The ground that Ezekiel and Shine had to cover was extensive, and given their need to get there as soon as possible, they were forced to expend a fair bit of mana in order to get there quickly. It still took several hours by the end of it.
“I see the base... It looks just fine.” Shine had extended their senses outward and was sharing them with Ezekiel to give him a broader view of the situation. “Are you certain that something’s going to go wrong right now?”
Being honest with himself, Ezekiel wasn’t totally certain anymore. He knew that things looked calm, but that could change in an instant when beings of his power level were involved.
“Even if things look alright, we need to keep an eye out. The Broodmasters are going to be focused on keeping their new hosts safe so that Radiant Chaos’ plan can be fulfilled, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t take the chance to kill us if they can.” He knew that such a thing was the ultimate goal for all the Broodmasters, but given the stakes, he also knew that neither side was willing to commit if it looked like they were going to lose. “Be ready, just in case there’s anything hiding away. I trust that both of us have senses sharp enough to notice them, but a bit of wariness wouldn’t hurt.”
Considering they were both nearing a mere half of their reserves, Ezekiel actually felt that a lot of wariness was necessary, but didn't want to voice it just yet.
For now, they would focus on getting to the base and being updated on the situation. Something that the base should be prepared to do, if Strom and the previous base they were at had passed on word, like they should have.
The lack of any Hunters or Spirits coming out to greet them was a telling sign that something was wrong. So, it was with growing apprehension that Ezekiel and Shine approached the base. The tall and hastily constructed walls loomed over them as they approached.
No sign of any watchmen or guards could be seen anywhere along the top or bottom.
His [Danger Sense] was growing louder, but nothing that screamed death just yet. Just a warning of caution, and preparation for what was to come. Whatever that may be.
I don’t like this... Do you think they might’ve figured something out to get past our [Danger Sense]? Shine spoke mentally, which Ezekiel was thankful for, since it would prevent anyone from overhearing them as they entered the seemingly empty base. It’s happened before, where we’ve misread the signs of danger and walked into a trap or been caught off guard.
Though he hated to admit it, Shine’s theory was more than likely. Radiant Chaos was strange and hard to deal with at the best of times. That was only when he thought about the Broodmaster’s physical features. When it came to the more esoteric abilities that were potentially inherited from the original Radiant Spirit, and worse, the Void affinity granted by Drake Cross, things just got more complicated.
I can’t say for certain, but for the moment it seems like we have to walk into this trap willingly. It won’t be possible for us to spring it before figuring out what it is. He stepped through the threshold created by the walls of the base. He placed his hand on the wall, momentarily, and allowed his mana to flicker and released a beacon underneath a [Shroud]. It would remain hidden, floating atop the wall where it wouldn’t be sensed by anything digging through the ground. We should still send an update to the other bases, just so they know what’s up. That way we can at least get them ready for any possible incursions after we leave. For now, I need you to take over self-protection. I want us off the ground, and covered by as many barriers as you can handle, just in case something comes at us from afar.
Will we be leaving right away? Shine sounded reluctant for a moment. I’m not saying we should waste any time here, but I thought you wanted to at least get a good sense of what was going on?
Ezekiel slowly pulled out his Com-Slate. I’d like to stay and make sure Invera is alright... However, I know what the cost of this war will be. We cannot afford to lose, even if another friend might fall.
A wave of exhaustion and guilt passed thought him when he sent these words to Shine. It was a horrible decision, but one that he needed to make. That didn’t mean that he would just let her die if he had a chance to step in. It just meant that he wouldn’t spend time looking for clues when he had other matters to focus on.
Like finding his family and clearing out what Cruor and Umbral Beast forces he found along the way. He may have feelings of gratefulness and appreciation for Invera, but it wasn’t the same as what he had for his family. They came first. Always.
Fiddling with the dials and buttons on his Com-Slate, Ezekiel opened it to a general broadcast. It wouldn’t take over all the Com-Slates in the world, but any that were listening in would be able to receive it and get an update. Simultaneously, he rose into the air to slowly float over the base.
