Within the massive oak tree composed of numerous Legendary and Adept Spirit bodies, Ezekiel and his team were greeted with the sight of a massive open area. Above them were countless branches tangling together to create a canopy so thick it couldn’t be seen through. Yet there was still plenty of light as lines spanned up and down the trunks of the trees surrounding them. There were also glowing leaves filled with mana that acted as light sources from above.
“Please, come toward the center so we may speak face to face.” A voice rumbled through the large room they were in.
It seemed to come from no particular source, instead echoing through every corner of the room. The party approached the center of the large room. The wood on the ground seemed to spiral toward the center. A much smaller tree stood in the middle of the room. As the group got closer, they could see a human face shaped from the bark. Looking up and down the tree, there were actually several faces. A mix between masculine and feminine. Though the masculine faces outnumbered the feminine ones.
Upon getting within a few feet of the tree, the eyes of the faces all opened up, and the tree seemed to bend to allow the faces to look at Ezekiel and his group. A deep sigh echoed through the room as the faces seemed to inhale and exhale, as if breathing for the first time. A breeze momentarily formed and drifted past the group as this happened.
“Greetings. I am... Morncrest... The Spirit of this forest, and overlord of this island. I have watched as you and your... expeditions... have attempted to find the Temple of the Void. You have had little luck so far. But that would only make sense, since they have yet to enter the inner regions of this island.” A cacophony of voices, no longer a single deep rumbling one, spoke to the group.
“Be thankful, for you, ten, have reached your goal.” The voice of the forest informed them.
“Ten?” Martin muttered as he did a quick count of the group. From his, Nina, and Sasha’s perspective, there were only nine of them, when you included the Spirits.
Ezekiel and Fiana held a neutral expression. Though that still stood out from the confused faces of Sasha, Martin, and Nina. But it was George that gave them away as he winced and stared at Ezekiel. This caused the three Hunters to look at Ezekiel as well. But they couldn’t speak up before the forest did.
“The boy has a Void Spirit. Though its form is not like yours. The Void is immaterial and must be contained within material objects. It cannot form a physical body out of mana. Not at the lower Tiers. At least.” The Forest Spirit said. “Perhaps when it becomes a Legendary being it will be able to hold its own form, without the need for a vessel.”
The Hunters in the group looked at Ezekiel in shock. They knew that Ezekiel was impressive, as he wouldn’t have official apprenticeship with the Church of Ten, nor guild membership if that was not the case, but none of them expected him to have a Void Spirit. As far as the world was aware, the only things close to Void Spirits that existed were the Remnants of the Void within the Temples of the Void. But what records remained indicated that they once vehemently denied being Spirits.
Ezekiel ignored the looks being sent at him as his eyes narrowed in annoyance. He knew he couldn’t get angry at the Forest Spirit for revealing his secrets like that. But it was for safety purposes for Shine. So, he certainly wasn’t happy that the Forest Spirit revealed his bonded Spirit to two four strangers and a friend that he wasn’t too close to yet.
“It’s fine. People were going to find out about me sooner or later. At least now I can do more things in my statue body.” Shine said. They weren’t pleased either, Ezekiel could feel it, but they also didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. There were bigger things to be concerned with after all.
“What do you want from us?” Ezekiel asked. He didn’t want his team to start asking questions he didn’t want to answer. Nor did he want them to forget the reason they were here in the first place. “Also, what do you mean when you say that we have reached our goal?”
The Hunters slowly turned back to the Forest Spirit. The Adepts understood that this was not the time for questioning Ezekiel. But Sasha looked somewhat hurt. Like she hadn’t been expecting Ezekiel to be keeping such a big secret from her. Fiana and George just focused on what the Forest Spirit had to say.
“I mean that you have reached the Temple of the Void. It is located beneath here, entangled within my roots. Its seals are intact, but even so, I sit here as its guardian. A role that I shall fulfill until the monster you called the Cruor have been removed from this island.” The Forest Spirit explained.
All the Mages in the room immediately looked down. They were not expecting the very thing they were looking for to have been so close to them. Yet they realized that it was essentially impossible to reach it given what stood atop it.
“As for what I want from you. I want your help in destroying the Cruor that infests this island. Do this, and I will do all within my power to ensure you acquire the spoils within the Temple that you seek.” The Forest Spirit promised. Its voices became harsh and guttural as it spoke of the Cruor.
