The air parted as a humanoid figure raced through the sky. A massive sword that was as long as he was tall followed after him. Neither Ezekiel nor Shine showed any signs of stopping.
Almost all rational thoughts had fled from Ezekiel’s mind as he flew as fast as he could to the border of the Desolate Lands, Given how far he Spirit Haven had already been, and the fact that Shine had flown for almost half a day to get away from there, it would take him just over a day to arrive.
However, doing so would mean that he would be completely drained. Something that he didn’t care about, but his partner certainly did.
“Slow the hell down!” Shine yelled after they had passed over their third mountain.
Ezekiel ignored them but couldn’t ignore the way his nose crunched when he flew face first into a [Void Pane] that was created right in front of him. It shattered, of course, but he was disorientated enough to tumble through the air.
The crater he made when he hit the ground was several dozens of meters wide, and the trail was even longer. Yet it was the increased gravity that weighed down on him that was the worst.
“Let me up, Shine!” he ordered while straining against the pressure pinning him down.
“Not until you calm down!” Shine refused, and the pressure increased. “You always do this! You find out that your loved ones are in trouble, and you rush off without another word. It’s no wonder we’ve had so many issues trying to make progress in the past.”
A sense of indignation filled Ezekiel. He had made significant progress over the years. The most progress that any Hunter had ever made in history, and he had pioneered the path the the fifth Tier that no human had ever reached without the aid of their bonded Spirit.
However, he was still barely coherent enough to know that Shine had a point. He was rushing face first into trouble once more. Yes, the guards had apparently learned their information from the Church and other reliable sources, but it could be a deception to draw him out.
“...Do you think that they were lying?” he allowed himself to partially relax, and most of the pressure pinning him down was let up. Not all of it, and that little precaution was something Ezekiel was proud of Shine for putting in place.
“I don’t think that they were lying, but I also don’t think we can just take their word for it. They’re a batch of nobodies that are playing guard dog for a ruler of some no name town in the middle of nowhere.” Shine’s avatar shook its head. “I think that all we have right now is a lead. A lead that needs to be followed up on. We should do what we were originally going to do. Head south and check on the last recorded location where Riley’s massive fires were seen.”
“What about Morncrest? Do you think that the Cruor truly dedicated four different broods of Cruor to taking the island? The Deep and Winged were bad enough, but with the Rot and Swarm... I don’t think it would’ve been difficult. It’s just that it would open up far too many holes in the borders of the Desolate Lands.” Now that he had calmed down, Ezekiel was able to figure out the problems with the information that they had obtained.
“Holes that the forces on the western border of the Desolate Lands would be able to cover, since the Empire isn’t fighting against the Cruor anymore?” Shine floated over and leaned on Ezekiel.
“... Dammit!” he tensed up, and it was only because of Shine holding him down that stopped him from moving. “I’m getting tired of all this bullshit!”
The ground shattered beneath his fist. Mana fluctuated and space warped in the surroundings. This went on for several minutes, and when he was finally done, all that was heard in the now destroyed and silent area was the sound of his own heavy breathing.
“Ezekiel... What are we going to do? I thought that we’d be able to do a bunch of things. Avenge the Spirits in my memories, see our family again, and even take out the Cruor, but it’s looking more and more like that won’t be an option. Not with how little time we have left.” Shine’s despondent words hung over Ezekiel like a storm cloud.
His mind began racing at a rapid pace, and thoughts filled with premonitions of the future rant rampant. Doubts and fears, regrets and wrath, as well as countless other concerns filled nearly drove him mad. It was so much that he forced himself to sink into his Void, just to avoid the turmoil.
Shine was not left unaware of this, but they didn’t do anything to stop him. They just sent feelings of apology though their bond. It was enough to make Ezekiel pull himself out of his funk, but he knew that there was nothing that they could do with the information that they currently had.
Instead, he focused on something he hadn’t thought of. Something that he had never used in this way before. Not without an anchor to keep himself grounded.
“Why don’t we take a look at what might be in store for us?” he said, much to Shine’s confusion. But rather than explain, he simply entered the meditative state needed to predict his battle strategies.