“Hello... This is Ezekiel Luminance. I have just set foot in the Second Southern base, overseen by Harras, of the ex-Imperial Exalts. He and Invera, Mythical Guardian of the Fjorya Mountains have failed to report to my position upon my arrival. No Cruor have appeared in sight of the base, nor any Umbral Beasts. The base is empty, and I will be conducting a minor investigation to see if I can find out what happened. All nearby bases and cities should prepare for possible attacks.”
With that said, Ezekiel continued looking over the large fortress base, his senses stretched outward, and every inch of it, looking for any sort of clue, or hint, of what had happened here.
Yet there was basically nothing. The entire base looked abandoned, and other than some regular structural damage, seemingly in line with a standard level of attacks by the Cruor and Umbral Beasts, there was nothing that indicated a higher level of power taking exception to the Hunters and Spirits that were stationed here.
We should look deeper. At least before we head out. The Broodmasters include The Wyrm, after all. Shine’s suggestion had merit, so Ezekiel descended, expending a small amount of mana to begin drilling a hole with his barriers.
Pressing their senses downward, he and Shine continued to descend, going nearly a hundred meters below the surface before he finally reached something that chilled his blood.
A massive Cavern, somehow hidden from his sight, and hundreds of Hunters and Spirits, all looking up at him, expectantly, with oily red eyes, and veins that bulged out from their bodies.
Right in the center, were three figures. One Hunter with violet hair, and two Mythical birds of the same color. As one, they channeled violently sparking lightning directly at his position.
It seems like we found the trap! he mentally screamed before pushing himself back to the surface once more. However, he barely made it a few dozen meters, even with his speed, before a bolt of Lightning hit him in the back.
It nearly burst through his barriers, but they held strong, for now, and he continued to move.
Only for several, much smaller, mana signatures to pop up all around him. Previously hidden as one with the stone and earth that he was surrounded by.
As one, the signatures collapsed the world in on him, and he knew that he would be trapped in the ground if he didn’t get out now.
Get us to the closest beacon! He took over control of the barriers while Shine worked on connecting them to the beacon closest to the city. While he was able to hold back the earth from crushing him, for now, he could also feel it rumbling, and that could only mean one thing.
The Wyrm was getting closer, having hidden alongside The Blood. Both Broodmasters had hidden themselves with the use of the Hunters and Spirits that The Blood had taken over.
The combined will of both Broodmasters pressed in on him from all sides. It was suffocating, and he knew that staying in this area was basically a death sentence. Even more so, with The Blood Broodmaster’s influence bringing out the worst in his fellow Hunters and their Spirits.
Her ability to alter the minds of those that were infected with her special Ichor was showing its true terrifying might. Ezekiel knew that, even if he got out of this, there would be losses no matter what.
That would be something he would need to worry about later, however, since Shine had just [Jumped] them away. Right before the scaled maw of The Wyrm could wrap around them.
----------
----------------------------------------
There was a muffled crack when Ezekiel and Shine appeared after making their [Jump]. A moment later, he was once more surrounded by layer upon layer of [Void Pane] barriers.
He didn’t think it would be enough, but it was better than nothing.
“That was too close.” The pair reappeared at the top of the wall where the beacon had been left. “We need to get out of here. There’s no way we’re in a good enough state to actually fight them off.”
Rising into the air, Ezekiel couldn’t help but agree. They were in no condition to actually fight at this point. Worse yet, it wasn’t just two Broodmasters that had come for them.
While he was certain that it wouldn’t last that long, the effort it would take to have taken control of three Mythical beings was great enough that he knew that The Blood would lose her influence within a day at most. The problem was whether or not her pawns would survive the ordeal.
“... Let’s go... But take it slow. I want to see how far they chase us.”
Not a moment later, the ground burst open, and a massive wyrm, nearly fifteen meters wide at the mouth, rose into the air. A bloody red mass of tendrils followed behind it, breaking through the hole that had been left behind.
