Ezekiel was feeling exhausted as he and his ship traveled through the oily ocean beneath the Miasma of the Desolate Lands. While he had gone to Desolate islands before, Morncrest having been one of them, he had never been this far past the border at the edge of the Archipelago.
“How are you holding up?” Riley entered the room beneath the deck that was set aside just for Ezekiel. She was quiet, as most of the crew was sleeping at this time. Celia was on her shoulder but hoped off to curl up in a corner.
The lack of day-night cycles within the Desolate Land meant that their watch hours varied, but they had a set schedule that seemed to work for now.
“I’m a bit tired, but I think I’ll be okay. I’m not straining myself, and it seems like we didn’t set off any patrols.” He had been infusing his mana into the ship to ensure that a passive [Shroud] covered it.
It wasn't as good as his normal ones, but it ensured that anything beneath the water would fail to see them. Similarly, anything above them would only see calm ocean water if they looked down at their position. There wasn’t even a trail of waves flowing out behind them to show their trail.
“Well, hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we reach land. Only a couple more days. If we haven’t gotten lost, of course.” Riley took a seat next to Ezekiel. “How’s Shine? Are they doing alright?”
Off to the side, Shine was once more surrounded by the sphere of magic that was constantly putting pressure on their soul. They had entered this state the moment that Ezekiel had taken over for them in powering the [Shroud].
“They’re fine. It takes them a lot more energy than it does for me, but given they only have to hold the [Shroud] for a couple of hours, just enough for me to recharge, it’s more of an effective training tool than it is an exercise in patience.” That had been one of the things that Ezekiel was happy about.
Shine was growing stronger, and based on what Ezekiel could sense through their bond, the Void Spirit was on the cusp of breaking through. Something that he was incredibly excited about. It would mean that the next time they fought a Broodlord together, they had a high chance of winning.
But that didn’t mean that their breakthrough would be without consequences.
“I just hope that they can hold off reaching Tier five until we get to Quintessa. If they break through while we’re in the Desolate Lands, it’ll be like a beacon for the Cruor. We’ll get swarmed in an instant.” Just the thought made Ezekiel shiver. “I won’t even be able to [Shroud] it properly. The before and after, maybe, but the actual moment of ascension will cause a shift in the mana as their [Domain] evolves. It would be the same for you, too.”
Ezekiel’s warning fell on deaf ears. Riley had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
Looking down at his wife, he saw bags of exhaustion under her eyes. He figured that she must’ve been up for days helping to keep watch.
Gently sighing in fond exasperation, he lifted her up and put her on the cot that was right next to him. The cushion wasn’t great, but it was better than the floor. He knew from experience.
“Just a few more days... Then the real trouble begins.” Even as he channeled his mana without stop, Ezekiel shifted to look up at the ceiling above him. “What happens next? Am I supposed to just keep trudging onward, or is there something more immediate that requires my attention?”
He rubbed his chest where an ethereal itch from his danger sense gnawed on him.
The fact that things had been going smoothly so far bothered him. Something was coming, but he didn’t know where it was from. Was it the Cruor? The Cult of Light?
Did the Ancient Void have another surprise for him?
Another, more pained and frustrated, sigh escaped his lips. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Closing his eyes, he fell into a state of meditation. It would extend his time powering the [Shroud] by a few hours. More than enough time for Shine to get a bit more training in.
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Standing on the edge of the ship, Ezekiel gazed into the distance. His vision was unencumbered by the near pitch-black darkness of the Desolate Lands. Though the iridescent glow from the sheer amount of Ichor tainted water not far from them made it easier than normal.
“Well, that’s certainly not a normal occurrence. Even for the Desolate Lands.” The entire crew was at full alert due to the strangeness of the situation.
Shine was temporarily taking over the [Shroud] on the ship and would be able to maintain it for a couple of hours. So long as nothing happened to disrupt it.
“We were hoping that you would be able to inspect it with your [Domain]. It’s currently directly in our path. Dropping anchor isn’t really an option if we don’t want to get caught, but diverting course would mean adding an unknown amount of time to our travel.” Fiana explained as she and the other Scholars attempted to get some readings with the scouting Artifacts they had with them. “We can’t tell what its dimensions are, but judging by the current that our Glacial Mages can sense, it’s likely that it would take significantly longer to go around than it would to pass through.”
Ezekiel took a look around the ship. He could tell that nothing the Scholars had was working properly, and they had confirmed that even the Com-Slates, which were already finicky in the Desolate Lands, were completely inoperable at this time.
“... I’ll give it a shot.” If not for the fact that his danger sense hadn’t changed, Ezekiel might not have been so willing to expand his senses like this. But he was confident that he could protect the ship from anything other than a Broodlord.
Falling into a state of meditation, his perception expanded to the edge of the strange water they were slowly approaching. The moment his [Domain] made contact with it, he felt like he had been blinded by the amount of mana that was present in the water.