Only this time, he infused a couple of new things into the magic. Specifically, he infused his [Understanding] of the symbolic form of [Possibilities], [Unknown], and [Mysteries] into the spell.
The gains that he had acquired from his [Enlightenment] a year ago but hadn’t managed to utilize until recently. Mostly due to not knowing how to incorporate it into his fighting strategies.
“Are you sure that this will work out? You mentioned that this kind of prediction might use up too much energy or result in you getting lost in the ocean of endless futures that exist in the ether.” Shine’s concerns were valid, and Ezekiel wasn’t going to brush them off.
“That’s why you need to remain in the present, and I want you to use your [Understanding] of [Gravity] to symbolically influence my soul and mind, to keep me grounded if I start to wander too far.” Ezekiel didn’t stop his channeling, the spell was taking more preparations than his battle magic, because the sheer number of steps and pieces that were contributing to the spell were exponentially larger than his other predictive spells. “Do you think you can do it?”
Shine was silent for a moment, going over the thoughts and ideas that Ezekiel was sending through the bond between them. They stayed silent for a few seconds, but their reply brought a smile to Ezekiel’s face. The trust his Spirit had in him was always a joy to feel.
Even if he sometimes felt that it wasn’t deserved.
“Okay, let’s do this! Our fate is in your hands, like usual.” They said before Ezekiel felt several hooks latch onto him on several levels of his existence.
Taking a deep breath in, he focused his mind inward, checking on all the parts of the spell he was about to use. The mana inside him moved in several twisting paths that seemed to reach out to nowhere.
The feeling of his [Understandings] infused with his magic brought him a sense of comfort that he had always loved to feel.
Within his mental plane, his soul held out its hands before slamming them together and releasing a pulse of magic that filled his soul with light.
In an instant, his mind was filled with countless images of possibilities and futures that were yet to come. Each one was different from the last, and the process immediately escaped his control.
Only the hooks held tightly by Shine kept him from getting lost, but no matter what, he couldn’t stop. Not until he had his answers.
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For the first time in over half a year Wolken and Strom were meeting in person once again. The Tempest Exalt had done everything he could to stay away from any Cathedrals belonging to the Church of Ten, with special attention to avoiding the Cathedral that covered the Temple of the Void.
“I’m surprised that they let you off your leash.” Wolken smiled at his old friend. It seemed to somewhat lessen the blow of his words, but Strom still frowned in response.
“I heard you were planning on setting out today. Hoping to kill a Broodlord, if the words from your followers are true.” Strom was seated on a stone bench that he had formed just outside the city.
Wolken had met him outside rather than within the city. It would be easier for him to escape if needed. The walls of the city would also provide some protection if he had to exchange blows with the Cavern Hunter.
“I also found out that you haven’t sworn any oaths or signed any contracts.” Strom continued before Wolken could get a word in. “Something tells me that I’m not going to like your reason as to why.”
Wolken simply shrugged. “It’s not my fault that the Church of Ten is pushing too hard. The fact that they preach about humanity’s survival but obey the word of a Spirit that knows nothing about being human is laughable.”
There was a shift in the air, and the Scholars and Hunters that were listening tensed up. It was barely noticeable to him, but he had been practicing his more subtle magic ever since his visit to the Spirit Haven. If he hadn’t, he might’ve been tricked by his sister several months ago.
“The Void Remnant wants to protect us.” Strom replied, but Wolken just scoffed.
“The Remnant is a scared child who has lost his mind in his old age.” Wolken’s words were not well received, and he could feel mana charging the atmosphere as others prepared their spells.
A raised hand from Strom calmed them down. Yet his frown was even bigger than before.
“Being sacred is not a crime.”
“Taking away other people’s freedoms because of fear most certainly is!”
The two Exalts of opposing elements began releasing their mana more visibly. It was becoming too much for the Legendaries in close proximity to handle.
