Apprehension and fear filled the air as tens of thousands of Hunters and Mages of Legendary or higher Tier moved as one through the Desolate Lands. Their sheer number was enough to flatten the earth beneath them when they moved. A dull rumble was heard for miles. Nothing was stopping them, even though there was a lot that tried.
“Shoot those bastards down!” A call rang out among the Legendaries when a group of Winged Cruor and Umbral Beasts was spotted approaching from the heart of the Desolate Lands.
Separate groups fired their spells, and a barrage of light and different elemental magic filled the sky. The Winged enemies stood no chance and were felled in quick succession.
Wind and water followed, to blow and wash away the Ichor that rained from the sky.
“Second groups, reorganize yourselves while the first groups focus on recuperating!”
There was a scramble as the Hunters and Scholars moved around. Thost that had just drained their mana were moved to more protected areas, where there were also transportation Artifacts that they could sit in while focusing on meditating to expedite their recovery of mana.
All the while, the largest army of humans and Spirits continued to move. Each step was tiring, but no one was willing to stop. Not when there was no hope if they failed.
They had abandoned their homes to the safety of their walled cities. They had left their islands to fight on land. They had gathered together upon the request of all the Mythics in the world, just to fight in this one, final battle.
So far, there had only been a few small groups that have attacked them. Mostly composed of mindless beasts that were directed by a handful of elite Cruor. That changed, however, and the numbers were dwindling.
Now, after several weeks of marching, they had finally made it to the central regions of the Desolate Lands. A massive pillar of iridescent screens towered in the distance.
It had appeared in their sight over a day ago. It being the only thing in the Desolate Land besides themselves that let out any sort of light.
Something moved within it, and everyone who had gathered knew exactly what it was.
There would be no attacking it directly, however, since there was a more pressing matter that needed to be dealt with. An opposing army of all kinds of Cruor and Umbral Beasts.
Nothing was said as their army approached, but there was tension in the air. One that made everyone tense at the situation.
The Broodmasters were nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t matter. The Humans and Spirits were outnumbered nearly ten to one. Mostly by mindless beasts, but there were several Primal Cruor that were clearly bursting with Ichor. It was likely that every Brood corrupted being in the world was here right now.
There was nothing that could be done to stop whatever was happening at the seal. Not right away at least. Everyone could tell that sending out the Mythics would be a death sentence for the Legendaries. Thus, they were forced to remain, and hopefully not expend all their power, clearing out their enemies.
No particular signal was given. The human-spirit army merely continued to move closer. Until, finally, the Cruor decided they had had enough. With an earth shuddering roar, the Cruor and Umbral Beasts charged.
A massive wall of wind and stone sprung up between the two armies, but it was overcome by sheer numbers.
Magic was finally cast, and the true battle had finally begun.
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Wolken had never felt more useless in his life.
“Send additional Flame Mages from the rear to the southern side. There are hidden Rot that are getting ready to burst from the ground.” He whispered his orders upon the wind, and the Hunters that heard him moved to follow his command.
His own position was one of both honor and shame, since he was considered to be one of the most valuable assets as a commander but was ultimately unable to fight in this battle.
His soul burned, even now, with the miniscule amount of magic he was using.
If I had known that pushing myself as I did would do this to me... I wonder if I would’ve done what I did. Thoughts of his sacrifice during the failed assault on the Broodmasters were filling his mind, and he had to shake himself to snap out of it.
A warning flared through the air that only his senses could follow.
“We need a tempest to deflect a rain of Ichor! Do not let it infect our ranks.” Nearly a hundred twisters formed a net that flowed above them. Winged Cruor that were locked in battle with the more proficient flying Hunters and Spirits dropped their payloads.
Clay pots filled with Ichor shattered, and droplets were sent flying. The mana in the wind was drained, but the Ichor was sent far away from the battle. Some still made it through, but it wasn’t enough to be of danger. Instead, a few of the Glacial users just washed them off.
Suddenly, the ground shook, and two massive figures made of stone took shape. Each one wielded a massive weapon that was just as large as them.
Like titanic farmers harvesting their crops, both constructs scythed through the hordes of Cruor like they were nothing more than wheat stalks in a field.
The sight brought joy to many who saw it, but Wolken silently cursed.
Dammit! The only reason they would be doing that is if the Wyrms are causing trouble. His thoughts went to the only Brood of Cruor that he hadn’t sensed nearby.
Originally, it was believed that the underground Brood was lying in wait to attack the larger group from within, but it seemed that that was not the case. Instead, they were clearly attacking from the front.
