within it that reminded Ezekiel of only four figures he had previously met.
“Enough! Let these three leave, as they stated they would, or I will personally see you locked up in the dungeons for your indiscretions!” Merlind, who had arrived with Wolken, stood at the entrance to the family compound. “Given the look in his eyes, I expect that the Exalt will aid these three in whatever actions they intend to take. Now do as you are told!”
Seeing their patriarch and ancestral founder giving them an order, the Shroud family collectively stood down.
Seeing this, Ezekiel smiled, though he was also starting to feel the strain of maintaining his domain up until this point. “Much appreciated. We’ll be off now.”
Making their way out of the compound, Wolken took the three Legendaries off Ezekiel’s hands.
“So... did you have a good meeting?” Wolken smirked as his words flowed into Ezekiel’s ears. No one else reacted, since the wind itself wasn’t allowing it.
Ezekiel just glared at Wolken’s amused but frustrated expression. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”
He was officially tired of this bullshit and couldn’t wait to get to the front lines.