There was little more than wastelands that stretched deep into Quintessa. Where once there were abundant forests that were scarred, but not dead, there was now nothing but dried and rotten stumps and logs. The border that had held strong for centuries had been thrown into disarray, and the Hunters and Scholars that led the nation were forced to lead their people into a retreat.
For the moment, a small council had been formed. Six Mythical beings were in attendance, as well as several peak Legendaries that were leaders of their own team or legions.
Wolken stood at the head with his Spirit by his side, while Strom was seated next to him, with his own Spirit also next to him. Invera and Roc were across from the Cavern users, as the leaders of the scouts besides Brun, who was currently out and searching for news in a separate region of the continent.
“How goes the scouting?” Wolken stood as tall as he could with a hunched back and cane. Whilst he had been forced away from the battlefield due to his now permanently scarred soul, his presence as a leader was still enough to bolster the morale of those that were fighting. “I assume that there were difficulties due to the fact that the Winged Brood are once more with a proper leader?”
Invera turned to him and shook her head. “Unfortunately, you are correct. We haven’t been able to get any good numbers, not any reports on how far they’ve pushed the border back. The good news is that they’re focused on getting the last Broodmaster a body to possess. Which means that they won’t be having the Rot send any more spears.”
“That just means that they’ll up their hunting within our territory, since they managed to scour the entirety of what was Willowbrush clean by this point.” Wolken knew his words were grim, and the fact that he was not alone made them even grimmer. “Any word from the scouts to the south? What has the Archipelago been doing during this time?”
This was a point of contention for those fighting in Quintessa. For the most part, the Archipelago had been left unscathed when the fighting took a turn last year in Quintessa. As such, even though there were no more Mythics among the islands, the people and Spirits were able to begin pushing back, while Quintessa had continually retreated.
Many wanted the Archipelago to provide more aid, while others felt that an additional retreat so as to regroup at sea would be for the best. The fact that it seemed that there was no intention to grant a body of the Deep Broodmaster until the very end meant that the islands would continue to be safe for far longer than the cities of Quintessa.
Both sides had their arguments for or against each other, but ultimately it was the Archipelago that made the decision to do something. Which resulted in the islands choosing to stay out of the fighting but providing logistical support with surprising abundance.
“Half the islands that were taken by the Cruor have been cleared, though the ones that remain have been utterly consumed, and are unlikely to be habitable even if the Cruor are taken out.” Roc spoke lightly, but in a deep voice that was slow and methodical. It was apparent that the Flame Spirit wasn’t used to speaking verbally, but that made sense for what was basically a Wild Spirit. “They have, however, reported something interesting that our own scouts would never have been able to observe.”
Invera and Strom turned their gaze toward the Flame Spirit, while Wolken maintained a steady look that didn’t denote any interest. He could tell that it unnerved the Spirit that was looking at him, but for their part, Roc didn’t shy away.
“It seems like there are stirrings in what was once the Morathi Alliance. As well as Tarquessa. The Cruor and their masters have made hard pushes into these lands, and it is likely why the past few weeks have seen fewer pushes into Quintessa.” Roc ruffled their feathers for a moment. “From what we can tell, it seems like they aren’t just hunting and gathering humans and Spirits to increase their Ichor. They are searching for something, and from what I remember from a year or so ago, I think we all can assume what it is.”
Wolken couldn’t help but grimace. The fact that there were fewer attacks on their current borders was something he was both thankful and wary of. He knew that something was happening but hadn’t expected this.
“Can we confirm that anything has come out of the desert since the Broods’ Cruor started moving in?” He wanted to know how hard it would be for Riley and the others that had headed in to get out.
To the side, he also saw Invera shuffle on her perch. That’s when he remembered that the Lightning Spirit was from the Fjorya, which was north of Tarquessa. She likely wanted to ask about her home but was waiting for Roc to finish.
The Flame Spirit shook its head. “Unfortunately, it seems that there are no sightings of any of the Hunters that went to Tarquessa from Sanafalls. There was, however, word from the Fjorya. Specifically, from the Hunters and Spirits that were forced to retreat west and were rescued via a mission taken on by the Archipelago. Apparently the mountains there have been totally overrun, but the majority of the people and Spirits survived. As did the Artifacts, both Ancient and modern, that were present among the Tribes. The survivors have settled on one of the larger islands. One that was unclaimed by the people due to heavy Spirit presence. With the fighting, however, the Spirits were more amicable to their landing there. As well as the fact that, apparently, they have Spirits that have the strength to bring them all to heel.”
Invera perked up, and although Wolken could tell that she was heartbroken at losing the mountains and regions of her home, she was also curious as to what Roc was referring to.
