Path of Dragons

When Elijah returned to the market, he found an odd combination of chaos and business as usual. Clearly, the elites of the world – which, for all that many of them had come unprepared, was precisely who’d been invited to participate in the Trial of Primacy – were accustomed to death, and in a way that few people had experienced before Earth’s transformation. Most had assuredly seen loved ones die horrible deaths, and more than a few had witnessed whole cities being destroyed.

So, an attack in a temporary market was not something to get worked up over.

However, for all that they were accustomed to the dangers that had haunted their steps ever since the World Tree had touched their planet, those people still had to deal with the aftermath. That’s where the chaos came in, with quite a few people working to find the monster in their midst. Oddly, no one seemed to care overly much about the pair of Immortals who’d started it all.

Nobody but Eliijah, at least.

He approached the Cobbler’s tent to find her sitting on a crate and staring at the bloodstained ground. That was where Eliijah had crushed the Immortal’s skull.

The woman herself was a little past middle aged, though fit enough that she seemed more than capable of taking care of herself. That was the thing about the influx of attributes that had come with levels. The detriments of age were no match for enhanced Constitution or high levels of Regeneration. Still, the signs of her years remained in the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes.

“I thought it would be an adventure,” she muttered without looking up. “It said we could leave at any time, so I figured I could test the waters, get some benefits while making a little money. I didn’t think it would be like this, though.”

Then, she looked up and wiped some tears from her eyes before offering him a fake smile. “You look like you could use some shoes,” she said in an entirely different tone. “Let me tell you, walking around barefoot like that is a bad idea. Who knows what you might step on?”

Elijah glanced down at his feet. The Footwraps of the Boar King covered very little of his foot, leaving his heels and toes completely bare. That was necessary for One with Nature to remain effective, and even though he’d grown accustomed to walking around without shoes, there had been plenty of times he’d lamented the lack. But if that was the only price he had to pay for such a powerful ability, he was more than willing to do so.

“Attack is a strong word,” she said. “Those people were just going to rob me. Don’t think I haven’t dealt with that kind of thing before.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “I’m a non-combat class. Do you think that’s the first time someone with a fancy martial class tried to shake me down and steal my stuff? I have ways of dealing with that,” she stated, seeming a little annoyed that he would assume that she was helpless. “I can take care of myself just fine. I’m just a little shaken up because there’s a monster loose in the city. It’s not supposed to be like that.”

Elijah nodded. “What happened to the people it killed?” he asked.

She snorted. “Those Immortals don’t get killed,” she said. “Some sort of ability or something. I don’t know much about that kind of thing. But I saw that girl’s skull piece itself back together before she picked herself back up and walked off. Don’t think that’s something somebody’s supposed to be able to do. Seems a bit like a cheat to me, but what do I know? Maybe you fighters know better what’s possible and what’s not.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m more of a Healer myself. It’s why I came in here. I wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

“Oh. Bless your heart,” she breathed. “But I’m fine. Nothing a few drinks won’t fix, at least. I’ve seen worse than that.”

Elijah nodded before asking a couple more questions. However, it quickly became apparent that the woman didn’t know anything else. So, after making sure that she didn’t need any healing, he excused himself. For a few minutes, he wandered around the market, and he was surprised to find that things had already settled down. People – especially ones who’d survived Earth’s transformation – were resilient, and they displayed that adaptability in their response to Elijah’s fight against the Immortals.

Fortunately, no one seemed to suspect that the monster was actually a shapeshifted Druid, so it looked like he was in the clear. After confirming that, Elijah focused on One with Nature and looked for the Immortals. Some of it was born of pure curiosity – after all, he’d killed enough people to recognize what should have been a fatal blow – but there was responsibility driving him as well. Those people were up to no good, and as the highest leveled person in the world, he had a duty to investigate the situation.

That didn’t necessarily mean he would do anything about it. In fact, he probably wouldn’t, so long as they didn’t repeat their actions. He was no white knight looking to protect the innocent and slay the evildoers. But he suspected he would need stability in Nexus Town going forward, and the Immortals threatened that.

So, Elijah searched the market for them. As he did so, he couldn’t help but notice that even more tents had sprung up. How many non-combat classes had entered the Trial, anyway? In the beginning, he’d expected that most of the top five-thousand would be fighters, but it seemed that his estimate was quite a bit off.

Perhaps that was a good thing.

While he walked around, Elijah gave it some thought, and he soon came to the realization that it made perfect sense. After all, combatants had a tendency to throw themselves into dangerous situations. In most cases, that was the only way they could level, and as such, their rates of attrition were probably much higher than those associated with noncombatants, who could progress much more safely.

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Sure, that was probably mitigated somewhat by the fact that, in the beginning, non-fighters were at an extreme disadvantage when it came to survival. However, once things had settled down and some semblance of security was achieved, those noncombatants were probably in a much better position to safely progress than those who needed to venture out into the wilderness or into towers to gain levels.

Those thoughts occupied one facet of Elijah’s mind as he searched the area for the Immortals, but even though his range with One with Nature had increased to a ridiculous degree, it still took almost an hour before he found his prey.

And it was incredibly disturbing.

There were thirteen Immortals, all wearing identical clothing, gathered in one of the empty buildings that comprised Nexus Town. The structure in question was far away from any other occupation – almost to the edge of the town’s boundaries – and it seemed that the Immortals had taken that isolation as an opportunity to let their guard down. As such, they’d all removed their masks as they went about strikingly normal tasks associated with building a camp.