It was like he was looking at a constantly blooming Ichorous Spine. He could barely make out the shape of the towering structure sitting on the seabed. However, this one was tens of times larger than the ones he’d seen on the surface.
Worse yet, while he couldn’t sense the Deep Lord, he could tell that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of Cruor and Umbral Beasts swimming about beneath the surface.
Each one was attending to the massive spiraling mass of eggs that curled around and up the underwater Spine. They pulsed in a rhythmic manner, slowly absorbing the Ichor from the mana that was being drawn in from the environment.
It was rich in the Glacier element, but minute traces of the other elements, barring the Void, were also present. Brought in via large sacs being carried by teams of Legendary Cruor that were coming to and fro from other areas beyond Ezekiel’s reach.
Before he could say anything to the crew, Shine called out to him through their link.
‘Something’s happening to the ship! I’m losing control of the [Shroud]!’ Their voice was filled with concern and struggle. Ezekiel could feel the [Shroud]flickering as the flow of mana became disrupted by something that was on the boat.
Now that he was focusing directly on the ship, Ezekiel could tell that the bottom of it had entered into a swarm of krill like Umbral Beasts. Utterly tiny in size, but also numbering in the millions.
They were utterly translucent, and it was basically impossible to see them with your eyes. Even the passive [Shroud] failed to sense them. Mostly because they didn’t seem to have a mana source and were almost the same consistency as the water.
“It’s like they’re an ocean in and of themselves...” Ezekiel muttered while he took over control of the [Shroud] from Shine. “Fiana, alert the crew to be as quiet as possible. I’m going to have to enhance the [Shroud], and we’re going to have company soon. Get them to brace, but not attack. Not yet.”
The moment Ezekiel finished talking, the ship began to rise from the water. It was still covered in the [Shroud] but when it had flickered out of existence for a brief second, Ezekiel noticed that the Cruor below had sensed it.
Letting out a groan of exertion, Ezekiel felt his mana begin to drain at a much faster pace as he employed multiple spells and [Understandings] to his magic. Including a brief wave of [Nothingness] that snuffed the life out of the countless krill that had stuck to the ship and been siphoning off the mana Shine had been channeling. But it was necessary, as proven by the fact that a couple hundred Cruor just breached the surface with weapons bared.
‘Holy shit!’ Shine cursed through their bond. ‘Why are there so many of them?’
“...I think we’re passing over a nest. I saw thousands of eggs twisting up and around a massive Spine that was growing out of the ocean floor.” Spoke aloud to let the rest of the crew know what was going on. His enhanced [Shroud] would block the noise from reaching the Cruor beneath them. “How do you all wish to proceed?”
The others looked confused for a moment. Except for Riley, who narrowed her eyes and bit her lip in thought. The rest of the crew didn’t remain silent.
“What do you mean, Exalt Ezekiel?” one of the Hunters asked while looking back from where he had peered over the railing of the ship. “Shouldn’t we just leave as soon as possible?”
Ezekiel nodded, “Yes, that would be the smart thing. Given where we need to get to. But this is also an opportunity to take out a massive potential force for the Cruor. It will mean that our presence is unlikely to be a secret any longer, but with a few of my special explosives, we could level this area, and the nest within. Taking out a small army of the Deep Cruor in the process.”
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That drew several considering looks from the entirety of the crew. Even the Scholars like Fiana and George, who weren’t as martially inclined as the Hunters.
“I want to reiterate that this is not the smartest idea. Getting to our destination without getting caught is. However, we are at war, and my gut is telling me that taking out as many of these nests as possible, if they’re on the way, will greatly help the Archipelago in winning the war.”
In the water beneath them, it seemed like most of the Cruor had had enough of looking for whatever had set off their senses. Though there were still a number looking out, just in case. The death of the krill had given them a warning that something was there. But Ezekiel knew that they hadn’t found him and his crew just yet.
“I think that we should drop the bombs,” an older and more gravelly voice spoke up from the other side of the ship. Everyone turned to look at him. “Think about it. The Cruor already know that something was here. Else the Exalt wouldn’t have taken us into the air like this. They just can’t find us right now. Yet, who’s to say that they won’t increase patrols and start actively hunting for us nonetheless?”
The older Hunter’s words were well received, and the crew seemed to come to an agreement.
“Yeah... better to take out what we can for now. Since we’ll be having to increase our wariness and lookouts already.” This time it was a few of the younger Hunters that spoke up. Each one saying something along the same lines.
Looking around the ship, Ezekiel saw that a few were not as eager as the ones who spoke up were. However, no one was speaking against them either.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ezekiel saw Riley, Fiana, and George also nod their heads.