Then, a swarm of Hunters and Spirits flowed outward. The hundreds of magic users filled the sky, and their warped physical features steamed in pain and rage.
Stolen story; please report.
But none of that was a part of Ezekiel’s focus. Instead, he looked for the three exalted Lightning users that had nearly broken through his defenses. He had seen them just moments ago, so they should’ve been right there.
“Above!” Shine’s yell pulled him from his search, and he saw the towering Wyrm bend over, its mouth opening to reveal an enormous ball of lightning that was being charged up by the three Mythical beings.
“Shit!” He flew back as fast as he could, charging his mana for a [Jump] just in case, but a bloody red mist had filled the area. One that he felt a hint of Radiance from.
While it didn’t slow his fly speed down, it did prevent him from warping space in order to [Jump].
“Damned Radiant Chaos!” Cursing the only being capable of doing this, Ezekiel tried to fly faster, but he had barely made it a couple hundred meters in the few seconds it took for the orb of lightning to be released.
It was apparent that the mind-controlled Hunter and Spirits were still aware enough to be able to use their magic to its fullest potential, because they managed to predict the route that he was most likely going to take.
Worse yet, the lightning moved far faster than he did, so the best he could do was reinforce the barriers around himself. He couldn’t even speed up his perception at the moment. There was neither enough time, nor did he believe that the mana cost would be worth it.
He noticed Shine aid in reinforcing the barriers before the world went violet. The last thing he did was push himself into position so that the explosion blasted him forward, and away from the Broodmasters, rather than back toward them.
There was an earth-shattering boom when the shockwave of thunder rolled over him a second later, but by that point half his barriers had broken, and it took all he had to ride out the sudden acceleration as he was flung into the distance.
Take us up! The Broodmasters can’t fly nearly as fast as we or the Lightning Mythics can! His mental order was fulfilled with barely a moment to spare.
Shine managed to direct them upward, and what would’ve been an impact on the side of a mountain turned into a curve that brought them into the sky.
Incoming! Shine screamed in panic. Their last couple of barriers broke, Ezekiel felt his world turn into pain. It only abated when Shine threw the both of them to the side.
Fortunately, it seemed that Ezekiel’s last-minute effort had worked, and Harras, his Spirit, and Invera had taken to the air to fly after him. There was now a fair amount of distance between them and the Broodmasters behind them.
Unfortunately, it was just as apparent that they were being told to attack from a distance. They still weren’t close enough for Ezekiel to grab them and get out of there. The bloody mist was also spreading further and further, both into the sky and across the land.
They had a moment to breathe, however, so Ezekiel was quick to increase his perception, same with Shine, who took the moment to voice their concerns.
I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get them away from here. Those last few attacks took out most of our remaining mana. We can still run, for now, but if we stay too long, then we won’t be able to get away.
Ezekiel clenched his jaw. He could see the trio of lightning users channeling another grand magic. The slowly growing ball of lightning was putting pressure on his mind. This time, there was no way that they would have any mana left afterwards.
Good for him, but deadly for them.
Even now, he could see the veins in their bodies nearly bursting from both their own mana, and the destructive effects of The Blood’s Ichor.
... Can we [Jump] into the Wyrm’s mouth? A mad idea came to Ezekiel. Form a spiked barrier around us while we’re at it?
Thankfully, Shine got the plan before he had to explain, and rather than throw it away, they merely took a minute to think about it. The answer they gave made Ezekiel smile.
Will we be able to absorb his Ichor before he crushes us? Won’t his [Will] just snuff out our own?
Those were legitimate concerns, but Ezekiel felt that his physical toughness, which had improved thanks to his efforts in merging it with his soul, would be enough to last for a little while.
Similarly, he knew that the Broodmasters were using much of their [Will] to control their current bodies. If they weren’t, then when he had stolen the Fang and Deep Lords, the Broodmasters would’ve been able to keep him from running just by wanting it.