Wolken was also curious but kept himself more contained than she did.
“What Spirits do you speak of?” An idea passed through his mind, and for a moment hope sprung up inside him. But he knew that Roc’s next words might very well dash it, so he kept himself restrained.
“A Glacial bird Spirit, one who recently broke through to Tier five. Alongside two other Spirits. A Flame Spirit, a salamander that took residence in the volcano at the center of the island, and a Life Spirit that settled in the forest on the north most region. The Glacial Spirit was, apparently, the first of them to break through, and has promised to join us here within a week. The other two had declared that they will remain on the island, just in case, and help the Archipelago continue to clear out the remaining Cruor, before the Deep is able to take up the lead of his Cruor once more.”
Wolken’ let a wolfish grin spread across his face, while Invera slumped forward and let out a sigh of relief, and Strom slumped back, letting out his own sigh.
“This is wonderful news... Perhaps, with the aid of the other Hunters, after they return from the Ancient Legacy, we’ll be able to better bolster our forces and--”
“Exalts! Captains! Word from the south! The Deep have been spotted moving and pushing inland from the sea! Three towns are under attack, and two others have already fallen!” A Scholar dressed in gray lined robes dashed into the room with a small gust of wind trailing behind him. “Reports of Legends dying in an instant are among the final messages received.”
Silence pervaded the room, and the happy atmosphere was now solemn once more. Wolken knew full well what such reports meant. Especially if there was no word of any Broods attacking besides the Deep.
“Send word to all of the away Myths and Legends. We are going to do a total recall to the capital. Perp a full contingent of Guild teams for the purpose of getting civilians out of the coastal regions as fast as possible. Report these attacks to the Scholars as well. They need to get word to the Archipelago. It seems like we might be needing them to change their assistance soon.” Wolken’s commands were like a thunderclap, and the stunned room was filled with motion in an instant.
Legendaries headed out to take control of their forces and begin heading out to try and fend off whatever Cruor attacks they could and support the civilian population in fleeing as fast as possible.
The only ones that didn’t clear the room within the next few minutes were the Mythics. Each one had dark glares on their faces. Not directed at each other, but possibly just at the world itself.
“He was the last one... All the Broodmasters have bodies now. Even if they are lesser than their full strength.” Strom’s voice rumbled, and if not for the privacy enchantments carved into the room, his words would have certainly been heard by everyone in the building.
“I am aware... But what can we do? Even with three more Step one Mythical Spirits, we stand no chance against their numbers. Eight peak Mythical Broodmasters, and one nascent Ancient Broodmaster. Soon to be released in full upon the world.” Wolken’s words were just as grim as Strom’s. “Best to keep them fighting, at least for a little while longer.”
“You think that he already knows?” Invera asked.
They all knew who she was speaking of, even if he wasn’t named. There was only one person who any of them even cared if he knew or not.
Wolken nodded. “If anything, he likely knew before we did. Even if he is within the Legacy... I just don’t know if he’s ready to face it yet. He’d be out here already if he was.”
“... Then I guess we’ll just have to fight on our own, as best we can before the end,” Strom spoke more gently this time, and both of the Mythical birds in the room bowed their heads in acceptance.
All the while, Wolken took the chance to lean back, his narrowed eyes glared at nothing, but the way his ears flickered, and his breathing changed, it would be clear to anyone that knew him, he was up to something.
The winds were changing, and he needed to know where they were headed. For all their sakes.
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The world feels heavy.
Those were the only words that were running through Ezekiel’s mind after over a month of real-time meditation and training. The actual time that he had spent was well beyond that. A year or more, yet while he had made significant progress in mapping out his soul’s Spiritual Pathways, Ezekiel had still not seen even a speck of evidence regarding his sixth Chakra.
The paths of mana that ran through his being were just too numerous, and their expanse too broad. When he had thrown his consciousness into them, while it wasn’t nearly as large as the world he witnessed in Eldramir’s Spirit Paths, his own were still beyond the scope of his perception.
“What are you going to do now?” Shine asked after Ezekiel had flopped onto the floor. “We can’t stay here... Not unless you’re willing to let the world burn, and only kill the Broods after they have won.”
Ezekiel couldn’t help but ponder that possibility. There was a chance that, if he could gather enough people, they could simply retreat into the Ancient Legacy, before the final tunnels leading to the surface were closed.
If he did that, anything that didn’t join them below would be destroyed, and Radiant Chaos would most certainly take control of the world. At least, the material expanse of it. Ezekiel still had an advantage, where he had access to the Spirit Paths.