“Alright then.” Ezekiel pulled several decahedrons from his Void Pouch. Each one was a little bit larger than his fist and were utterly filled with mana of all types. With just a bit of his [Will] infused into them to ensure that the mana had a proper direction when they went off.
Half a dozen floated in the air in front of him, and Ezekiel took the time to infuse them with a temporary [Shroud]. This would make it so the Cruor wouldn’t find them until they sank and made contact with the Spine.
Keeping them in the air, Ezekiel waited until they were directly above the Spine before he dropped the [Shrouded] explosives into the water. They sank like stones, and Ezekiel flexed his mana even more to make them move faster.
“Hold on!” He couldn’t afford to shield them from the wind resistance, and he had to lower the effectiveness of the [Shroud] to get them up to speed. Luckily, the railings were sturdy, and no one was thrown off the ship as it accelerated.
It didn’t slow down, even after they reached the other side of the glowing water. Having passed over it, Ezekiel realized that it was indeed much thinner than they had expected. Though he couldn’t tell how long the strip of water was, he knew that the Scholars’ earlier estimates were most likely right.
‘The fact that we flew over instead of sailing also probably affected our travel time.’ Shine pointed out when Ezekiel slowed the ship down. ‘Speaking of, shouldn’t you land the ship now? Why are we still going higher?’
Ezekiel was about to reply but didn’t have to since the explosives finally went off, and an enormous plume of water filled the sky. Followed by a massive wave that began chasing the ship.
‘That’s why!’ Ezekiel exclaimed as Shine began aiding him in bringing the ship higher into the sky.
“What the hell was in those bombs?!” George, who was wrapped up in branches that were grown out of the ship, screamed over the sound of rushing water as he held on for dear life.
“It wasn’t the bombs! It was the fact that they ignited the Ichor in the Spine! Along with the Enchantments I infused into the magic; it acted like a catalyst to make the explosion even larger.” Ezekiel called out at the top of his voice. “Given how much bigger this Spine was, the explosion was several hundred times greater than it would’ve been if it was a regular Spine used above ground.”
By now, the majority of the force of the explosion had died down, though the water below them was still tumultuous. With water rushing back to fill in the hole left by the explosion. It would be a while before it would be safe for Ezekiel to drop the boat back in the water. Fortunately, Shine was already taking steps to regain their mana so that Ezekiel could recover as soon as possible.
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A couple of days later, in the area that once held the massive nest and Spine, Lord Christopher, the Deep’s Broodlord, floated in the water. He looked down at the massive crater that was currently releasing toxic fumes and minerals that seeped into the water.
“You’re certain it happened in an instant?” he asked with a deceptively calm voice.
The clenched fists and fiercely thrashing tail showed just how angry he truly was, but his subordinate replied all the same.
“Indeed, my lord. I was with one of the escort teams that was accompanying a delivery of Ichor from the mainland. We had just gotten in range of the Spine’s influence when a bright light filled the sea. It was followed by a wall of force that sent the ocean outward. Even after several minutes, the hole left in the water was still treacherous from how torn up the currents were. The lingering energy from the ignited Ichor also made it too dangerous for any of our scouts to get close. It sent those that tried into a frenzy until they could be removed from the region.”
The Cruor that spoke was a Legendary member that had several tentacles stretching out from his back. Beyond that, he was incredibly humanoid in appearance. Beyond the webbed hands and feet that were the standard for all Deep Cruor.
“...l The Herald as here. Only he has the means to ignite a Spine and create an explosion of such magnitude.” The Deep Lord’s voice filled the water and caused the other Cruor nearby to tremble from the vibrations created by the force he was emitting in his fury. “Where is the closest encampment to here? I need to use a Scrying Pool.”
None of the Cruor dared to refute the Deep Lord’s claims. They knew that the Herald of the Void had spells that could ignite their Ichor. At least when it wasn’t directly under their [Will].
The thought that it might’ve been a different group of Hunters that had made it here without the Herald and had merely used his Artifacts to blow up the Spine, hadn’t occurred to them.
Not that it would have mattered. Tier Lord was filled with wrath, and so were they. Regardless of who it was, they would be hunted to the ends of the ocean, and further beyond, if necessary.
Even if the Deep had to acquire the aid of the other Cruor Broods.
It was several hours later when Christopher spilled his blood into a pool of Ichor that was settled at the bottom of a massive hole that was dug and maintained at the bottom of the ocean.
Mana flowed in from the water, and up from the thermal vents in the area, converting into Ichor and providing a slow, miniscule, and steady amount of sustenance for the Cruor and Umbral Beasts in this area. A veritable buffet compared to the barren waters that the majority of their territory comprised.
Within moments, the pool surged upward, and while not all the Broodlords attended this impromptu meeting, there were enough for Christopher to get the word out.