“May I ask, what did they do to you, besides the obvious?” Ezekiel asked. There was an innate conflict between the Cruor and the Spirits. As the former could consume the latter in order to grow stronger due to the fact that Spirits were beings of mana.
The faces of the Forest Spirit closed their eyes. They seemed to be collecting themselves. Internally debating whether or not they should bother answering.
“They killed my bonded one. It was during the times before, when this island was still inhabited. However, during the fall of this island’s cities, humanity fought, and lost. I formed a bond with the former Grand Scholar of the Temple of the Void. The last of Morncrest’s Scholars.” The faces on the tree seemed to stare off into the distance. Lost in a memory from hundreds of years ago.
“At the time, the waters of this island did not have the powerful Wild Spirits that it now does. It had few, if any defenders to protect it. Once, the Cruor on this island were far more numerous, if far less powerful. There were only Tier three Cruor, but it was enough to eventually overrun and kill all the humans here. Eventually, more powerful Spirits realized what was happening, and came to the island’s aid. But it was too late. The waters had turned red, and the Deep ones had entrenched themselves. We managed to find a balance, eventually. But only after Spirits and Cruor became the only living beings on the island.” The Forest Spirit’s voices were filled with pain as it recalled its countless battles.
“I thought that by dividing myself I might turn the tide. For a time, I did, but once the Cruor discovered the Temple, things turned for the worse for a time. There now stands an army of Tier three Deep ones. And dozens of Tier fours. Most are bound to the water around the island. Unable to breathe the air as humans do. But a few of their allies, the Winged ones, face me and other Spirits in battle on the land, and in the sky.” The Spirit fell silent after saying this.
The group of Mages didn’t know what to think or say. They knew that the Cruor and Spirit presence on the island was large, but they didn’t know it was this bad. Had they known, there expedition would have either been canceled, or quadrupled in number. But the latter would only happen if they were willing to put their home islands at risk from the depleted forces.
“How can we help you? None of us are a match for a Legendary being. Not even if we pooled all our powers together. Let alone being powerful enough to remove them entirely.” Martin asked. He felt like the Forest Spirit’s request was abnormal and overwhelming. It was simply too much to ask of them.
“It is not your help that I need. Just the boy’s.” The Forest Spirit said. A branch moving from its avatar to point at Ezekiel. “With his aid, I will be able to take action that will deal a swift and devastating blow to the Cruor. Enough so that my forces, and the forces of the surrounding Legendary Spirits will be able to finally remove the Cruor from this island.”
Ezekiel’s team all turned to look at him. They didn’t know what to think of this. They knew that Ezekiel was special, but this wasn’t what they were expecting. He was only Tier one, after all. Peak Tier one, but still just Tier one. The only one he’d have a somewhat equal chance of defeating in a battle was Sasha. Had he fought any of the Adepts seriously, he’d be taken out quite quickly. Unless he chose to run, but even then, he’d just go down tired.
“Don’t look at me. I have no idea how he wants me to help him. I know full well that any of you could kick my ass in a spar. Let alone dozens of Legendaries.” Ezekiel said as he pointed at the Adepts in the room. For a second, all of them looked relieved that Ezekiel didn’t have some unexpected ultimate power. Then their faces turned confused, as they couldn’t figure out what the Forest Spirit wanted from the young Void Mage.
“Your Void is immune to the effects of the Ichor. As such, you will not be subject to the mana drain from entering the Desolate side of the island. Beyond that, your Void should allow you to pass by utterly unseen, as an empty space that your presence is erased from, so long as you desire it. As well as having a host of other abilities that should allow you to infiltrate the Home of the Cruor on this island.” The Forest Spirit told them.
“I’m sorry, but, while I have some abilities, I don’t... '' Ezekiel trailed off as he noticed that Shine had fallen into another trance. “I need some time. My Spirit just figured something out as you were speaking. Is there a place where we can rest. Perhaps eat and drink something to refresh ourselves?”
The Forest Spirit stared at Ezekiel for a moment. Specifically, he stared at Shine, who was attached to Ezekiel’s hip. It seemed like it was seeing something that no one else could. Though Ezekiel figured that it was examining Shine’s soul. It was at a high enough Tier to be able to after all. After a few moments, a path of branches lit up and an opening appeared in the wall of the room.
“Follow that path. I have created approximations of your human accommodations. Do not attempt to leave my grove. Beyond that, you may do as you wish. Simply speak, and I will know when you wish to speak with me again.” The Forest said to them. “Rest, prepare, for I will have your answer the moment you are ready.”