Yet, to do so didn’t sit right with him. While much of the world had turned against him at some point or another, he had no desire to let them die off, just because they were manipulated by others.
“I don’t think that I can do that... If I did, then there would be a lump in my heart, cancerous and deadly, that would forever keep my mind and soul in turmoil.” He let out a laugh at the poetic nature of his words. “Do you think that we are going to die?”
Shine’s avatar, now brightly lit upon their blade, shook its head.
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“He’s not a Tier six just yet... He still has to break the seal keeping his true body contained. So long as you can break his and the other Broodmasters’ puppet bodies, you should be okay.” Shine’s enthusiasm was weak but was still greater than Ezekiel’s. “That, at least, would buy you a few more years, thanks to how clearing up the Spirit Paths seems to be empowering the mana that is fueling the seals. If you can successfully kill even one or two, that gives you a few more months.”
While this was true, Ezekiel knew that buying time wasn’t truly an option. It would just mean a slower death. The Cruor were still harvesting humans and Spirits, after all. Plus, there was a limit to his lifespan, and that of the other Hunters and Scholars in the world.
There was no limit to how many Cruor could be made, so long as the Broods existed, and the seals leaked. Buying time would not be enough to stop humanity from continuing to dwindle.
With that thought in mind, Ezekiel stood, the shadows that wrapped around him shifted, but he raised his hand.
“Not yet... There's still one more thing we need to do before we leave.” With that said, the shadows once more cast the room into total darkness, and Ezekiel took out a mana crystal that he had made for this moment.
He crushed it in his hand, and immediately felt the flow of time accelerate even more. There was a groan as the remnant of Obscurity suffered the infusion of both mana, and his [Will] to enact the necessary spell work born from his [Understanding]. This would only work once, or else the remnant would risk having their soul collapse.
“That buys us one more week before the end of the day... Are you sure you want to do this?” Shine sounded wary, but not reluctant, to follow through with Ezekiel’s plan. “This will hurt even more than the lava. You won’t be able to stop midway, and you can’t guarantee that it will completely work.”
Ezekiel just removed several containers from his Void Pouch.
“Ezekiel... we don’t know what this will do to you. The blood of the Broods isn’t human. Being a Void Mage means that you aren’t affected by its passive mutative properties. But in the past you’ve only ever used it to regain mana. If you absorb it into your body, use it as a catalyst to merge your body and soul together, then it’s possible that your immunity won’t work anymore. Don’t forget that it’s only willing Void Mages, who have succumbed to the pain and taken in raw Ichor, that are converted into Cruor.”
Shine’s words made sense, but Ezekiel didn’t stop taking out the containers and setting them on the ground around him in a circle.
“I understand the dangers of doing this, but it needs to be done... It might not get me completely to Tier six, but it will get me infinitely closer to it than I am right now. You saw how effective it originally was when we used it before.” Opening one of the containers, the oily surface of a pool of Ichor was revealed. “Besides, with the [Will] of the Broods crushed and replaced with my own, it’s possible that its general properties have changed... There is no better fuel for me to use to attempt to break through to Tier six, physically, than the diluted blood of a Tier six being. But I can't do this without your help.”
Shine didn’t say anything. They simply reached out telekinetically and opened the rest of the containers. “Get ready... And know that I won’t protect you from your family if they find out what you did.”
Ezekiel nodded. He wasn’t happy about taking this option either, since he wasn’t sure if it would work, or possibly damage his soul in some way that made breaking through later even harder.
However, there was no time left to keep going the safe way.
“Let’s do this.”
The Ichor was now in the form of a massive sphere that floated in the darkness that surrounded him. Steams of the oily liquid flowed out from the containers, where even more remained within the expanded [Void Space] within.
Shine kept the sphere in place, while Ezekiel stepped into it.
With a flex of his [Will] Ezekiel began drawing the Ichor into his body, where he let it fill each and every cell. Then, he pushed his soul forward, and the power of a Tier six soul, met the diluted essence of a Tier six body.
His mind filled with white as pain flared inside him. Greater than that of the lava against his flesh, but different as well. It wasn’t the burning pain of heat, or the searing pain of having his soul scoured.
He couldn’t put it into any words beyond ‘tearing’. It felt like his soul and body were tearing themselves apart, and the only thing keeping them together was his [Will].
His teeth broke under the pressure of how hard he clenched them, and he screamed only for Shine to be the only one who heard. His voice was drowned out by the Ichor in his throat. Yet he didn’t give in. He didn’t allow the forced merger between body and soul destroy home, however, and slowly, he could feel himself becoming reforged.