“I’m simply here to fight the Broodlords. They’ve divided their forces, and there’s no reason for us to fight. If you’re going after Ezekiel, I won’t stop you, but I sweat, by my Spirit and my soul, I’m not going to help you either.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Something in the world seemed to snap into place the moment Wolken swore his oath, and a broad grin split his face, even as Strom’s twisted into an angry snarl.
“He has reached the peak! Worse yet, he is headed for the Desolate Lands to save his family! This is the exact situation that the Void Remnant was worried about! If he is allowed to go into the core regions, there will be nothing we can do to prevent him from releasing the Broods upon this world!”
The Cavern Exalt’s worried cries fell on deaf ears as Wolken scratched the side of his head and yawned. He was officially over this meeting and had no desire to remain any longer.
“Your problem, Strom, is that you have no faith in what’s in front of you. You only put faith in things that are so far beyond your comprehension that it’s impossible to understand their motivations and desires.” Wolken let out a burst of wind, and a small army of Hunters rose into the air, headed north, just like he had told them to earlier. “I know what motivates Ezekiel, as well as what he wants. That means that my faith isn’t blind, and I’m still capable of thinking with a clear head. Rather than listening to the mob and following something just because it’s always been that way.”
He stepped into the air, silently dismissing his old friend, but it was apparent that Strom wasn’t going to let him leave so easily. Not if the stone constructs sent his way, were any indication.
“Given your oath, I can’t make you fight the Herald, but I won’t let you pave the way for him either!” Strom had donned his Spirit Armor, but Wolken just smirked.
“It seems like you don’t understand the difference between us, even if your Spirit has gotten stronger,” he held up a hand, a multilayered wall of wind appearing between himself and the charging Cavern Hunter.
The latter's eyes widened, inches away from Wolken, who had yet to don his own Spirit Armor.
Instead, the aura of a Step two Mythical being emanated from him. It was less than Strom and his Spirit combined could release, but Wolken felt his ego swell with pride, nonetheless.
“That’s not possible... A human soul that is dragged into Tier five by their bonded Spirit is forever scared, and incapable of growing past Step one!” Strom’s outraged shock was enough to send the other Hunters into a stupor. Most of them were peak Legendary Hunters who had risen to their current heights due to the battles with the Cruor over the past, nearly a decade of constant fighting.
Most of them had learned the truth about reaching Tier five. Upon finding out that Ezekiel had broken through on his own, many of them held out hopes for doing the same, rather than crippling their ability to progress forward.
Several of the older Hunters even had Spirits that were ready to break through but had held back so as to not risk harming their bonded human partners.
In all of Eldramir’s history, only two Mages had ever reached Tier five on their own, leading the way for their Spirits to follow. Even then, Riley’s advancement was only confirmed through rumors and secondhand reports, since she and Evelyn had never made contact with any cities beyond getting supplies before leaving to continue burning down the Cruor as often as possible.
Now, one of the oldest members of the old guard of Mythical Hunters was telling them that the old method wasn’t permanently crippling. In just a single sentence, the world had been flipped on its head once more, but this time by an old man with a reputable reputation spanning over a century, rather than a young man whose reputation was mixed due to disputing factions.
“In truth, I had never thought that this would be possible. It might very well be that this last breakthrough was the last one I’ll ever have. The core I’ve formed is weak, and even now my soul is screaming in pain.” A wry smile spread across his face. Yet his eyes drooped from the mental exhaustion he felt creeping through his entire body. “However, [I am the Maelstrom the Blows Without Restraint] so perhaps my path isn’t over just yet.”
Wolken’s words reverberated through the region. They rolled far past the boundaries of the other side of the city, and even the trees on the mountains in the distance flickered in the wind.
This time, Strom said nothing and Wolken rose into the air without any effort made to stop him.
“Oh! Since we’re friends, I’ll give you a little hint. If you’re looking to get in Ezekiel’s way, you’ll want to head about six hundred kilometers south of here. That’s where the most direct line to the Desolate Lands from the town that reported his return will cut through.”
Calling out loudly enough for all the Hunters to hear him, Wolken smirked.
