Path of Dragons

Elijah’s advice was useless.

He went on and on about facets and partitions, as if any of that made sense to Sadie. He might as well have gone on another of his soliloquies on nature, for all the good it did. Normally, she could appreciate that side of him – even through the disgusting cloud of sin he usually wore – but since she’d taken her specialization, his presence had become unbearable.

And yet, he was the only person who could help her. He was the only person who’d offered. In the wake of what she’d done to that assassin, even her closest friend had looked upon her with undisguised horror.

She understood it, too. She felt it as well. If she could take it all back…

No. She still wouldn’t. Regardless of the consequences to her personal relationships, Sadie was absolutely rigid in her belief that she’d done the right thing. People like that ka’alaki assassin needed to be held accountable. Otherwise, sin would run rampant.

And worse, chaos would reign.

Sadie didn’t want to see herself as an arbiter of morality. If asked, she would say that she had no interest in judging others. Yet, that was the path she had chosen – if not consciously, then through her actions. In the beginning, she’d only wanted to defend her city from the undead threat, but the events with the Immortals had opened her eyes to just how unjust the world could become if it was left unchecked.

She knew she could never stand back and allow the powerful to oppress the weak. But was that enough? If she had the strength to change things, to hold such people accountable, didn’t she have a responsibility to seek them out and do just that? It needed to be done, and if not her, then who would shoulder such a burden? Who else could?

Elijah was strong enough, but he seemed, at best, disinterested. Certainly, he would react if such injustices were brought to his attention – and it was convenient to act – but he would never be the sort to actively work toward a more egalitarian world. In fact, he was much more likely to go the other direction, so long as it suited his needs.

Dat had the right moral compass, but he possessed the wrong demeanor. He was a follower, and what’s more, he simply wasn’t strong enough to do what needed to be done. Not in terms of raw power or in the strength of his convictions. In short, he was too soft-hearted to make the hard decisions.

The other powerful people she had met had similar issues. Disinterest. Unsuitability. Untrustworthiness. None of them could do what she could.

She sighed, her breath misting in the frigid cold of the cultivation cave. None of that mattered if she couldn’t learn to control her own mind. Isolated as she was, it was easy to forget just how powerful Sense of Sin had become. But after what she’d experienced since choosing her specialization, she knew well enough that she couldn’t keep going the way she’d been. Something had to change, and if it wasn’t the cultivation of her Mind, then it would have to be something else.

It was while she was pondering those things that she realized that she was going about things all wrong. With the ambient ethera so dense that it almost felt like she was beginning to suffocate, Sadie realized that she was following the wrong path. Elijah’s method worked for him because of who he was. By contrast, it couldn’t work for her because they were very different people.

Cultivation was not one-size-fits-all. The first step was mostly the same for everyone, but after that, one had to take into account their personality, goals, class, and a thousand other factors that could influence their path. In that respect, Elijah had an advantage. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what he would do to get it.

That wasn’t to say that he was always certain of himself, but he seemed to instinctively know his own path.

Sadie didn’t have that going for her. Nor would she want it. Instead, she needed to choose every step, and as carefully as she could manage. It was much slower, but it gave her control over her destination. And that was the most important factor, because she knew how quickly things could spiral out of control.

With that in mind, she focused on what she wanted, on who she needed to be. Her class and Angelic Core pushed her toward becoming an arbiter of justice, and while a part of her resented being led around by the nose by Gabriel, she couldn’t deny that such a role fit her. She might not become what he expected her to be, but she could get behind the notion of protecting the weak and innocent from the powerful and amoral.

But what was justice?

Was it simply obeying laws? Or some moral strictures accepted by society? Or was it something more ephemeral?

The first was balance. Any arbiter of justice sought to create harmony between all parties, ensuring decisions maintained equilibrium within society. Imbalances had to be corrected to prevent greater discord.

Next was truth. Uncovering and acknowledging undeniable truth was a cornerstone of justice. Facts held weight, and as an arbiter, she would focus on verifiable and objective truths. Without them, the world would sink into a mire of misinformation, where right could become wrong, and, more disturbingly, the reverse could also happen.

The third element was intent, one of the most nuanced. A crime of passion differed from premeditation, and the key distinction lay in intent. Someone who knowingly and willingly harmed society was far more dangerous than someone who acted impulsively. Both were threats, but the former was far more severe.

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Then came mercy—compassion, empathy. To truly serve justice, Sadie knew she would have to consider context. Some crimes were unforgivable, no matter the circumstances, yet even then, mercy had its place. For lesser crimes, too, understanding and compassion were what set true justice apart.

Alongside mercy was proportionality. "The punishment must fit the crime," she muttered, shivering in the cold she’d been ignoring.

The sixth element was restoration. Justice wasn’t just about punishment; it was about making amends. Whether it was restoring stolen property, mending relationships, or healing the damage caused, restoration was integral to justice.

Honor followed. Sadie knew that holding herself to a higher standard of conduct was crucial. Though she had always lived by her own code, she had never formalized it. Now, she intended to create a personal code, much like the knights’ chivalry or the samurai’s bushido. But her code would extend beyond her own conduct—it would encompass how she treated both victims and offenders. Everyone deserved dignity and respect. Without it, she would become no better than the very people she sought to oppose.

