Path of Dragons

"I don't understand why we haven't bound ourselves to the grove," Vesk announced, pacing back and forth across the room. Like nearly everything else they had, its use had been paid for by Elijah. Or Nerthus, rather, who acted more like a Druid than the actual master of the island grove. "At least then the children could tolerate the ethera."

There was a clamor of conversation from the others – nearly forty adults who'd accompanied Nara from the dying village, across the continent, and to what they'd hoped would be their sanctuary. Understandably, they were frustrated by the lack of progress.

If she was honest with herself, so was Nara.

While she'd spent most of her time on that wondrous island, the others had been relegated to living in Ironshore. The accommodations were better than they had any right to expect. Indeed, they'd been given rooms in the Imperium, rather than some run-of-the-mill inn. On top of that, they'd been clothed, fed, and treated with more respect than anyone could have anticipated.

Yet, the sorts of people who'd crossed a universe to settle on a newly touched world weren't happy with comfort. If they were, they could have stayed on Kashii, where their basic needs were always met. On their home world, scarcity of food and protection were no longer worries.

No – the oppression of those less fortunate came via the allocation of other resources. Like the ability to fight through towers. Or the use of natural treasures. Even areas with high density of ethera were off-limits unless one was willing to pay the price of admission. By comparison, the opportunity represented by a newly touched world was both intriguing and exciting – and to some, necessary if they wanted the best for their children, let alone themselves.

Now, those same people who'd come to Earth had similar opportunities dangling before them. Sure, Ironshore was great. High ethera density and a wealth of crafters made for a paradisical setting, especially for people accustomed to living in a dying village or, back on Kashii, where they existed at the whims of the elite.

However, it paled in comparison to the other prize dangling before them. The grove was right there, only a few miles away, but it was so far out of reach that it might as well have been entirely inaccessible. Every opportunity they'd hoped to attain was on that island, and yet, the arbiter of the chance to rise above their station seemed entirely disinterested in doling them out.

Elijah wasn't averse to letting them join the grove. In fact, he'd seemed very receptive to the idea. Even excited by it.

But that was before Nara had overstepped. She still wasn't certain why she thought it prudent to lecture someone on the cusp of demigod status on how life and death related to nature. She had, though, earning herself a wicked rebuke. Elijah had left her in that miraculous cave, disappearing for a couple of days.

Since then, he'd returned and left again. While he was on the island, he was polite enough. He'd even helped her with cultivation, and she'd seen him playing with some of the other children who'd already acclimated – at least in part – to the grove. Yet, he hadn't returned to that excitable state he'd displayed in those first couple of days after their arrival.

It was obvious that she'd made a mistake, but she had no idea how to correct it.

And now, most of the grove's other frequent visitors were gone. Sadie's was the most obvious departure, but Nara was far more concerned with Oscar's parting. He, along with a few others of the city's elite, had ventured into a Primal Realm. His addition to that party had been something of a last-second decision, at least according to Nerthus, but she'd wished he had at least said goodbye.

A petty thing, perhaps, especially with the fate of her people at stake. But she'd grown attached to the curious man. He was wild. Strong, too. And almost elven in his features. Oscar felt dangerous and comforting – the sort of man who couldn't be tied to a single location.

He was exactly the kind of person her mother had warned her to avoid.

"Beware a man with a wild attunement," she'd said. "They will break your heart – not because they wish it, but because it's their nature."

Oscar seemed to epitomize that statement. It likely never occurred to him to let Nara know where he was going. Of course, just because they had shared a few nice conversations, it didn't entitle her to that courtesy.

Regrettably.

Chastising herself for her wandering mind, she shook her head and said, "I don't think he's that kind of Druid."

"What? The kind that cares for his grove?" asked Vesk.

At first, Nara wanted to answer in the negative, but after only a second, she said, "That is precisely what I meant."

Indeed, Elijah had more in common with Oscar than just their obvious friendship. His attunement was clearly nature, but it was so strong that even the sub-attunements were impactful. He was just as wild as Oscar, even if there were other aspects of his attunement that were just as, if not more, powerful.

Idly, she considered that the Druid's attunement was so complete that even his sub-attunements would have made him an elite back on Kashii. A frightening realization if ever there was one. If he'd been born on her home world – and an elf, obviously – he'd have been hailed as the second coming of the First Sovereign. He would have been showered with opportunities, marriage proposals, and alliances. Not to mention that he would have been mentored by the Arch-Druid himself.