Worse yet, a loud buzzing sensation was beginning to fill his ears. Meaning that the Swarm Brood was finally sending out its own endless numbers.
“Lightning Hunters and Mages, head over to the two massive stone constructs. Be prepared for Wyrms and work as one to take out the strongest ones first. The weaker ones can be swept away later.” The was a flurry of motion as sparks of violet light filled the sky.
“Flying Hunters! Be warned! The Swarm is beginning to move! They are mostly mindless, and rely on either heavy defenses, or incredible numbers. Do not be caught alone, ideally stay in groups of at least five or more. Have at least one heavy attacker that can pierce through enchanted armor.”
The previously grouped together flying Hunters and Spirits shifted around, just in time for a massive cloud of iridescent insects to fill the sky. It took just a few seconds for them to be covered, and bright flashes of light that blew holes in the Swarm were seen constantly flaring.
“Be careful, Wolken, you’re beginning to spread yourself quite thin,” Brun’s voice filled his ears. There was a hint of worry and reprimand that he could hear in the Spirit’s tone. “Focus on the ground forces. I will aid the fliers with the forces above.”
Immediately, a weight felt like it was lifted from Wolken’s shoulders. With the burden of the sky being removed, he could now focus on a much smaller range of battles.
A sea of white figures charged from the opposite side of the battle from the Wyrms and the stone titans. “Life Mages who are good at fighting need to head to the area where the Bone Cruor are fighting. Exalts Strom and Narok should be free to wipe them out in a few minutes, but we need to keep them from pushing through our ranks. Bind them as best you can and do everything you can to slow them down.”
Not a moment after he had finished speaking a forest sprung up in that region. It was quickly trampled, at first, but was filled once more with new growth.
In another section of the battle, a deep purple miasma filled the air. Fanged Cruor, Blood Cruor, and Deep Cruor that were running over each other were choking on nothing. Their throats swelled, and many of them were beginning to decay, or had collapsed on their sides.
Their lifeless bodies created a land of death that covered an entire tenth of the battlefield, and it looked like that area would be open for them to pincer the enemy. Most of the fronts were like this, with the Mythical Hunters and Spirits holding their lines, or pushing back.
However, it was obvious that this wouldn’t last for much longer.
A strange dust suddenly burst from the ground in the area where the Death Mages had seemed to win. It took a moment, but when Wolken realized what had happened, he went pale, and immediately started yelling for a retreat.
“Fall back! It’s spores for the endless mold!” Hunters and Mages in the area were quick to retreat, but there were a few that were just too close.
They were immediately swallowed up by the rapidly spreading mold of oily colored mold and slime. It spread in all directions, taking in both mana and Ichor as food and fuel for its growth.
Within moments, the rapidly decaying bodies of the Cruor were swallowed, and the bodies of the few Mages that were too slow to retreat followed soon after.
“Flame users abandon your current fights and head to the edges of the endless mold! Mages who are not currently engaged in battle, you will move in to fill the ranks. Lightning mages, I need half of you to break off and begin striking the regions where the Rot is fighting. You just need to hold out until the flames finish eating away at the mold!” There was a brief moment of panic, but a massive bolt of lightning filled the sky, and over a dozen peak Legendary Rot were struck down in an instant, along with hundreds of lesser Cruor and Umbral Beasts.
This granted the Flame users a reprieve, and allowed them the time to retreat, but it was enough to properly push the tide in their favor. Instead, it seemed like they were going to continue to be stuck in a stalemate.
The only surefire way out of it would be to have their Mythics start using their full power, but they needed to reserve their strength for the inevitable fight with the Broodmasters. If they even managed to get there before the seal was unlocked.
A warbling shriek filled the air, and Wolken turned his gaze to one of the areas he hadn’t paid much attention to. The Kraken Spirit was being swarmed by Umbral Beasts and Cruor that were showing dual traits of the Deep and the Swarm. Thus, its watery magic was barely putting up a fight.
The only good thing was that Mythics were still hard to kill, no matter how many weaker enemies they might be fighting.
Dammit! Lightning magic would probably work well against them, but that would leave the other area open entirely. The Rot, especially, would be given far greater freedom to spread. Not that they aren’t already, with the endless mold being released.
He spared a glance at where the oily slime and mold was being pushed back. It would be at least a few more minutes before they were done, and Wolken was still on the lookout for any more caches that might be lying in wait for them.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Things were beginning to look more dire in the sky as well. Brun was putting up a good fight and was keeping his fellow Spirits and Hunters safe while they whittled away at the Swarm and winged ones.