With that said, Shine reluctantly agreed to go with the plan. Though, Ezekiel could still sense some reluctance. If he was honest with himself, he wanted to just run away as well, but this was too good an opportunity to give up. One that would keep three Mythical beings alive on Humanity's side.
Let’s do it!
In the next second, before the lightning could be released, and the bloody mist could rise to cover them, the two Void users [Jumped] and the Broodmasters frantically searched for where they had gone.
Only for The Wyrm to let out a ragged cough, with Ichor spewing out in a small flood.
----------
----------------------------------------
Sitting in the darkness was something that The Blood didn’t enjoy. It reminded her too much of being in the seal created by the Ancient Void thousands of years ago. However, her fellow Broodmaster had come up with this plan, and while it wasn’t a pleasant feeling, doing someone else's bidding, the current plan was a good one.
It also meant that she could take control of some of the most powerful members of Humanity and the Spirits. Even if it wouldn’t last for long.
“How long do we have again?” The Wyrm asked. She turned to him from where she had flattened against the floor.
“My control will last for at least a day. Any longer and they will break free. I simply can’t control them any longer than that. It won’t be an issue, though, since we can simply kill them with the Ichor I infected them with. We just need to make sure that they expend their mana so they can’t fight it off.”
They both turned silent, waiting for the Herald to arrive. Radiant Chaos had guaranteed that they would be able to win, or at least have a good chance at it, if they laid in wait like this.
“I hope that Radiant Chaos’ knowledge is correct. I know he knows the most about the Herald, but I still think we should’ve fought together.” The large wyrm’s voice rumbled through the cavern.
“Our brother explained his reasons. They are sensible, and we both know that the Herald’s prediction ability will grant him instinctual knowledge of what we are trying to do.” she shook her head, and crushed her own doubts before she could voice them. “Radiant Chaos also granted me the power to influence the Herald’s ability to escape. We just need a few minutes, and he will fall to our might. He is already weakened from the battle further north, after all.”
The Wyrm grunted in acceptance but sighed. He closed his eyes, and the two fell into silence once more. There was nothing to do besides wait, for now.
“He’s here...” The Wyrm muttered not long after, before drilling into the ground. The Blood had sensed it too, due to her connection with one of the weaker Cavern Hunters she had intoxicated.
Nodding, she slapped the back of the three Mythical beings’ heads. As one, they began preparing a Grand Magic to attack the Herald when he finally appeared.
What happened next was a series of bright flashing lights, thunderous booms, and then a quick exit from the cavern that had been carved out.
Seeing the Herald floating in the air made her feel a flash of anger and hatred. The fact that he wanted to put them back in their cages, just for fulfilling their duties from thousands of years ago, was more than enough for her to want him dead.
So, it came as no surprise when her warped and bloody mouth stretched into a grin when he got hit by another explosive burst of lightning. The following few seconds, when he froze in the air not far away, just barely close enough for them to reach, were a rush of action as the Hunters and Spirits under her control rushed forward, and the three Mythical mana users channeled another grand magic.
It was only when the Herald disappeared, and The Wyrm started coughing up blood once more, that she stopped frowning, and used her tendrils to open her fellow Broodmaster’s mouth wide open.
Then the world spun, and her face throbbed with pain, after something pierced right through her. Tendrils were ripped apart, and if she had been any weaker than she currently was, she knew that her body would’ve fallen apart from the damage she had suffered.
However, even though she immediately recovered, she couldn’t help but remain confused.
What the hell just happened? She asked herself while healing her wounds and preparing for battle.
A sudden tearing sensation was the only reply, and she didn’t even have the time to scream.
----------
----------------------------------------
It was slimy, and his body felt like it was stuck under a mountain. One that was pushing down on him from all directions. Yet he stayed strong, even as his mana drained from how much he was using to remain alive.
The pressure didn’t last that long, however, since Shine blasted a spiked series of barriers outward. Ichor immediately flooded the area Ezekiel was in, and a sudden crushing sensation followed, along with the sound of coughing.
