Book 4: Chapter 4: Doing Things Right

Book 4: Chapter 4: Doing Things Right

The water inside the cave was deathly still, evidence that his actions had driven the sea life away. Likely, it was a defense mechanism meant to ensure that they didn’t get caught in the dangerous flows of ethera. After all, when Elijah had cultivated his Body of Stone, it had killed everything in the cave. And while death was an inevitable part of life, he didn’t relish the notion of killing anything unnecessarily.

The trick was deciding when it was needed.

Regardless, after floating in the cave for a few more minutes, Elijah turned his attention to his status:

Name

Elijah Hart

Level

76

Archetype

Druid

Class

Animist

Specialization

N/A

Alignment

N/A

Strength

87

Dexterity

79

Constitution

87

Ethera

85

Regeneration

79

Attunement

Nature

Cultivation Stage: Cultivator

Body

Core

Mind

Soul

Stone

Hatchling

Quartz

Novice

His attributes hadn’t changed since he’d killed Thor, but he could feel the difference in his casting speed. The benefits were more than that, though. Initially, he’d thought the different categories of cultivation coincided with specific benefits. Back then, it had seemed so clear. The stage of his Body affected the expression of his physical attributes. It didn’t raise his Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, or Regeneration. Instead, it made each point count for more. Meanwhile, his Mind gave him the ability to regenerate ethera more quickly with each higher stage. And his Soul affected the application speed of that ethera.

The Core was the odd one out, and in addition to affecting the potency of his spells, it also changed their flavor. For him, that meant his alternative shapes had taken on draconic characteristics, but for others, it would probably have quite a different effect.

“You make it sound boring,” Miguel mumbled under his breath. Elijah heard it just fine, though.

Elijah skated right past that, saying, “Alright, then. We’re going back to Ironshore to pick up a friend. Then, we’ll go to Argos.”

“So soon?” asked Carmen. “Don’t you need to prepare?”

Elijah slapped his Ghoul-Hide Satchel, saying, “Got everything I need right here.”

Of course, Carmen had other ideas, reminding him that Miguel didn’t have a magical satchel. So, after enduring her chastisement, Elijah set off for Ironshore while Miguel went to pack his clothes. He didn’t have much, which was something that would soon need to change. Perhaps he could get Mari to make him a set of clothes, too.

In any case, Elijah wasn’t going to sit around and wait for Miguel, so he took on the Shape of the Sky and quickly launched himself high into the air. The trip across the strait was much quicker in that form, and in only around thirty seconds, he thudded down on the path just outside of Biggle’s yard.

He’d just taken on his human form when the guards arrived, reminding Elijah that he hadn’t told anyone in the town about his new form. So, he spent the next few minutes assuring the pair of guards that there was no monster around. Everyone in town knew about his ability to shapeshift, so it didn’t take that long to convince the two dwarves.

By that point, though, Biggle had taken notice of them.

“What in all the hells is going on out here? Elijah? What are you doing here?” the gnome demanded.

“Get packed. We’re going on a trip.”

“What?”

“I’ll pay you. You’re going to consult with another Alchemist about some sick kids,” Elijah said.

“I am?”

Elijah clapped his hands. “Chop chop, man. I want to be there before nightfall,” he said.

“Where are we going?” the bushy-eyebrowed gnome asked. “And you mentioned pay? How much?”

Elijah sighed. Then, he explained the situation, ending with, “We’ll be gone for no more than a week.”

After that, they negotiated the price of the gnome’s assistance. It was far more expensive than Elijah would have preferred, but he had no leverage in the situation. More, he wanted Biggle to just drop everything. So, a little extra was warranted, even if Elijah found it slightly irritating.

Regardless, it only took Biggle thirty minutes to pack everything he would need, and then, the pair returned to Elijah’s island. This time, they took one of the rowboats he’d left behind, much to his chagrin. He’d have much preferred to fly, but he didn’t think Biggle would appreciate being carried around in his talons, and Elijah certainly wasn’t going to let the gnome ride on his back.

In any case, they made decent time crossing the strait, and Elijah beached the rowboat after only thirty minutes. When he noticed Biggle’s hesitation to step one foot onto the shore, Elijah let out a sigh. “Nothing is going to hurt you so long as you stay on the beach,” he said.

Perhaps he’d done too good of a job making the island seem dangerous. It was. Immensely so, when he was around. But the look on Biggle’s face was one of abject terror.

“I’ve heard stories.”

“And they’ll tell you that everything was fine until people left the beach,” Elijah said. “Remember that.”

He wanted to trust the Alchemist, but his grove was a treasure trove to someone with that class. So, he had no intention of showing Biggle anything interesting. Besides, he’d already established the rules for the people of Ironshore. They weren’t permitted to travel inland. And Elijah wasn’t going to change those rules for anyone but his most trusted friends.

At present, that list only contained one name from Ironshore: Kurik.

As it turned out, Elijah didn’t have to worry about Biggle wandering around. The gnomish Alchemist remained in the boat while he went to fetch Miguel. When Elijah arrived in the grove, he found Carmen fussing over her son, drilling him about behaving himself while he was with “Uncle Elijah.” She also grilled him about things he might’ve left behind.

Finally, Miguel hefted his backpack and said, “I’ve got everything I need, mom. Relax.”

“Don’t you dare tell me to relax, mijo,” she said.

He held up his hands. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean it. Well, I did. But you know what I mean.”

Elijah cut in, saying, “Well, it’s about time to hit the ol’ dusty trail...”

Punctuating that, he grabbed Miguel by the upper arm and dragged him away, waving at Carmen as he pulled Miguel from the grove. “We’ll be back before you know it. Trust me!”

Soon enough, they’d progressed through the forest and reached the boat to find Biggle huddled in the corner. “I heard something,” he said.

Elijah knew good and well that there was nothing to hear, but he just nodded sagely. “That’s the guardian spirit. Extremely powerful. Eats gnomes for every meal.”

“R-really?” asked the terrified Alchemist.

“No. There’s nothing there. Besides, we’re leaving.”

Then, Elijah cast Roots of the World Tree. It completed far more quickly than it ever had before, and in only around fifteen seconds, the gate of roots and vines had formed. A moment later, the interior of the arch shimmered, then solidified into a view of the Dragon Circle.

“After you,” Elijah said, gesturing to the gate.

To his credit, Miguel didn’t hesitate to stride through. Biggle was a lot more circumspect. Though, at Elijah’s urging, he went through as well. Then, finally, Elijah did, too.