Ezekiel nodded in thanks and acceptance as he and the rest turned to walk down the path that was made for them. As they passed through the opening it closed behind them. No one spoke for a time as they made their way to what was going to be their quarters for the time being. As they continued to walk through the corridor of tree branches, they finally came to yet another open room. This one having six beds within it, made of branches and giant leaves. One for each of the humans. The four spirits would have to share. Though Shine didn’t really have that problem.
“Alright. I know that Forest Spirit can hear me, but even so. I think you need to explain what the heck is going on right now.” Martin said as he rounded on Ezekiel and the Church Scholars. Nina nodded along. She was also curious as to what was going on.
This wasn’t the first time Hunters from the Saber Scales had worked with the Sanafalls Cathedral, but it was certainly the first time they’d heard of the Church having a Void Mage with a bonded Void Spirit. Given they were in this situation because the Forest Spirit wanted something from Ezekiel, they felt it was reasonable to want some proper answers. Sasha also looked like she wanted to demand an answer. But knew she wasn’t in a position to do so.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Ezekiel shared a look with his fellow Scholars. Fiana looked frustrated at the situation, but George was looking around nervously. As if he still couldn’t get a grasp on their situation. He looked like a mouse under the claws of a cat. He just wouldn’t stop looking around for possible threats.
Looking down as Shine for a moment, Ezekiel centered himself before turning to the Hunters in the room. He wanted to have Shine there to give their input on the matter, but that wasn’t an option with them being in a trance as they realized something new about their element. It was a bit of a long story as well, but Ezekiel figured they had time for it right now. Past experiences showed that Shine wasn’t likely to wake up any time soon.
----------------------------------------
Several hours had passed by the time Ezekiel had given the Hunters and Sasha an in-depth explanation. The story itself hadn’t taken that long, but some arguments popped up regarding how much information he should actually provide. Fiana supported Ezekiel’s decisions to keep some bits and pieces secret. However, Martin and Nina argued that they needed to know everything they could.
Ezekiel countered this by asking them if they’d be willing to tell him, Fiana, George, and Sasha every deep dark dirty secret they had in exchange. The two Saber Scale Hunters became upset at that, growing angry at the demand for equivalent exchange.
By this point, Ezekiel had realized that he’d fallen into his state of emotional nullification as his Void Mana stunted his feelings to deal with what was happening. He knew that he should’ve stopped it but didn’t think he could deal with things as they were without it. Especially if he was going to be going into Cruor territory, likely one his own, within the next few days.
Ezekiel’s dead expression, and his demands for equal exchange of information did not go over well with Nina and Martin. They said that Ezekiel was the problem here, not them, so they deserved answers in exchange for the aid they provided, as well as the fact that they were trapped because of Ezekiel. He countered this argument by saying that if they refused to be allies anymore because of this, then that was fine. Ezekiel would ask that Forest Spirit stop treating them nicely, since it seemed like it was only doing so because it needed something from Ezekiel.
The room got quiet after that, and Ezekiel could tell that he’d burned a bridge. Although he and Fiana both considered it to be a bridge that the two Hunters burned down demanding things they had no right to. Fiana supported this decision, however, and while Martin and Nina went to their own little corner to sulk, Ezekiel tried to talk to Sasha about what was going on.
“Are you okay?” He asked quietly. Martin and Nina were a fair distance away. The room was smaller than the previous one they were in, but still quite large.
“I don’t know. I feel like things have really gotten out of hand right now. I always knew that expeditions were dangerous. Given what happened to my dad. But this is beyond anything I’d expected to have happen in the first few months of being in a Guild. Heck; I’m not even in the Guild anymore.” Sasha said with her head in her hands. “Now I also find out you’re some kind of super Mage? The only Hunter Void Mage in the world!”
Sasha wasn’t taking the information particularly well. She’d always been a little bit envious of Ezekiel. Most people that knew him tended to be. He just stood out so much that it was hard not to. But he’d been someone that Sasha thought she could rely on after he’d proven his worth when they first met. She didn’t even let the fact that Ginny was mean to her due to association with Ezekiel get to her. At least, she thought she didn’t.
“I just... I don’t know what I should be doing right now. I want to trust you, and I want to consider you my friend still, but I just think that this is too big for me to deal with right now.” Sasha told Ezekiel. “For now, can you please just leave me alone. I need to think for a bit.”
“Sasha-” Ezekiel tried to apologize, to explain, but a soft growling from Tuff made him back off.