One was cooking a meal in the fireplace, another was washing her clothing, and a couple were playing cards. One man was reading a book, while a couple were having a conversation. Sound didn’t translate to One with Nature, so Elijah had no idea what they were talking about, but he judged by their relaxed postures that it wasn’t anything serious.

In short, it seemed like a normal camp.

Yet, there was one thing that sullied that impression.

Every single one of the Immortals bore brutal scars that made it look like they’d been ripped to pieces, then hastily put back together. Some of those scars were old and faded, but others were new, red, and puffy. None were fresher than those marking two familiar Immortals.

The young woman whose skull he had crushed was missing half of her hair, revealing a misshapen cranium bearing twin depressions where his fangs had pierced the bone. The man – who might’ve once been handsome – was missing half of his nose, one of his eyes, and wore a host of puckered scars across his torso where Elijah had savaged him. They crossed dozens of others, making it clear that the man was no stranger to evisceration.

Elijah crept closer, shifting into his draconid form and using Guise of the Unseen. Clearly, the people inside that building were more complex than he had expected, and he didn’t want to be noticed. When he drew within range, he heard some snippets of their conversations, and the theme mostly boiled down to questions about the “monster” in the city. There were other topics, but they were mundane and completely inconsequential, though Elijah did learn that the group had originated in Iran.

After half an hour, Elijah sensed a newcomer heading toward the building. He was tall, with an athletic build, and a well-trimmed beard decorating his handsome face. His confidence was clear from his gait, and he didn’t hesitate upon reaching the building. Instead, he strode in like he owned the place. However, when Elijah tried to focus on further details, his mind frustratingly slid away from the topic.

Perhaps there was some sort of ability at work.

The Immortals shot to their feet, abandoning their tasks as they bowed to the newcomer.

“Welcome back, master,” said the woman whose skull Elijah had crushed.

The leader sighed, stepping closer. Reaching out, he grabbed her jaw and tilted her head so he could inspect the angry scars. “Disgusting,” he said, releasing her. His voice was deep and authoritative. “This is what you do with the gifts I have given you? How will we rule if you cannot go a single day without being maimed? I should cut ties now and find disciples who will make appropriate use of my guidance.”

“C-can you fix it?” she asked.

He tilted his head to the side, then asked, “Why would I? Every scar makes you stronger. Perhaps this one will push you over the edge and into becoming something worthwhile. Take pride in your scars. Use them to your advantage.”

“I…I will.”

After that, the man glanced in Elijah’s direction and said, “Perhaps we should greet our visitor, then. There is something watching us.” He raised his finger. Elijah’s heart jumped into his throat as the man commanded, “Kill it.”

The Immortals reacted instantly, gathering weapons Elijah had barely noticed – after all, they were inanimate, and as such, were largely invisible to One with Nature, save for any microbial life that clung to them – and raced out of the building. For his part, Elijah had seen enough to tell him that a battle was inadvisable. So, he turned and ran, quickly outpacing the Immortals before returning to the market.

There, he found an out-of-the-way alley and shifted back into his natural form. A moment later, he strode back into the scattered crowd of people.

That’s when he noticed a familiar figure on the other side of the market. It seemed that Atticus had arrived. Still, Elijah didn’t immediately approach his friend. Instead, he stayed back for a few more minutes as he waited to see if the Immortals would be able to find him. He didn’t think so, but then again, he hadn’t expected the leader to sense his presence, either. So, caution was warranted.

After a couple more minutes, a pair of Immortals arrived. They’d once again clad themselves in the same concealing black outfits, casting their presence with an intimidating pall. The crowd sensed it, giving the two a wide berth. However, from Elijah’s standpoint, he could immediately tell that they had no idea who – or what – they were looking for, and after sweeping through the Market, the two Immortals left it behind.

Leaning against one of the buildings, Elijah let out a small sigh of relief. He knew he could defeat the pair, but were they truly immortal? If so, they represented a dangerous threat that he needed to understand before their next confrontation.

With that in mind, he shook his head, then set off across the market plaza to where Atticus was setting up a tent. When the Merchant recognized him, a broad smile spread across his face. “My friend! I knew that if anyone could survive that jungle, it was you,” he said.

Elijah returned the smile with one of his own, responding, “Glad you made it. Did you have any issues?”

“A few,” Atticus admitted. “But I survived, which is all that truly matters. And look at what I find – a new world of customers, waiting to be served. It is heaven!”

“I guess,” Elijah said, massaging the back of his neck. Then, he asked about the others from Argos. That was when things turned sour. Apparently, Delilah and her team had miraculously appeared at the same entry point. However, when they were attacked by a group of wraiths, everyone but Delilah and Isaak had fallen.

“She was injured, too. Nearly lost her leg,” Atticus said.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“There’s an infirmary set up a few blocks away,” Atticus answered. “But I’ll warn you, my friend – she is in no mood for friendly faces.”

“I’ll just heal her, then,” Elijah said. And perhaps there were others that needed it as well.

“Good. Before you go, you should know that there is a meeting scheduled for later today. By then, most of the participants should have made it to Nexus Town.”

“A meeting about what?”

“An exchange of information. Some people have classes that give them insight. Others bought more specific guides. Regardless, I think the extra information will be worthwhile,” Atticus said. “You should be there.”

Elijah nodded. That made perfect sense, though he wondered who had arranged such a meeting. Still, he had more important things on his mind, what with Delilah being injured. So, after telling Atticus that they would catch up later, he headed toward the infirmary where he hoped to do whatever he could to help.

What he found was even more depressing than he’d expected.

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