Book 3: Chapter 40: A Debt Owed

Book 3: Chapter 40: A Debt Owed

Riding an alligator in the middle of a swamp was an odd sensation, but Elijah had to admit it wasn’t even the strangest thing to have happened that day. Instead, that label belonged the fact that he had battled – and defeated – a literal hydra, not unlike the one from Earth’s mythology only an hour before. It was just one more oddity to add to the list of curiosities he’d experienced since Earth was touched by the World Tree.

And he knew it wasn’t going to be the last, either. The world had grown into something magical and often unrecognizable, so the existence of mythological beasts shouldn’t have even moved his needle. Yet it had, largely because the thing had been powerful enough to nearly kill him. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the quick intervention of the other two people riding the alligator – and Bessy herself – he would have found his end at the bottom of the hydra’s gullet.

Of course, he never would have been in the swamp if it hadn’t been for Konstantinos and his wayward daughter, Bryce. Still, seeing the father and daughter together, he considered his labors to have been worth it.

At that moment, Bryce glanced back at him and frowned. “Why are you grinning like that? It’s creepy.”

“You’re creepy,” Elijah countered.

“What does that even mean?”

“Nothing.”

The teenage girl shook her head and rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the swamp before them. Elijah needed to do no such thing. Or rather, he was already paying attention to everything around them via One with Nature. He didn’t need his eyes to see everything in the general vicinity.

So, he once again turned his attention to the day’s gains. First, he looked at his updated status:

Name

Elijah Hart

Level

61

Archetype

Druid

Class

Animist

Specialization

N/A

Alignment

N/A

Strength

94 (72)

Dexterity

79 (64)

Constitution

72 (62)

Ethera

70

After a few moments, Konstantinos led him out to the back deck, where they sat in a pair of chairs that overlooked the swamp. Night had begun to fall, which cast the mire in deep shadow. That same air of mystery Elijah had experienced before returned, and now that he wasn’t waist-deep in murky water, he could truly appreciate it.

Konstantinos offered him an unmarked, brown glass bottle, saying, “My special brew.”

“Beer?” asked Elijah.

The thin man nodded, then scratched his beard before taking off his cap and wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Don’t know how you stand wearin’ that fur coat in this heat,” the man said before taking a sip of his own beer.

Elijah did the same, then settled back in his chair with a sigh. “Just part of my style,” he said with a grin. “So, what’s the deal with the alligator? She’s a guardian, right? Where’s her natural treasure?”

Konstantinos shook his head before taking another pull from the bottle. “Some strangers came in and took it. Giant sunflower. It was at least four feet across,” he said. “They came in, attacked ‘er, then made off with the flower. She was too wounded to follow. That’s how I found ‘er. My pops used to work a gator farm down in the Glades, so I always had a soft spot for ‘em. Anyway, I brewed up some potions and nursed ‘er back to health. After that, she followed me home. Been with me ever since.”

“Interesting.”

“Yep. Way I see it, she replaced the treasure she lost with guardin’ me and the kids,” he said. “Normally, she don’t take kindly to strangers. Makes it odd that she seemed so taken with you.”

“Not my first encounter with a guardian. They like me.”

“Class?”

“Archetype. Plus, I know how to treat them. Give them some food, and most of the time, they come around pretty quick.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

After that, the pair lapsed into an easy silence that lasted until the sun had fully set. Then, Konstantinos said, “I just want you to know how much I appreciate what you did. Not many folks would step out like that and risk theirself.”

“You’re welcome. But I think more people than you think would’ve done the same thing,” Elijah said. “I know there are probably some rough people out there. Some bad ones. But I have to believe there are plenty of good ones, too. I’ve run into a few.”

“Hope you’re right. I don’t want the kids to grow up in the kind of world where folks won’t help one another out.”

“Me neither.”

That’s when Marcy came outside to tell them that dinner was ready. She’d made chili, which, as luck would have it, was one of Elijah’s favorite foods. So, he ate it gratefully before turning his attention to the children. After a bit of prodding, he tried to address their issue, but it wasn’t long before he recognized that there was nothing to heal. Not really. It was more like their bodies had changed. So, he had no choice but to assume that Konstantinos’ assessment was correct. Hopefully, when they reached the age where they could choose an archetype and start leveling, they would get better. Until then, the potions were the only choice.

“I have another Alchemist friend how might be able to help,” Elijah said in the wake of his failure to fix the issue. He settled onto a couch with patterned upholstery that belonged in the early eighties. “I don’t know if he’ll want to come all the way out here, but I’d be happy to ask.”

That offer was met with enthusiastic approval.

Soon enough, the children were put to bed, leaving Elijah alone with the adults. And Bryce, who seemed a little less annoying than she had in the swamp. Apparently, her parents had made it abundantly clear how disappointed they were with her actions, which had subdued some of her spirit. Or perhaps that was the blatant consequences of her actions, which had very nearly gotten them all killed.

Contrition was probably a good reaction to that sort of thing.

In any case, she soon disappeared into the back of the house as well, which gave Elijah the opportunity to tell Konstantinos and Marcy an abbreviated version of his story. He left out the more magical bits, only telling them that he’d been stranded alone for quite some time.

“And now I’m trying to get to Seattle to see if I can find my sister,” he said.

Marcy shook her head, saying, “To think that Seattle is as close as it is now. Before the world changed, this was Louisiana.”

“I don’t really know how close it actually is,” Elijah countered. “It could be a thousand miles away for all I know.”

“It ain’t,” Konstantinos stated. “That’s where them men who took the sunflower came from. I heard ‘em talkin’ about it before I knew what they was about. It ain’t close, but it ain’t thousands of miles away, neither. They made that clear.”

That was an encouraging statement.

Soon, it was time to retire for the night. They didn’t have an extra bed, but they gave Elijah some blankets and a pillow so he could sleep on the couch. He’d certainly slept on worse, so he was grateful for their hospitality.

It wasn’t long before he’d settled in. Before he succumbed to unconsciousness, he acknowledged that he felt good about his actions. Not only had he gained some levels, but he’d also helped good people, which was equally important. So, he went to sleep satisfied with the day’s work.