However, it was clear that the elderly Spirit was having a hell of a time. Wolken was starting to wonder if he’d need to send Invera up there to provide assistance.
He continued to try and map out a plan on how to maneuver his forces to make a breakthrough in the battle, rather than put out fires as they sprung up here and there.
If only the Spirits from the Fjorya had managed to meet up with us sooner. Did they even get the word in time, before we began our march?
Messages had been sent after information had been confirmed. Wolken had hoped that the new Mythical Spirits that had risen from the Fjorya would’ve been enough to help turn the tides. It would take barely a couple of weeks for them to meet up with the army, given how much time it took to move so many people, even if they were mobilizing at a rapid pace.
If only we could keep pushing forward... So long as we could get to the seal, perhaps we would have a chance. However, he knew that the moment that the Mythics had abandoned those at a lesser rank, they would be overwhelmed. They just didn’t have the numbers, even if the quality of the Cruor was at a much lower level. They truly are monstrous. It’s obvious that they don’t care one bit about their followers. I can’t even tell the beasts from Cruor anymore.
The battle was beginning to swirl together in his mind’s eye. His senses were telling him too much. He could barely focus and calls for orders and help filled his mind.
It looked more and more like the only thing he would be able to do was tell his peers to unleash their full might and wipe the board clear as soon as possible. Whether or not that would be enough to finish this quickly was unknown.
“All Exalts, prepare to--”
A massive bolt of lightning that cleared out a large swath of Cruor from their northmost side cut through his voice. It was blinding, and Wolken could tell that it contained the full might of at least one Step’s worth of Mythical mana.
“What the hell?” Wolken let out a curse, because he knew that that was neither from Invera nor Harras. It had come from the entirely wrong direction, and from far too close to the ground.
What followed was a barrage of spells from each and every element. They rained down on the Cruor, and the monstrous abominations were killed en masse. Within seconds, the Cruor’s army was whittled down by nearly a third, and the endless mold that was threatening them was no more.
“It seems like reinforcements have arrived?” Brun’s voice flickered through the air, and Wolken frowned in thought.
“I thought that it was only a Glacial, and Flame Spirit that broke through in the Fjorya?” Unmentioned was the Life Spirit that had remained behind.
“In the Fjorya, perhaps... But you are forgetting that there is another faction that has a stake in this war,” Brun’s snicker filled Wolken’s ears, and his heart soared at the thought of Ezekiel entering the fray. “Unfortunately, it seems that our Herald is not with them.”
Gritting his teeth, Wolken promised himself to figure out where Ezekiel was, once he found the leader of the Mythical figures that were aiding them. After they finished up here, of course.
Now that he was focused once more, Wolken could feel the presence of the Mythical figures that had approached from the other side of the world. They numbered over a dozen, and he nearly dropped his jaw in awe. Instead, he smiled a wolfish grin, and a barking laughter filled the air.
“Attention, all Exalts, give them hell!” With the order given, every Tier five Hunters and Spirits gave their all, while still not being wasteful of their mana, to wipe out the army of Cruor in front of them.
It would still be a slog, but it seemed like things were finally turning in their favor once again.
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At the base of the pillar symbolizing the connection to the seal keeping Radiant Chaos locked away, the Broodmasters were gathered, much like their Lords had been when they had first attempted to force Ezekiel to break the seal over a year ago.
They all gazed with stoic faces toward the battle happening in the distance. All but the Blood, who was trembling and flicking her gaze back and forth between the battle and Radiant Chaos.
“How much longer must we wait?” The deep and gurgling voice of the Deep sounded like it was filled with bubbling water. Its body was also drooping and looked like a melted wax sculpture. “This body will not last much longer.”
The Fanged Broodmaster, who was standing at nearly twenty feet tall, had limbs covered in jagged teeth and nails, scoffed and sneered derisively.
“Perhaps if you had not gone gallivanting off into the ocean, we would’ve long since finished this. Perhaps without notifying all our enemies of our actions as well!” The moment he finished speaking, he bent over and started coughing up Ichor and teeth. “These bodies are breaking down... this had better work. I have no desire to remain in this mortal form for any longer. Even being stuck inside my seal would be better than being stuck inside this dying flesh.”
The was a murmur of agreement from the other Broodmasters. Each of which was in varying stages of decay and breakdown. None of them cut the figure of a mighty ancient being. Now, they all looked like something that had one foot in the grave.
“Patience, my brethren, once I am free, I will be able to break each of you out within a day,” Radiant Chaos spoke from where he was floating in front of the seal.