The little groundhog Spirit had moved to the top of Sasha’s head and was perched in a threatening position. Ezekiel knew that if he moved any closer, he’d have a Tier two Cavern Spirit jumping at his throat. He backed away slowly, moving back over to where Fiana was trying to get George to calm down. Her attempts did not seem to be working.
“What the heck is the matter with you?” Ezekiel heard Fiana asking as he got closer. “You look like a mouse in a den full of cats.”
“Because that’s exactly what our situation is. We are alive due to the mercy of a Wild Spirit. One that lost its bonded Mage hundreds of years ago. We have no idea how sane it is, nor why it used so many voices and faces in its avatar when it spoke to us. Splintering a Soul like this has side effects. The records from the only other Forest Spirit clearly indicate that the only reason it stayed sane was because it was grounded by its Human.” George was nearly hysterical in his whispering.
“That’s not the kind of thing I want to hear right now. Especially when the Spirit told us it could hear everything we say and see everything we do.” Fiana said. She nervously looked around the faintly glowing room surrounded by branches and leaves.
George, realizing what he’d just said, and remembering where they were, frantically clamped his hands over his mouth. He glared at Fiana as if his words were her fault before standing up and marching over to one of the unoccupied beds and laying down. It seemed like he either didn’t realize, or didn’t care, that the beds were made from more branches with giant spongy leaves for cushions. Something that could more easily wrap him up and take him out.
“I hate to say this, but I think George has the right idea. We’ve been up for a while. I think it’d be best if we all got some rest. Maybe our heads will have cooled in the morning.” Fiana said to Ezekiel when she saw he’d come over to her. She made her way to another one of the beds and laid down as well.
Looking around the room, he saw that Martin and Nina were avoiding the beds that were available to them. As was Sasha, but it seemed like Tuff was trying to convince her to get some sleep. Ezekiel knew that trying to talk to anyone else right now would be useless, so he also crawled onto a bed, holding Shine tightly to his chest, and slowly drifted into a restless sleep.
----------------------------------------
The following morning found the group slowly waking up one after another. It seemed like Martin and Nina weren’t willing to sleep on the beds, so they unpacked some of their supplies to sleep on the ground. Ezekiel also saw that Tuff had managed to get Sasha to sleep on the bed. So, of the group only the two Hunters were stiff and uncomfortable. They still refused to interact with Ezekiel and the Scholars.
“Ezekiel.” Shine’s voice rang through Ezekiel’s mind. He was just about to ask them what they had gained from their enlightenment when Shine decided to drop a bomb on his head. “I think we can do it. I think we can help the Forest Spirit.”
Ezekiel was shocked. He knew full well that Shine was not a suicidal Spirit, nor were they the kind of being to overestimate their abilities. But this was fairly ridiculous. They were only tier one, and even if they gained a new stealth spell, it wasn’t like they would suddenly be able to use it to perfection. It would take time to train with it until they could use it efficiently.
But even so, Shine’s words gave Ezekiel hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. Maybe, if they tried bargaining with the Forest Spirit, then they would be able to at least get their teammates out of there.
“Are you certain that this is something we can do? I’m not even going to attempt it unless you can convince me that we have at least a fifty percent chance of surviving.” Ezekiel said to Shine.
Shine didn’t reply in words. Instead, they simply filtered the information regarding the new spell into Ezekiel’s head. This one was a bit more extensive than their previous spells. Hence why it took more than a full night to learn, rather than a few hours. Yet when the information finished flowing into Ezekiel’s mind, he realized that Shine was right. They would be able to aid the Forest Spirit with its request. So long as they had enough mana to maintain the spell.
“Morncrest.” Ezekiel said aloud. His teammates all turned to look at him. “I’d like to bargain for the aid you have requested.”
“Ezekiel, what are you doing!?” Fiana asked in shock as another opening appeared in the room.
“Getting you out of here.” Ezekiel said as he exited the room. “Please close the room behind me.”
“Ezekiel!” Fiana nearly screamed as the door out of the room closed before she could reach him. Ezekiel’s team was now trapped in the room on their own.
“Well, it seems like your little wonder boy has decided to leave us all to our fates. And you said we needed to trust you.” Martin said in a scathing tone of voice. Fiana turned to glare at him.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Ezekiel is trustworthy. You’re the ones who demanded more than you deserved to know.” Fiana said to him.
