Path of Dragons 14 - Chapter 13 - Still Necessary (Patreon)

Elijah tugged at the Girdle of the Wild Revenant, muttering, “I’m not sure about this.”

As he looked into the mirror, he saw Atticus standing behind him, his beefy arms crossed over his chest.  “I think it fits you.”

“Of course it fits,” Elijah mumbled.  That was one of the good things about the gear granted via system boxes.  Once someone bonded it, it automatically adjusted in size.  And the Raiment of the Wild Revenant was no different.  It fit like it was tailored for him.

“I wasn’t talking about size, my friend.”

“I know.”

Objectively, Elijah couldn’t deny that the suit of armor was impressive.  It certainly was.  The Chausses were looser than he’d expected.  Not quite billowing, but the effect was made more obvious because they tucked into his footwraps at mid-calf.  The Armor of the Wild Revenant was far tighter, though Elijah had already verified that his ability to move was unaffected. 

But mostly, he disliked the Girdle.

He had to admit that the wide, belt-like piece fit the aesthetic well.  The green vines were minimalistic, but they connected perfectly to the rest of the set’s embellishments.  Especially when he embraced Crown of Authority and let his antlers show.  The green fire pulsed along the embossed vines, creating an aura of intimidation that Elijah couldn’t have achieved without changing forms.

The only thing missing was a powerful staff.

Yet, he still wasn’t certain he liked it, and not just because of the Girdle.  The set was explicitly made for groveless Druids.  And Elijah was a long way from forgetting the way it felt when he was stranded in the abyss, all but disconnected from his grove.  The armor reminded him of that feeling, especially now that the set was complete.

Thankfully, the antlers were only visible when he wanted them to be.  Otherwise, he’d have long since discarded the gaudy piece of armor. 

Still, Elijah couldn’t deny the benefits of wearing the set.  Altogether, the Raiment of the Wild Revenant granted him almost seven hundred attribute points, and as large of a benefit as that influx of power was, it paled in comparison to the many traits he’d gained.  And those were all enhanced by Synergy, making the set even more valuable now that it was complete.

He turned, glancing at the shimmering Mantle of the Chimera.  Often, he forgot he was even wearing it, the material was so light.  But even if he wasn’t thinking about it, the benefits it granted were still invaluable.  Chimeric Shielding alone had likely saved his life more often than he could count.  And that wasn’t even considering the other effect, which boosted his Regeneration each time he was attacked.

The only other piece of armor he routinely wore was the Snake Totem around his neck.  The little necklace wasn’t flashy.  It didn’t give him a ton of extra attributes, either.  But it did extend the duration of his afflictions by fifteen percent, which was an incredible boost to his overall damage, even if he didn’t always notice it.

Not for the first time, he missed his scythe.  He’d only had it for a year or two, but the loss had hit him hard. 

He shook his head.  It wouldn’t be too much longer until he replaced it.  A part of him wished he’d taken the time to do so during his stint on Gorveth, but he’d always had other projects to take up his time.  On top of that, he spent most days in one of his other forms, so the lack of a staff hadn’t been that big of a deal.

Now that he was back on Earth, where he was expected to interact with other humans, he missed the comforting weight of a weapon in his hands.

“Are you okay?” asked Atticus, reminding Elijah that he was not alone. 

“Sorry,” he said, dismissing his antlers and running his hand through his hair.  “I get like that sometimes.  One of the effects of spending so much time alone.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“What?”

“Alone.  You don’t need to do this alone.  Selene and I would welcome having you around.  The house is big.  You could have an entire wing to yourself.  The children would love you.”

Children.

It was yet another reminder that the world had begun to pass him by.  Everyone he knew had moved on with their lives.  Atticus had an entire brood of children – and even one grandchild – waiting for him back home. 

A whole family. 

Even Miguel and Hope had recently had a child. 

By all rights, it probably should have happened sooner, but they’d held off until Miguel had reached demi-god status.  Did it matter that they were both nearing fifty years old?  Not in the new world, where even mortals could live well over a century.  Ascendents and demi-god lifespans were much, much longer, and that wasn’t even considering the effects of cultivation.

“Fifty’s the new twenty, I guess,” Elijah mumbled to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.  Just thinking aloud.  But no.  As much as I appreciate the offer, I have a lot of things I need to do.  Being cooped up in a city isn’t really my style. But thank you,” Elijah said.  “It means a lot that you offered.”

“Of course, my friend,” Atticus replied, clapping a beefy hand on his shoulder.  “You will at least have dinner with me before you leave, yes?”

Elijah grinned.  “Definitely.”

After that, Elijah changed out of his armor and into something far more casual.  Then, he and Atticus headed to one of the city’s finest restaurants.  And given his girth, if Atticus made that claim, it was to be believed. 

As it turned out, that label was well earned. 

“I always have liked Greek food,” Elijah said around his latest bite.  The restaurant had served kleftiko, which was lamb, slow-roasted with garlic, lemon, oregano, and potatoes.  As good as it tasted, it smelled even better. 

“That is because you have good taste, my friend!” Atticus replied with a bellowing laugh that echoed across the busy restaurant.  The Merchant’s joviality always made him the center of attention, but it was far from out of place in Argos.  Greeks tended to take great joy in their meals, after all – an attitude Elijah could support, especially when the food was so good.

