Path of Dragons 14 - Chapter 28 - Walkabout

“Isn’t a walkabout supposed to be about getting in touch with nature?  Like a spiritual journey?” asked Carmen, popping a bit of fried pork belly into her mouth as she leaned back in the booth.  Her muscular arm rested over Anupriya’s shoulders, hugging her close. 

For her part, the Citadel Sage looked supremely uncomfortable with the public display of affection.  Pointedly, she did not pull away, though.  And when she didn’t think anyone was looking, a small smile tended to spread across her face. 

Her appearance was largely unchanged from the last time Elijah had seen her.  She’d discarded her armor, exchanging it for a red saree.  The casual attire looked good on her, but that was likely because she didn’t seem quite as tense as the woman from his memories. 

Not surprising, considering the circumstances surrounding their first meeting.

“It is an Aboriginal rite of passage where adolescents journey into the wilderness to learn survival and spiritual skills,” Anupriya pointed out.

“That don’t sound right,” Kurik pointed out.  He too was part of a couple, though he and Carissa weren’t quite as public with their affection. However, Elijah had, on multiple occasions over the course of their night, caught the dwarven woman caressing Kurik’s beard.  From what he understood of their culture, that was like making out in public.  “Elijah might have the maturity of a young’un, but he ain’t a kid.”

“It sounds more like a college student taking a gap year,” Carmen pointed out.  “Or a –”

“Fine,” Elijah muttered, running his hand through his short hair.  It still felt odd, not having a wild mane, but he was slowly reacclimating to it.  “It’s not a walkabout.  Nor is it a gap year, Carmen.  I just want to visit some places.  And need I remind you that this was your idea?”

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” she pointed out, lifting her mug and downing the contents.  “This mead is amazing, by the way.”

“It should be.  It’s been cooking for three decades,” Elijah responded.  Indeed, he’d mostly forgotten about the casks of mead he’d made before leaving for the Labyrinth of Dead Gods.  They’d remained stored away the whole time he was gone, which meant that they’d had plenty of time to mellow.  When he’d first remembered the stash of booze, he’d been a little worried that it might have turned sour, but that concern had turned out to be unfounded. 

“Worth it,” Carmen said, and the others agreed. 

Elijah could only grin as his friends enjoyed the camaraderie.  Unfortunately, everyone hadn’t been able to come.  Miguel, predictably, was off on a training mission with a group of young Hartwood Sentries.  Ron and Jess were busy at the clinic.  And even Ramik had declined, citing a need to sleep.  From his tone, that seemed like a rare occurrence. 

Nobody even knew where Biggle was, which meant he was likely in another city.  Probably negotiating for alchemy ingredients.

In any case, only Carmen, Kurik, Anupriya, and Carissa had shown up to Elijah’s going-away party at the unchanged Stuck Pig.  They’d been there for hours, and the food was even better than Elijah remembered.  Probably because they no longer relied on hunting for their main ingredients, instead buying pork, beef, and other meat from ranches scattered throughout the world. In addition, they bought their vegetables and herbs from Davika’s farms, meaning that they were packed full of ethera.

Over the course of the next few hours, they all grew progressively drunker and louder until, at last, the restaurant kicked them out.  They were exceedingly polite about it, but even as drunk as he was, Elijah could recognize it for what it was. 

Not that he minded, of course.

What followed was something of a bar crawl, with Kurik and Carmen in the lead.  They knew every tavern in the city, and they were both eager to show off their knowledge.  Much to the chagrin of their more sober partners, who clearly disapproved of their method of acquiring that knowledge.

For his part, Elijah just followed along, enjoying the feeling of letting someone else take charge.  It allowed him to sit back and appreciate the ride.

Somewhat predictably, they all ended up drinking far too much, and to the point of near-blackout.  Somehow, they managed to find their way back to the Forge of Creation, where they took advantage of Carmen’s office.  Elijah ended up sprawled on the floor.

That was where he awoke, and to a splitting headache and a wave of dizziness.

It took two pulses of Wild Resurgence before he felt equipped to stand, and another cast of Nature’s Bloom to restore him to something close to functionality. 

“Oh, God…”

“Stop screamin’,” complained Kurik from Carmen’s ratty couch. 

Carissa squirmed beside him, her fingers tangled in the other dwarf’s thick beard.  She didn’t awaken, though.

Elijah took pity on his friend, casting Wild Resurgence to cut through the worst of Kurik’s hangover.  It worked better than expected, largely because the man’s constitution couldn’t even begin to compare to Elijah’s. 

That was how healing worked.  It was all comparative.  If Elijah healed someone weaker, it was more effective.  However, if he attempted to mend the wounds of someone stronger than him, it would take quite a few extra casts.  The efficacy of healing himself was dependent on a complex interaction between the spell’s potency, his cultivation, and his attributes. 

It was a complicated system, and one he didn’t fully understand.  Nor did he truly want to delve too deeply into it.  He enjoyed healing, but he had no intention of making it his primary purpose.  He’d leave that to real Healers like Ron, most of whom were markedly better people than Elijah could ever hope to be.

“I’m going to get some coffee.  Want any?” Elijah asked.

“Leave me alone,” was Kurik’s response.  Clearly, his hangover hadn’t been completely banished.

Elijah just chuckled at his friend’s discomfort.  Then, he headed out of the Forge of Creation, noting that the workday was well underway.  Any Tradesman who managed to get a spot inside the massive complex was likely to be at the top of their profession.  And usually, that came with obsessive dedication, so most of the workshops, labs, and forges saw nearly constant use.