Martin and Nina moved toward Fiana, their mana flaring and their Spirits growling angrily. Fiana responded by flaring her own peak Adept mana. The room immediately grew warmer. George looked around in fear, while Sasha grew even more upset.
“Enough! What’s the point in fighting right now! There’s nothing we can do until Ezekiel gets back, so what’s the point in fighting each other? If we fight right now, the Forest Spirit might think we’re a threat and separate us. Maybe even remove us or worse.” Sasha said.
The others grew quiet. Their mana became more subdued as they looked around the room warily. It seemed like they hadn’t gotten the Forest Spirit’s attention. But they all focused on the spot that Ezekiel had walked through. As much as they hated to admit it, Sasha was right. There was nothing they could do in this situation. Nothing to do but wait until Ezekiel was done.
----------------------------------------
After walking through another corridor of branches and leaves, Ezekiel returned to the first chamber he’d seen where the Forest Spirit resided. Approaching the Spirit, Ezekiel no longer felt the nervousness and frustration he had the previous day. His emotions were fully muted now, and his determination was set in stone.
“Ezekiel...” Shine, finally noticing the differences in Ezekiel, grew worried at his lack of expression.
“When this is over, you will need to snap me out of it.” Ezekiel said to his Spirit. The best way for him to return to normal was to simply suppress his mana, but doing so in this situation would take away his focus. Something he needed more than anything else right now.
“What is your decision? Are you able to do as I have requested?” The cacophony of voices asked once again.
“I should be able to do as you have requested. But I will require something from you beforehand.” Ezekiel said.
“And what would that be?” The Spirit asked.
“My companions. Return them to our expedition. They aren’t needed here. You know full well that I’ll do as you ask, with or without their presence.” Ezekiel stated. His voice was firm in his request.
“That will be difficult. As your expedition has come under the attack of several Legendary Hunters. They have locked themselves away in Trigat, but there is no telling how long it will be before they come under assault.” The Spirit told him.
The shock from this information nearly snapped Ezekiel out of his emotional nullification.
“Do these outsiders have any symbols to identify them?” He asked.
The Spirit didn’t say anything. It just formed a pair of symbols. Ones that Ezekiel easily recognized as the Cult of Light and the now defunct Reaching Spires Guild. Ezekiel found his pulse increasing as his blood ran hot. He was angry, despite his mana, he was growing angry.
“In that case,” Ezekiel said in an ice-cold tone, “I request that you send my team to the next nearest expedition, as well as provide them with a full explanation and breakdown of what has happened. Beyond that, I need either some time, or some pure mana crystals in order to break through to the next Tier.”
“Very well. We can do this. You shall have your crystals before the day is done. But you will begin aiding us by tomorrow. No later.” The Spirit said.
Ezekiel had hoped that he’d be able to get a few days to practice the spell he would be using to infiltrate the Cruor’s nest, but he figured that this was the best he would get, considering that he was getting free pure crystals. That would take a month or two off of his progress.
“Agreed. But my team is leaving now. And you will need to further explain what exactly your plan is. Why do you need me to infiltrate the Cruor’s home? What will I be doing while I am there?” Ezekiel asked.
“You will be planting seeds. Seeds that I will use to attack from the inside of their base. This will allow me to destroy their land forces once and for all. My Legendary avatars will be able to strike from within, where they least expect it.” The Forest Spirit said with fervent vigor.
“Won’t they be drained of their mana?” Ezekiel asked.
“Not if you work fast enough. You will need to. Else you die or be converted by the Cruor.” The Forest said. “Now, I shall be sending your friends away to their new expedition.”
“Show me!” Ezekiel demanded. The faces on the tree in front of him seemed to glare for a moment before a branch extended to Ezekiel, placing a leaf on his forehead.
Suddenly, Ezekiel saw another room. It was the room where his team was resting in. They had all been bound in branches once again. Martin and Nina were struggling, but the rest were calm. As if they had given up. Then, the branches moved them through the grove. The team was pulled away and moved at incredible speeds away from their current location. Ezekiel’s vision snapped back to his own body.
“For your cooperation, we will allow you to witness when they reunite with their fellow Mages. It will be sometime this afternoon when this occurs.” The Forest said. “For now, go and meditate. Your crystals will arrive soon.”
With those words, the Forest fell silent once again. Another opening appeared, and Ezekiel walked down it to find himself in another bedroom-like chamber. Knowing there was nothing he could do, and taking what comfort he could from Shine’s presence, he sat down to meditate. There was no time to waste when he would be facing death in roughly a day.