After the main course, the server brought out dessert – a rich, custard-y dish called galaktoboureko that blew Elijah away.

And then came the drinking.

That was one thing about the new world.  Despite the fact that almost everyone had an enhanced constitution now, there were still plenty of options for inebriation.  Entire classes were built upon alcohol, and the Brewers and Distillers were very good at their jobs. 

Elijah ended up getting lost in the revelry until he blacked out.

The next morning, he awoke with a potent headache and a whole-body malaise that took almost thirty minutes of constant healing to banish. 

A long, hot shower later and Elijah felt almost normal.  At some point during the night, he’d ended up at Atticus’ palatial manor.  Thankfully, he’d made it to a bed, rather than simply collapsing onto the floor. 

As Elijah found out a few minutes later, Atticus was not so lucky. 

The man lay in the middle of the foyer, his bearded cheek pressed against the mosaic tile floor as a horde of children leaped upon his bulky body.  He groaned, but he didn’t rise.

Instead, he just flicked his eyes toward Elijah and muttered, “Kill me now, my friend.”

For their part, the children were merciless in their efforts to torment their father.  They ranged from only a few years old to nearly ten, but they all seemed determined to use him as a jungle gym.  Elijah decided to help his friend by casting a single instance of Nature’s Bloom, which was enough to cut through the worst of Atticus’ hangover.

He roared like a bear, pushing himself to his knees.  The children hung on for dear life, answering the challenge with screams of their own as they attempted to topple the recovered beast.

“He’s too rough with them,” came a feminine voice.

Elijah glanced to his left to see Selene standing next to him.  She was just as beautiful as ever, though her expression was etched with worry.  She handed him a steaming mug filled with delicious-smelling coffee. 

Elijah accepted it gratefully, remarking, “Looks like they’re having a good time.”

She shook her head.  “They get hurt all the time.  He thinks that just because we have Healers on standby…”

Selene sighed.  “Not your problem,” she said.  “If he hasn’t changed by now, he’s not going to.”  Then, she rested her hand on Elijah’s shoulder.  “I’m glad you’re back.  He took your disappearance particularly hard.  For a while…well, he had a few bad years.  Some of that was his own doing.  Bad deals. Putting faith in the wrong people.  But he always said you would come back.  Even when no one else believed him, he never wavered.”

“He’s a good friend.”

“He’s a good man.”

Elijah could only agree with that assessment, the surety of it made all the more clear as Atticus roughhoused with his brood of children.  For a moment, Elijah wondered what it would be like to be a father.  Could he be that selfless?  Could he sacrifice his freedom to raise kids?

Maybe.

If he had the right woman by his side.

Sadie’s lack of response to his return loomed large in his mind, though he refused to give it the attention it probably deserved.  Part of him wanted to seek her out.  To find her and force the reunion.  But another part believed that if she truly cared, she would have come to him the second word of his return reached her.

She hadn’t, though.

Perhaps she never would.

He sighed.  “I’m happy he’s happy.”

Selene nodded, and for a few moments, the two just stood there, watching Atticus and the kids while enjoying their respective cups of coffee.  But finally, Elijah knew the time had come. 

During a lull in the action, Elijah got Atticus’ attention and told him that he was heading out.  Of course, the Merchant had something to say about that. 

“This is not necessary.  It’s not your job to police the world,” he stated.

Elijah shrugged.  “I’m not policing the world.  I’m teaching a lesson.”

“What sort of lesson?”

“That people can’t mess with nature or its stewards without consequences.  If we allow this to stand, even for one more day…”

“It happened years ago.  A decade.”

“That’s not the point.  What happens when this Olaf Bruener wants something from the Hartwood Grove?  He’ll think back on the last time he attacked a grove.  On the Druids he’s enslaved.  On all the rewards and the lack of cost,” Elijah explained.  “That’s the point, Atticus.  It’s a warning.  Just like Bloodrock Bay was a warning.  It tells everyone that I’m back and that I’m not happy with what was allowed to happen.”

“There will be a response.”

“Not if I do it right,” Elijah replied.

Indeed, Elijah had no intention of engaging in half measures.  There was no point in that.  He would hit them hard and fast, leaving only a few survivors. 

“He is a demi-god.  According to the Census, he’s stronger than you.”

Elijah gave a harsh chuckle.  “Higher level.  Not stronger.  There’s a big difference,” he pointed out.

After all, if he could kill most of the Synod alone, he could handle a demi-god who’d never even appeared on any of the power rankings.  Elijah had never even heard of the man before he’d left, and as far as he knew, Olaf Bruener hadn’t participated in any of the Primal Realms. 

No.  Elijah was certain of it.  The man wasn’t stronger than him.

He reached up to rest his hand on Atticus’ shoulder.  He gave it a squeeze, saying, “This is necessary, and I think it will save lives in the long run.”

While that might have been true, that wasn’t the reason Elijah was committed to this course of action.  The dragon within him stirred, anxious to assert dominance and protect what was his.  And for once, Elijah was willing to give it precisely what it wanted.