Absorb the Ichor now! Shine entered a meditative state, and Ezekiel followed as soon as he felt his partner do this.
The physical pressure let up, and now it was a battle of [Will] and souls.
Falling into a trance, Ezekiel felt a presence fill him. One that loomed over him, nearly a hundred times larger than the Broodmaster’s current body. There was also another, smaller, presence, that Ezekiel realized was a small piece of the Broodmaster’s true soul, which acted like the controller while the true soul was stuck behind the seal.
“Herald,” a reverberating voice shook Ezekiel’s soul, “you made a mistake in coming here!”
Power flooded The Wyrm, but Ezekiel pushed back. While The Wyrm could replenish his [Will] within this host, the seal prevented it from crossing the threshold into Tier six. A problem that Ezekiel didn’t suffer from, since his soul and body were entirely his, and there was no seal to stop him.
“I made no mistake!” he yelled, “I shall blaze a new trail to the stars and the countless worlds beyond this one! Nothing shall stop me, and nothing shall take the world I love away from me!”
A [Will] that was strong enough to push The Wyrm’s back, enough to gain some ground, flooded out of both him and Shine. In that instant, nearly half the Ichor in The Wyrm’s host body was lost to the Broodmaster. Within that brief window of opportunity, Ezekiel strained his soul to grab it with all his might.
Power flooded his veins, nearly burning him from inside out. It forced him back into the real world.
Both his and Shine’s reserves now matched the Wyrm’s, but there was no possible way for him to do that again. Though, the damage he could sense in his surroundings meant that the Wyrm would be weakened even further from trying to heal.
A sickening sensation filled him as well, since his body was more in tune with his soul, he was more physically affected by the Ichor he had absorbed.
Then there was light, as The Wyrm’s mouth was opened. So, Ezekiel sent an overcharged [Push], shaped like a spike, at the face of The Blood.
Rising from The Wyrm’s mouth, letting the massive body fall to the side, and sending a sphere of [Nothingness] directly at The Blood, who was slowly pulling herself back together.
Ezekiel! Don’t waste time on them! Shine called out, and Ezekiel turned to where his fellow Exalts were floating aimlessly in the air. We don’t have time to get the rest before The Blood recovers. Get those three and get out of here!
Ezekiel nodded, and flew forward, tackling the three Exalts that were in a daze. They barely even struggled while he rose higher into the air. A sphere of atmosphere that he had created kept them safe while the air thinned more and more.
Finally, when they had escaped the rising level of bloody mist, Ezekiel had Shine direct them further east, behind humanity’s lines. There wasn’t any time to waste, and he knew that he would need to delay his journey south, to the other bases.
With a pulse of his [Nothingness] and [Will] the crimson Ichor inside the three Lightning Exalts was purged, and they went limp after falling unconscious.
“Attention, all forces currently fighting in Quintessa! The Hunter, Harras, and the Exalted Wild Spirit, Invera, have fallen! Their base has been lost due to the machinations of the Blood and The Wyrm. I have recovered them, and once they are purged of the Blood’s influence, they should be able to recover.”
Ezekiel let Shine take over flying while he took out his Com-Slate and started sending messages.
“I am currently headed east and will be touching down at the nearest city within an hour at most. I request that whatever medical forces be ready to receive three Mythical beings, recently purged of Crimson Ichor, that have likely been in their system for at least half a day. The influence was strong, but not deeply rooted.”
The Blood Cruor were more common in Quintessa, so they were much more adept at clearing out the influence of its corruption.
“Exalt Ezekiel!” his Com-Slate lit up and an older voice filled his ears. “We will be ready for you, so please get here as fast as you can.”
“Good,” he muttered. “I will be there as soon as I can, but be prepared for the worst.”
It pained him to say it, but he knew that the chances of saving his current passengers was low.
All he could do now was fly as fast as possible, and hope that he was in time.