His oily, molten gold form had several tendrils sticking out from it. They gently brushed over different parts of the seal. Runes that seemed to shift under even their Ancient sight would appear and disappear like flickering lights in the darkness. Flashes that shone even brighter than the seal itself.
An errant strand of Radiant Chaos’ body reached out, and a pool of opalescent Ichor flowed onto the seal. A small opening, in the exact same place that had been where Ezekiel had partially opened the seal, appeared for a few seconds before fading away.
“I am almost done mapping out the innate runic structure placed on this seal by Eldramir. If I had a powerful enough Void Mage here, it would go faster, but for now, it shouldn’t take more than a few additional minutes. You may begin infusing your Ichor with your [Wills]. Once I am finished, that power will be enough to break through the patch placed by the Herald when he first opened the seal.”
Like one, the other Broodmasters began pooling their Ichor into a single area.
“This had better work, or else, once we break out, be it decades or centuries from now, you will be the first whose Ichor my fangs will taste.” The Fanged Broodmaster threatened with a growl.
The others nodded in agreement, but Radiant Chaos just let out a chuckle, one that grew into a laugh, and then even further, until he was guffawing as his brethren continued to let their Ichor flow.
The only one that didn’t look confused was the Blood Broodmaster, whose feminine form was shaking, even as the Ichor flowing from her body increased in speed. She let out a gasp, and the others turned to her and tried to retract their limbs to cut off their Ichor.
That was when Radiant Chaos released a pulse of power, and the bodies of the Broodmasters began to change in color. Their beastly figures began to turn golden, and they began to struggle, even as their Ichor continued to be drained.
“What is this!? Radiant Chaos, what have you done!?” The Rot Broodmaster screamed while the others began howling in pain. Their flesh boiled and steamed, shifting under the weight of a power that was not their own.
“I am simply taking your power, so that I can truly be freed,” Radiant Chaos spoke with a sneer in his voice. “It is not my fault that the power needed to break the seal is too much for you to retain your current forms. Worry not, the backlash on your souls will not be a problem when I break you out.”
At that moment, the Blood fell to the side, her body utterly drained, and turned to dust as the last drop of Ichor was taken from her. The [Will] that had controlled her puppet body was nowhere to be found, having been latched onto and taken away alongside her Ichor.
“Why are you doing this? This goes against all that we are?” The Bone Broodmaster spoke in a slow rumble. The Swarm, the Deep, and the Wyrm were the next to fall. “Have you truly become so human that you would deceive your fellow Broods?”
The massive figure of the Bone Broodmaster fell to a knee, coming to eye level with the floating Radiant Chaos. A crumbling sound filled the area, and the Rot fell apart as well. A pile of feathers that fluttered into the wind came from the dying Winged Broodmaster.
Only Fang and Bone were left, and they grew weaker by the moment.
“I have simply found out what is necessary for our purpose to be fulfilled. Only by reaching the same level as our maker, the traitor, Eldramir, can this world truly be purged. Anything less will simply result in remnants hiding in the dirt.” Radiant Chaos grew a face from his body, as the Bone Broodmaster fell apart. “Only a perfect merger, between body and magic, like myself, can reach this level. Since there are no Ancient Spirits left for you to consume, you can no longer be considered my peers. You all are just too lowly for me to call you brethren.”
The Fanged Broodmaster wildly swung at the floating face of Radiant Chaos. However, even though the blow landed, at the cost of his [Will] being drained, and his final drops of Ichor being taken.
Yet it did nothing. The dead Broodmaster’s claws raked through nothing as Radiant Chaos’ body parted around the blow and reformed as a perfect whole once more.
Tendrils flowed out of the floating orb, and the Ichor infused with the [Will] of the other Broodmasters, locked in place due to the connection to their main bodies being severed by Radiant Chaos’ power having filled their bodies, flowed into the air, turning into a twisted and mangle key with many teeth and features unique to the various Broods.
Upon taking hold of it, the key turned gold in Radiant Chaos’ hands.
Behind him, the battle between the armies was taking a turn for the worse for the Cruor and Umbral Beasts, but Radiant Chaos didn’t care about that. A premonition of danger had filled his body, and he knew that he no longer had any time.
If he was to free himself, and begin the next step of his plan, he needed to break his seal now.
So, with a single push, the key made contact with the patch in the seal, and the combined power and [Will] of the nine different Broods acted as one, directed by Radiant Chaos’ half-transcendent [Will].