He felt no guilt in selling out Ezekiel’s most likely path. As far as he saw it, if he couldn’t even fight off Strom and an army of Legendaries, then he had no right to charge head first into the core regions of the Desolate Lands.
Now, he and his true followers, who had already left a while ago, needed to fulfill their roles as Hunters, to kill a Broodlord for the first time in centuries.
If they didn’t, Ezekiel might beat them to it.
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There was a sense of solemn anticipation that filled the air when Strom and the Hunters under his command gathered around the most likely crossroad where Ezekiel would pass them by on his assumed journey to the Desolate Lands.
Notices and reports had gone back and forth between the small army and the Void Temple for a few days. When they finally got into place, the last report they received was that Ezekiel would be passing through this area with a one hundred percent certainty.
Given their mission, this should’ve been a good thing for them, but Strom knew otherwise.
“If the Void Remnant can make predictions, then so can the Void Herald. Such a thing has been confirmed for years. It’s how he always gets out of the worst situations. That means that he knows we’re here, and he’s still chosen to face us.” Strom was stoic when he said this, but there was a tension that filled his body. One that only other Cavern Mages were able to notice, yet that didn’t matter when word spread through the camp not long after the address.
Everyone was wary and cautious. Ezekiel was well known for not wanting to kill other humans in his quest. At least not when they weren’t against him and his family. Unfortunately, with how the Church of Ten and Guilds were treating him, Strom didn’t have much faith in any old connections that Ezekiel might’ve had in the past.
“I really wish we’d managed to get the Archipelago back into the fold. I know there was some debate between the different islands and Cathedrals, but surely, we could’ve gotten at least a couple of the Scholars that were Ezekiel’s friends to join us.” Several Hunters had expressed this sentiment over the course of their travel and wait.
Strom, however, knew much better than they did. “Anyone that Ezekiel would care about enough to come for would be someone who would fight against us with everything they had. Not only that, but half the Scholars he’s friends with have disappeared. Probably on uncharted islands or taken by the Cruor.”
It wasn’t something he liked to think about, but the simple fact of the matter was that the Cruor were gaining ground. They had already subjugated half the Continent, and Quintessa was losing ground as well.
Maybe, if they could just kill one of their Broodlords, they’d be able to turn things around, but unless Wolken pulled a fast one before his opponent could run, it wasn’t likely to happen any time soon.
“Lord Exalt! Word from the Cloud Scouts say that there’s movement to the east!” A call from one of his Hunters pulled Strom from his thoughts. It was expected that Ezekiel would be arriving today.
The Cloud Scouts were the name given to the temporary scouting teams that had flying Spirits. They kept watch from several kilometers in the sky. Well above the clouds, and as far up as they could possibly go without harming themselves.
“Get the formations ready! All Hunters are to prepare themselves. Did the scouts say how far away he was?” Strom immediately donned his Spirit Armor. He also palmed an amulet that was given to him by the Void Remnant before he left the Temple. It was supposed to be a last resort to kill Ezekiel.
He didn’t know what it actually did, but he figured that it wasn’t something he would like.
“I’m right here.”
The unfamiliar voice that answered Strom was enough to make him pause, but only for a moment, since the words that were said were quick to register in his mind. A crack from the sonic boom that formed when he reflexively swung his weapon, a large, spiked club, made several Hunters recoil. Though they recovered quickly, even as the second shockwave knocked them over.
Standing in the middle of their camp was their target. Ezekiel floated several feet off the ground, sitting cross legged in the air. A single arm was raised and held back Strom’s weapon with only a single barrier to protect it. One that, from what little Strom could sense, didn’t have any [Understandings] strengthening it, just a lot of mana.
The thing that made the Cavern Exalt nervous, however, was the utter lack of the opalescent blade that was the vessel of Ezekiel’s Spirit. In fact, Ezekiel wasn’t even wearing his Spirit Armor.
That, along with the Void Hunter’s eyes, was enough to sena chill down Strom’s spine.
The eyes that tended to shine with a mix of black and white were dull. There was little to no life in his eyes. Only sadness, and a resignation that Strom had only seen on the faces of those that knew that they were going to die.