Though, what, exactly, the consequences of this would be, were completely unknown to him, or Shine. He could only hope that he would still be himself at the end of it.
There was no more time for anything else.
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The Legacy was practically empty at this point. After the first breakthroughs, several more occurred, and reaching as close to the estimated deadline that Ezekiel had given them, a year after his arrival at the Legacy, many of those that had broken through over the last decade or had solved their issues of being pulled to tier four by their spirits, had resolved themselves, and managed to make take that final step into Tier five.
It had been strange to see more Mythical Hunters and Mages than Spirits, who had previously been the cornerstone for human breakthroughs.
With well over a dozen, previously elderly, Hunters and Mages now at the Pinnacle of mankind, the choice was made to have the majority of them leave the Legacy, and head out to bolster the forces fighting in Quintessa. Only a handful, whose loyalties were to Ezekiel first, had decided to remain.
This was mostly Void Mages and Hunters, with a few other Scholars. Each of whom was currently doing everything they could to absorb every scrap of knowledge from the memories and records left behind by the Ancients.
Only Riley, the twins, and the Fjorya’s Obscure and Radiant birds were waiting patiently in the central chambers for Ezekiel to finish his final day of attempting to break through.
“Do you think that they managed to get to Quintessa safely?”
Riley, who had been shallowly meditating, opened her eyes and looked at Wendy, who was lying flat on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were black, and Riley could tell that it wasn’t just the stone above then that she was looking at.
“Are you gazing into the shadows again?” Riley raised a brow and stood up.
To the side, Ellen glanced at them as well. Things had gone quiet over the past week, after the first wave of their group had departed.
It had been decided to move out in waves, so that they would be able to, hopefully, stagger their routes and not be ambushed after exiting.
The Guardian had been opposed to this at first, but had agreed to allow it, so long as they destroyed the tunnel right afterwards. Now, there was only one remaining exit from the Legacy. One that was in the heart of what was once the Morathi Alliance.
“The shadows are...strange, right now. Something has happened to them. It’s as if there is...more inside them. Like I’m not just looking into the depths of darkness, but also its breadth.” Wendy sounded like she was in trance, and for a moment, Riley panicked.
Is that damned remnant playing tricks again?
Fortunately, it seemed that the newest Mythical Obscurity had been listening in and was able to assuage her fear.
“Ezekiel has applied some sort of [Understanding] and spell craft to his room. If I’m not wrong, it has something to do with time.” Feynari, whose presence exuded a sense of endless falling if you looked at her too long, glided down from a shadow in the corner of the ceiling. Her wings seemed to swirl with shades of different intensity.
“Agree... While not as knowledgeable about the darkness as my sister, I can recognize the effects upon the mind from an altered flow of time.” A series of cracks filled the air, and the light screens that were keeping Callrond’s blinding presence hidden allowed his voice to come out.
“Careful! You’re bleaching the stonework!” Riley drew heat from the air, causing steam to erupt as it was hit by Callrond’s searing light.
It wasn’t enough to truly harm anyone in the room, but the constant light was annoying. Though, when Ezekiel had briefly seen both of the now Mythical birds he hadn’t seemed surprised at the changes to their personage.
Though, when she thought about it, Riley knew that Invera had been much the same. At least at first, her Lightning was far more prominent in the world than before. Even her own Flames were more abundant at first.
It was just that she, Invera, and even Ezekiel and Shine, had been forced to fight not long after their ascension. So, the effects had been lessened. The effects also seemed more intense, at least at first, for Spirits. When Spina had broken through, Riley had actually needed to be present to siphon off some of the excess heat that had been emitted by the newly advanced Mythical bird.
Fortunately, everyone that was attempting to break through was doing so in separate rooms, where they could meditate in solitude. Which was good foresight, since the initial pulse of mana from the breakthroughs was always enough to send someone flying into a wall at the least.
In this case, Callrond was constantly emitting light, and it had gotten annoying when he had been round while they were trying to sleep. Only Ellen had been comfortable with his constant brightness.
“My apologies, but I did manage to pull Wendy out of her trance without any harm to her personage.” Callrond shuffled behind his light screens, and the cracks were filled in once more. “I will try to get a handle on this as soon as possible. I have no desire to continue causing discomfort for anyone.”
Riley and the others looked to Wendy, only to see her sitting up and shaking her head. Kari was seated on the ground with her legs splayed out as well, doing the same thing. It made for an amusing sight, and Riley let out a brief chuckle.
“Thank you, and sorry about the bleaching comment. I was just surprised.” Riley said with a tilt of her head. Callrond made a noise that she assumed was acceptance, but didn’t say anything else.