To Elijah, the industriousness was comforting.  It would have been much easier for those people to sit on their laurels and stagnate.  But humanity had never been content with the status quo.  As a race, they constantly sought the next horizon.  And in that respect, it seemed that the dwarves, gnomes, and goblins who made up the bulk of Ironshore’s population were no different.

It was also further evidence that the world wouldn’t stop spinning without his influence.  They would continue to strive, and perhaps the world would produce someone who could lead it to prominence.

Maybe he knew them already.

After all, there were plenty of special people on Earth.  Sadie, for one.  Miguel.  Atticus.  But of all of them, the one with the most potential was probably Kurik.  Elijah wasn’t sure of the dwarf’s demi-god class, but the fact that he’d gotten that far spoke volumes about how instrumental he’d been in the Primal Realms as well as in defense of Ironshore and the Hartwood Grove.  With his ability to slaughter vast swaths of enemies, the sky really was the limit for the former Sapper.

Even so, Kurik had his limitations.  From what Elijah had seen while they fought together in the Trial of Primacy and in the following years, the dwarf was specialized to deal with numerous, weaker enemies.  Against a horde, he was the perfect foil.  However, against a single, strong opponent, his effectiveness took quite a hit.  He could manage, but it was still a weakness.

Most other people fell prey to similarly well-established weaknesses.  That was one of the things that made Elijah so dangerous.  Others might be better than him at one thing or another, but they couldn’t even begin to approach his versatility.  So far, Elijah had yet to find a situation he couldn’t counter.

Of course, as he gained levels, some of those lines would blur.  No demi-god would be an easy target, regardless of the situation.  And deities?  They would be a nightmare to fight. 

Those thoughts and more accompanied Elijah as he left the Forge of Creation and headed toward a nearby café.  Apparently, his love of coffee was no isolated thing, and due to demand, more than a few coffee shops had sprouted in his absence.  Surprisingly, most of them stocked the coffee grown in his grove, which someone had branded Crying Dragon coffee. 

Embarrassing name aside, it was quite good.  And the availability kept him from having to dip into his own stock.

At the café, he ordered cups for everyone, then headed back to Carmen’s office.  Already, some of her apprentices were at work in the smithy, though when he passed through, none of them even looked up from their projects. 

He opened the door to the office, and Carmen shouted, “Shut the door!”

As he complied, he heard her mutter something about “damn ringing hammers,” which brought a slight chuckle.

“I come bearing the gift of caffeine,” Elijah announced when he saw that everyone had gotten up.  They all looked worse for wear, with Carmen sitting in one of the chairs, her elbows on her knees as she stared at the floor.  Elijah could practically see her stomach churning.

Kurik looked a little better off, but Carissa and Anupriya were obviously in bad shape.

Taking pity on them, Elijah cast Wild Resurgence and Nature’s Bloom on everyone as he handed out the coffee. 

“I’m never again drinking without you there,” Carmen declared.

“Technically, he’s only necessary for the hangover,” Anupriya pointed out.  Her saree had picked up a few stains along the way. 

“Right.  We only need to endure his presence in the aftermath.”

“Ouch,” Elijah muttered.

Carmen just gave him a grin.  “You know we love you.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kurik grunted.  “That idjit will be the end of us all.  Just you watch.  Thirty-year mead…’course it’d be too strong.”

“Nobody forced you to drink it,” Elijah pointed out.

“It’s thirty-year mead!  ‘Course I’m gonna drink it, ya idjit!”

Everyone laughed at that before Elijah asked, “Anyone want breakfast?”

Carmen answered, “I need to get to work.  The Iron Legion commissioned me to adjust their armor, and I haven’t quite worked out the enchantments.”

“I must return to Kalki,” Anupriya stated with no intention to elaborate further.  Not that she needed to.  Based on what Elijah understood, she frequently commuted between the two cities – which was made possible only by the Conclave Spires.  It must’ve cost a fortune, but such was the price of maintaining her relationship with Carmen.

“Got an invitation to a tower,” Kurik said.  “Some huntin’ buddies.  Need to start gatherin’ my things.”

Carissa’s answer was the same, citing a need to deal with some issues with the mine.  When Elijah asked if he could help, she claimed it was purely administrative, which was more than enough to scare him off.

In the end, they all parted ways, though they did wish him luck and happiness with his upcoming journey.

“Suppose there’s no time like the present,” he muttered to himself as he left the Forge of Creation behind.  He intended to travel light – just what he could fit in his Arcane Loop – but he still needed to finish up some preparations in the meantime.  Mostly just gathering food and water, just in case something terrible happened.  He didn’t intend to get into any adventures, but he’d found himself stranded often enough that he refused to leave home without enough supplies to last him at least a couple of months.

He also picked up the rest of his clothes from his treehouse, gathered plenty of good coffee, and double-checked that he wasn’t needed for anything in the grove.  Once that became clear, he said his goodbyes to Nara and Nerthus, then hunted Miguel down to let him know where he would be going.  They all took it stoically, though Elijah could tell that his departure made them all nervous.

After all, the last time he’d left the grove, he’d ended up gone for three decades. 

Hopefully, this time would be a much shorter trip.

With that in mind, he headed to the Conclave Spires and bought passage to his first destination – Gatehold.  He had a long overdue meeting with Hu Shui he hoped to complete.