“What happened to you?” he couldn’t help but ask. In that moment, he also realized that none of his Hunters were moving to try and help him. In fact, he saw that none of them were moving at all.
This was not the man that Strom knew of from the stories. The images he had seen in the past painted a much stronger picture. One that portrayed a man that was confident in his actions. An image of a man who knew that the world was against him but refused to give in or give up.
If anything, Ezekiel’s eyes grew sadder upon hearing Strom’s question.
“... I found out what I need to do...”
Strom’s heart dropped, because those words had a lot of meaning behind them. None of which was good. Not if the Void Remnant’s predictions were anything to go by.
A moment after he said those words, Ezekiel twisted his arm to grab Strom’s weapon. He then crushed it in his grasp, and shattered shards of metal fell to the ground.
Strom pushed to back up and escape close quarters as fast as he could, but he felt as though he had hit a wall. He stopped dead in his tracks before he even got a few feet away.
The next thing he knew, before flying through the mountain behind him, was what it felt like for an Exalted Void Hunter, albeit one without their Spirit present, to punch him in the face.
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There was a pause just after Ezekiel sent Strom flying. A part of him regretted what he’d just done, but he’d do the same if it was Wolken, or any other Mythical being he’d faced before.
‘Are you absolutely certain that this is necessary?’ Shine’s voice called through their bond. ‘We could’ve avoided them without dealing with any of this.’
The world slowed to a crawl, just as the Legendary Hunters began to react. He didn’t want to bother with them either, but Shine was wrong in their assumption.
‘I showed you the memory. You know that we need to do things this way. Otherwise, we’ll fail, and the Broods will get free. Regardless of what the Void Remnant thinks.’ Ezekiel waved his hands, the time acceleration on himself meant that he was able to strike each of the Hunters that were attacking him before they moved even a few feet. ‘It’ll take some time, but you need to be here to both explain what will happen and anchor me so that I can get back here.’
‘I still don’t like it. You didn’t even see everything that could happen. Not only did you lose the vision before it could finish, but you also don’t know what Strom’s going to use against you. This could go very badly.’ Shine was still reluctant to move forward with this plan.
‘Can you think of anything else? I can’t, but if you can, I’ll go along with it.’
Shine’s silence was more than enough for Ezekiel to know that there was nothing better that they could think of at that moment. Given that they had both agreed to this course of action, however, this response was somewhat expected.
By this point, each of the Hunters and Mages had been knocked unconscious. It was costly, but it would ensure that they didn’t get involved in the fight. Even if the difference between him and Strom was much smaller now.
“Now it’s just Strom that needs to be-”
A shift in the Void nearly left him too shocked to respond to the boulder that was now aimed for his face. But he managed to barely duck out of the way.
His instincts screamed at him to not [Jump] unless he wanted to hurt himself.
“... I see. So, that’s why I couldn’t fully plan out this fight...”
Before him, approaching from the mountain that Strom had just been blasted through, the Cavern Hunter was walking forward. Yet he wasn’t clad in just his normal Spirit Armor.
Instead, an opalescent mesh of wires surrounded his entire body, originating from an Artifact that Ezekiel could feel the Void emanating from.
As well as a piece of soul that he recognized as belonging to the Void Remnant of Quintessa.
“Well, at least you have an excuse as to why you haven’t used this before.” Memories of having a piece of his own soul ripped out flashed through his memory.
He didn’t regret it, since it created Shine, but it was still one of the most painful things he’d ever experienced. Among his top five at least.
‘Is he...?’ Shine’s apprehension and fear absolutely flooded their bond, but Ezekiel knew what they were asking and shook his head.
‘No. Strom’s still in control. His soul has not been corrupted by the Remnant. I don't think that would be possible anyway. The Remnant is only at the peak of Tier five.’
Even though he said this, Ezekiel still felt a sense of discomfort from how similar this was to the Cult’s so-called Blessings of Radiance.
For now, however, he had more important details to focus on. Like the massive, and spiked, stone fists that were aimed at his head.