“Ignore my brother. He is just feeling cramped. Even though he knows that he can simply go to another room and relax there instead of hovering over all of us like an overly concerned mother hen that just laid eggs.” Feynari’s words were responded to with a squawk that came from nowhere.
Riley and the twins snickered in amusement. Then the mood returned to its somber state.
“...How fast is time moving in the trial room?” She had known that Ezekiel had been doing something strange with the room. But this was the first time it had been so blatantly apparent.
“If my senses are accurate...a week will have passed for him by then end of the day.” Feynari looked into the shadows for a moment, before pulling back with a shake of her own head. “That is very disorientating.”
It had already been well over half a day since Ezekiel had entered into his final day of meditation. Hopefully, even though the added time was relatively miniscule in comparison to the time before, he would see results, one way or another.
“Hopefully Evelyn isn’t having any troubles. Has she made any progress with her body refinement?” The twins looked over to Riley upon hearing her question.
“From what little I’ve been able to see, she has. But I cannot say whether or not she will be able to make a breakthrough before the end of the day. No one has walked that path as she is doing. No one but the Cruor, and theirs is an impure path that I corrupted by the Broods.” Feynari closed her eyes and shuddered at the mention of the Cruor.
Riley could understand how she was feeling. The thought of walking the same path as their most ancient foes was something that she didn’t particularly enjoy the thought of either. But she couldn’t deny the fact that body refinement was a legitimate path. If one that was only truly possible to those that were at least Tier four.
With a sigh, Riley leaned back into the chair that she was reclined in. A part of her wished for the calmness to last forever, but at the same time, there was an anxiousness to her that wouldn’t go away.
I almost wish that something strange would happen again. If only to have something to do besides wait.
No sooner had that thought crossed her mind, than a shift in the shadows passed through the Legacy. Something had changed, and the ambient mana that surrounded them immediately began falling.
All the while, the shadows started getting darker.
“Feynari! What’s happening? Is this Evelyn, Ezekiel, or that damned remnant?” Riley was in her Spirit Armor in an instant. The twins had done the same and had gotten up and moved to stand beside her. At the same time, Feynari and Callrond had unleashed their full might, and the shadows that were in the room were pushed back.
But now, they were even more prominent than before. Condensed into pitch bleach shapes that clung to the corners of the room.
“This isn’t Evelyn... The way the mana is draining should be familiar to you.” Feynari was tense, but it was tinged with anticipation. “I don’t know what he did, but Ezekiel seems to be draining the man from the Legacy somehow... This is good, since it means that he likely had a breakthrough of some sort, though I don’t know how the Legacy will fare from this.”
That was probably the most concerning statement that Riley had heard since the Remnant had attacked them. If the Legacy started collapsing, she might be the only one who survived.
A tunnel opened up in one of the walls. An avatar of the Guardian stood in the middle of it.
“Come with me! Now.” Riley and the rest didn’t hesitate to move. The tunnel was a long one, and there were several openings that led to other rooms. They eventually ran into Fina, George, and Scarlet on the way to their destination.
No pleasantries were exchanged, and it was only when they had entered the massive library with the Ancients’ memories stored within it that they met up with the rest.
Over a dozen people were gathered, most of the Void Mages and Hunters.
“I don’t suppose you know what’s going on?” Scarlet asked once everyone had settled into the room. “All I know is that the mana in the Legacy changed. The air seems thinner now, and I think that we’d all like some answers. Like where are Ezekiel and Evelyn?”
Riley opened her mouth to speak, and abruptly closed it when she was nearly thrown off her feet while the Legacy shifted. A loud ‘crack’ filled the air, and Riley could tell that something in the distance broke. Something massive.
Please don’t tell me that that was the last tunnel leading out of the Legacy.
She kept her thoughts to herself, but from the panic on the faces of the other Mythics in the room, including Spina, whose body was too hot for most of them to get close to her, she could tell that she wasn’t the only one thinking this.
“Please, do not be alarmed. Ezekiel is moving the Legacy. There might be some changes that will be disruptive. So please, sit down, and prepare yourselves for an unpleasant experience.” The Guardian sounded like it was speaking through a clenched jaw. Riley could tell that it wasn't happy, but she was unable to stop smiling.
The only way that Ezekiel could have done such a thing was if he had succeeded. She didn’t know how, or in what way, but Ezekiel had succeeded in breaking through.
Now she just needed to find out what was happening with Evelyn, and hopefully, they would all be able to walk out of here within a few more hours at the most.
Given the growing murmurs in the crowd, she hoped that it would be sooner than that. She had no desire to have to wrangle panicked Hunters once again.