The penultimate element was knowledge. She could never stop learning. Although she didn’t plan to become a lawyer, searching for loopholes, she recognized that ignorance could derail her efforts. To pursue justice, she would need deep understanding.

Finally, Sadie considered legacy. Justice wasn’t just about the present; it was about the future. Her decisions would ripple outward, affecting the broader fabric of Earth’s future—perhaps even beyond. The fate of the world might one day rest on her judgment.

And she refused to fail.

Even as the multi-faceted concept of justice coalesced in her mind, the ethera within her surged. It raced through her Soul and into her Mind. At the same time, the vortex she’d formed upon reaching the Opal stage of Mind cultivation whirled faster than ever before. Ethera rushed into her, flooding her Mind and pushing the limits of her Core.

All the while, she kept the nine facets of justice firm in her thoughts, and to her immense surprise, crystalline structures began to form around them. Sadie had no idea how it all worked together, but she knew that each crystal represented a piece of that concept.

Even as Sadie felt her Mind take shape, she also felt her purpose solidify. Perhaps her concept of justice wasn’t all-encompassing, but it was a good start. There was something else hovering over everything. A throughline connecting it all together, and one she couldn’t ignore.

Sacrifice.

If she was going to walk her path, it would be a thankless road. People would fear her. Certainly, the powerful would oppose her efforts. She would make plenty of enemies, and most people would only see her as the person telling them what they can and cannot do. It would not make her popular.

At best, she would be respected, but she would always be aloof. Apart from everyone else. Alone.

The process came to a screeching halt. Was that what she wanted? No. Of course not. Who would? But on the heels of that admission came the certainty that it was absolutely necessary. It wasn’t meant to be enjoyed. It was meant to be endured. The greater good demanded as much.

Her progression to the next step of Mind cultivation teetered on the edge of completion, but it refused to budge further. She was missing something.

Then, Sadie spoke:

“I will become an avatar of justice, an arbiter of integrity. I will maintain the balance, revere the truth, and pay heed to intent. I will be merciful, meting out justice with regard to proportionality. When punishment is necessary, it will be appropriate and focused on restoring what was lost. Or removing what cannot be allowed to exist. I will hold myself to the highest standards of honor, setting an example above reproach. I will endeavor to learn, so that ignorance may never become an excuse for injustice. And I will forever take future generations into account, so that my legacy does not put an undue burden upon their shoulders. This is my vow. This is my path.” She took a breath. “This is who I am.”

Finally, the process solidified, and she received a notification:

Congratulations! Your Mind has reached the Quartz Stage.

The first thing she noticed was one of the benefits that Elijah had described. With only a little effort, she managed to shove the effects granted by Sense of Sin into one of the facets. It was only after it settled into place that she realized that it was the one associated with Truth.

Was that intentional? Or just chance?

It would bear consideration going forward. However, one thing Sadie knew for certain was that it felt like taking a weight from her shoulders. Springing to her feet, she immediately set out to confirm that it had worked. Excitement built as she exited the cave, but to her disappointment, Elijah was nowhere to be found.

“What’s going on?” came his familiar voice from behind.

She whipped around, demanding, “Where did you come from?”

“I was practicing with Guise of the Unseen. Fun fact – I don’t think spells and abilities are fixed. I think they’re more like a range of effect. Like…wait, why are you smiling?”

“It worked,” she said. Vaguely, she could still see the cloud of sin clinging to Elijah, but it was so diffuse that she had to focus to see it. “It worked!”

Without hesitation, she lurched forward and threw her arms around him. It was only when she realized just how awkward the situation was that she pulled away. She could feel her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Sadie said, her eyes downcast. “I didn’t mean to do that. I was just…you have no idea how relieved I am.”

“It’s fine,” Elijah said. “You give a good hug. So, tell me how it went. Did my advice work?”

“Not at all!” she admitted excitedly. “But I figured some things out. About myself and about my future. I think that’s the only way it would have worked.”

“Huh. Weird,” Elijah said. “That wasn’t at all how it happened for me. Either way, I’m glad you were successful. Now, I don’t have to worry about you shanking me in the middle of the night.”

“What? I would never!”

“I mean, did you see the way you were looking at me before?” he asked. “I mean, obviously not. But I’ve had people who tried to murder me look at me with more kindness. So, I think a midnight shanking was a distinct possibility.”

“Oh, that wasn’t what I was talking about. If I was going to execute you, it wouldn’t be in the middle of the night. You would definitely see me coming.”

“Uh…that doesn’t make me feel better.”

“It wasn’t supposed to.”

Elijah rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought we’d made progress, but –”

That’s when Sadie broke into a wide grin, followed by a manic chuckle.

“Wait…was that a joke? You don’t joke.”

“I’ve had other things on my mind,” she said, still smiling broadly.

“Touche, I guess. So, you need to rest or something? Or should we go ahead and go? You missed Oscar by the way. Or maybe you saw the dogs. I don’t know. But I should point out that the chihuahua managed to cultivate faster than you. He was in and out in like a day. Anyway, they’re going to stop by on their way out of the challenge, so if you want to see them, we can stick around for another day or so.”

“No. Let’s go. The others are counting on us.”

Elijah nodded and said, “I hope this flight is a little more pleasant than the last one.”

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