“The Herald is here. I don’t know his exact location, but he is traveling through our lands. If he is headed for land, he will have made it there by now, so there is little I can do at this time.” The Deep Lord’s reluctant admittance was easily discerned by those that heard him speak.
“... It’s fine. I will send several packs to ensure that he gets no rest on his journey. Serin is also close by. Having returned to her territory in full. Once she gets word, I’m sure she’ll look forward to a rematch.” The Fanged Lord spoke with a confidence that Christopher wasn’t sure of.
Yet there was nothing he could do. The matter was now out of his hands. His inability to be effective on land meant that he would have to rely on his peers to solve this problem.
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Ezekiel and his crew had made landfall a little while ago. It had been a few days since they had blown up the underwater Spine. Even with the relative silence from the Cruor, they were particularly careful when traveling. Utilizing much more regular watch shifts and doing what they could to ensure that Ezekiel had as much recovery time as possible.
“It’s fortunate that we didn’t run into any other side quests on the way.” Ezekiel had been run fairly ragged during the last leg of their sea voyage. Now they just had to finish their journey on land. But it would take several days, and the number of Cruor that would be crossing their paths would increase exponentially from what the oceans had.
“Lord Exalt, the transports are ready to head out. The ship had also been secured in the specially made Void Storage Artifact. We can set out at any time.” One of the Legendary Hunters that had been leading a team in preparing for travel approached Ezekiel with a report from the Scholars in her hands. “I also have this. It’s information that the Scholars managed to obtain regarding the surrounding area. It seems like there are some additional changes to the landscape that were not expected.”
Ezekiel couldn’t help but let out a quiet snort before turning his head to look at the plant life that was growing around them. Fungal forests surrounded him and his crew. As did many other growths and substances that were utterly foreign to them.
‘I think the Scholars have gotten confused, since it’s clear they can only point out the obvious.’ Shine snarked while Ezekiel went over the report. ‘Any chance that this won’t cause additional problems as we travel?’
‘I doubt it. There’s too much going on for us to not be utterly blinded at some point.’ Ideas and scenarios of what might happen passed through his mind when he finished reading the report. ‘I’m just happy that it seems like this forest is too big for the Rotting Matriarch to have turned it into a singular entity. Having a fungal network actively passing on our position on a regular basis would be horrible.’
A shiver of fear passed through their bond as both Hunter and Spirit thought about the possibility of being watched at all times.
‘Do you think we’ll be able to get relatively close to the border before truly having to fight?’
Ezekiel was surprised at the amount of worry that Shine was showing for the rest of the crew. Usually, they were relatively uncaring of such people. Their attention was mostly focused on their friends and family, as opposed to the various Guild members that followed them.
‘I’d be surprised if we don’t get into a major fight by tomorrow. Which is why we’ll be doing our best to avoid directly heading to Quintessa.’ Ezekiel passed his plan through his bond with Shine. ‘So long as we don’t deviate too much, we should be able to trick the Cruor for a couple of days before they get smart and understand exactly where we’re headed.’
Shine remained silent after looking over Ezekiel’s intended route. Hearing no disputes, Ezekiel motioned for the Guild members around him to start heading out.
“Let’s get moving. I’ll cover us in a [Shroud] for as long as possible, but given the more physical evidence of our travel, we’ll need to take additional steps to ensure that we can’t be tracked.” At this point, Riley approached, alongside a few other Hunters, with a handful of amulets. “With that in mind, we’ll be having several teams set up to create false trails. These amulets will allow you to perform a single [Jump] to return to our location. Using them, you will need to create false trails that will hopefully lead any trackers into different directions while we move forward.”
As Riley passed out the amulet Artifacts, she held onto one, much to Ezekiel’s displeasure. He didn’t say anything, however, since he knew that holding her, the second most powerful Hunter here, back from this mission would be far too much favoritism for him to be showing. He would lose all respect from his present followers if he did that. Something he was certain that Riley was aware of.
“If you get out of the range of the amulets the crystal in the center will flash. It’s equipped with my [Shroud] spell, so you should be able to flee if needed, but if you get too far away, the [Jump] won’t work, since it must be able to connect with my [Domain] to bring you back properly.”
The assembled Hunters stood ready to head out as he finished his explanation.
If you understand your orders, then go.” Ezekiel’s order was immediately fulfilled, and all the Hunters around him disappeared.
At the edge of his senses, he could feel them getting farther and farther away. His attention remained focused on one Flame Hunter in particular.
‘Hey, we need to move, or the convoy will go beyond your [Domain].’ Shine pulled Ezekiel back into the present, and he moved to get on one of the vehicles that was near the center.
Settling into a seated position, he spread his senses outward to keep alert of any approaching enemies. At the same time, Shine focused on their self-reflection to search for his [Truth].
A sense of urgency filled them both, as they continued deeper and deeper into the Desolate Lands, and closer to the dangers that they could sense beyond the horizon.