With an earth shattering ‘crash’ the seal was broken, and an ocean of molten gold flooded outward, spilling over Radiant Chaos’ puppet body, and toward the battle taking place in the distance.
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The shift was sudden, and Wolken was nearly thrown from his feet as the pulse of energy that rolled over the battlefield hit him full force. Some of the weaker Legendaries, who were not in peak condition, stumbled to the ground as the earth shook beneath them.
Even the Hunters in the sky fell several dozen feet from the force that nearly took them down. While all the Cruor in range fell to the ground, no longer conscious as their [Wills] and souls were dominated by the force that was released.
“We’re too late...” Wolken whispered upon looking at the area where the seal was cracked and broken. What was once a solid pillar of iridescent light was now shattered like glass, and slowly crumbling to the ground. “Retreat! Fall back and get away from the Ichor!”
The sight of the broken pillar that symbolized the seal was bad enough, but the truly horrifying scene was the sea of golden Ichor rushing toward them.
All who can fly, take to the sky, and bring others if you can!” Wolken felt a sense of urgency from his Spirit, who rapidly grew to a much larger size, lifting hundreds of Hunters and Mages onto its back.
It flew into the air, carrying Wolken and the others into the sky, just in time for the aura of an Ancient Being to nearly flatten them all. Though none fell into the Ichor as it continued to spread, all were frozen in the sky. Including the many Mythical beings that had taken steps to help their Legendary peers.
“Finally... I am free to spread across the world in full!” The voice of Radiant Chaos filled the world. “This world... the stars... the Void itself, will be mine for the taking!”
Suddenly, the ocean of Ichor that was spreading across the ground below began to rise. It spread far and wide, flowing faster and faster, until it formed a bowl that slowly rose higher and higher, intent on covering them all, and closing in on the frozen Hunters, Mages, and Spirits.
Suddenly, a second aura filled the world, though it was weaker than the first.
“None of those things will ever belong to you!”
With those words, spoken in a familiar voice, filled Wolken’s heart with joy, and a reassured smile spread across his face, and he could see similar relief fill the faces of the others who were near him.
The sea of Ichor in the middle of the rising bowl burst upward, nearly hitting a hundred or more Hunters with its splash. It was only thanks to an invisible force that gently moved them away that stopped them from being consumed.
A massive structure rose from the ground. Ichor covered it but washed away when it came into contact with the opalescent stone.
“No...” Radiant Chaos’ whisper was deafening, but his tone was filled with anger and anticipation. “You are too late! You will not take this victory from me!”
The ocean of Ichor shifted, and Wolken felt the pressure push down on him even harder, only for it to be relieved a moment later.
“Today is not the day you win.” Ezekiel’s voice filled the air, and Wolken found himself moved against his will, along with all the others in his army, but not as forcefully as he imagined. “Though, I will grant you this... today is not the day we’ll fight either.”
Wolken suddenly found himself surrounded by stonework, and the sight of the Ichor that once filled his vision was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he found his surroundings to be incredibly crowded.
“Hold on... I won’t be able to do this gently.”
Everybody braced themselves after Ezekiel gave his warning, and suddenly the world twisted. Everything around them went sideways, then up, then sideways again. Constant movement that pulled them every which way they could be taken happened all at once for several minutes.
Then, as if it were nothing more than an illusion, the stonework that surrounded them disappeared. It crumbled to the ground and turned into dust that formed a mountain all around them.
Wolken and the other Mythics found themselves helping thousands of motion sick Hunters and Mages of the Legendary level out of the mountain of stone dust that had essentially buried them.
Upon finally getting out, he and the others found themselves with more Mythics in their midst. Several more birds, and a familiar Flame Hunter that was a sight for his sore and tired eyes.
She was framed by sunlight, that he hadn’t thought he would see for many more days, if not weeks, if ever again, after having entered the Desolate Lands to try and stop the Broods.
In the distance, he could even hear the sound of waves crashing on a beach, and his first thought was that they were in the Archipelago. His second, was that Ezekiel had truly gotten strong, if he could get them all there in a single series of [Jumps].
“Riley... Where’s Ezekiel?” Wolken tried to sound happy, but he could see the frown on Riley’s face. What should’ve been a happy moment was now something else, and he didn’t know what.
Without saying a word, Riley raised a hand and pointed into the distance, toward a towering opalescent figure that seemed to blend in with the crumbled structure that had briefly ferried them to wherever they now were.
Upon looking more closely, Wolken felt his heart drop to his feet, and the sight of what could only be their savior nearly brought him to tears.