Yet, she couldn't help but wonder if that would have been helpful for someone like Elijah. He needed to roam. To choose his own path. That was why he had managed to gather so much power in such a short amount of time.

And he had.

Even if she hadn't felt the weight of his presence on her own soul, she would have known his strength by the state of the grove. It was a miraculous place. Not as ethereally dense as some of the groves back on Kashii, but those were thousands of years old. Of course they would be stronger. The gap was surprisingly narrow, though, and if things continued to go the way they were, it would soon surpass them.

But that wasn't what made it miraculous. Rather, the eclectic mix of natural treasures and guardians gave it that label. Nara was no expert on land flora and fauna, but seeing the baseline strength of even the normal beasts was an eye-opening experience.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Her favorites were the squirrels, which were friendly enough to perch on her shoulder. However, she'd seen one turn vicious when it was forced to fend off a raptor that descended from above. That bird hadn't counted on the squirrel's strength, and it ended up as prey rather than predator.

However, she'd also been astounded by the marine life surrounding the island. Most of her people couldn't venture into the sea on the western side of the island – not with some of the marine predators that made their home within – but Nara had spent at least a few hours a day just exploring the reefs and forests of kelp.

There was so much life there that it muddled her senses and forced her to withdraw from One with Nature. That, more than anything, was a sign that she needed to work toward gaining a few levels. For too long, she'd stagnated.

Another clear indicator that she'd fallen behind was that she couldn't even fend off the crabs that everyone else called the island's mascots. Elijah treated them like unruly pets, while she had been forced to flee their terrifying claws, lest she be snipped in two. It was a sobering moment, and not just because the things were strong enough to be a threat while also being too simple-minded to recognize her attunement. In addition to that, the fact that she couldn't even survive an encounter with bottom-feeding crabs was embarrassing.

In the back of her mind, she knew that she didn't deserve the position dangling before her. If Elijah allowed her to bond with the grove, she would effectively become second-in-command. Or third, if Elijah himself was part of that hierarchy – which he really wasn't, from what she had seen. Either way, she was not prepared for that.

It was one thing to start her own modest grove and grow with it. It was something altogether different to join the most powerful grove on the planet – one with the potential to exceed even the subordinate groves back on Kashii – and automatically gain a position of leadership.

But that was what was on offer.

"What do you mean?" asked one of the confused elves. Lahni. An Entertainer by archetype who'd gained the coveted Siren class. Not only did Lahni have the ability to sing to plants and encourage their growth, but she could also weaponize her voice to disorient enemies.

Of course, she was only level fifty or so, which meant that she'd yet to truly come into her own in terms of power. However, the class was Uncommon, and she had a bright future ahead of her. So long as she survived and was surrounded by an environment that would help her thrive.

Like the grove.

"He is a wanderer," Nara answered.

"Druids do not wander," Vesk scoffed. "They stay in their groves and –"

"This one does," Nara interrupted. She'd heard some of the stories surrounding Elijah. Most had quickly become the stuff of legend – tales of a wrathful protector of nature that wouldn't hesitate to slaughter thousands if he found offense in their actions. Those stories contrasted with the personality of the man she had met. His mere presence was so domineering that it made her want to crawl under a rock and wait for him to leave, but he'd been kind to her and her people. More so than any of them had any right to expect.

They'd long known that he had slaughtered an entire town. That was public knowledge, even thousands of miles away. Yet, Nara was more disturbed by the story of him entering town and beheading three people he'd deemed to have betrayed his confidence.

Only when she considered his nature – and not his attunement – did it make sense. The man was a dragon. She didn't know how it had happened, but it was obvious. Not all off-worlders would recognize it, but some would. It wouldn't take long for word to get out, either.

At present, communication with anyone off-world was inordinately expensive – to the point where Nara couldn't send a message even if she wanted to. However, that would not always be the case. From what she understood, dealing with the Primal Realms was a test to see if Earth could be trusted as part of the multi-verse. Once they'd dealt with the threat of excisement, the system would become much more forgiving.

Travel off-world would still be far too expensive for most to even consider, but communication would become far more reasonable. Still not really affordable, but for news like that, someone would pay the price.

"Elijah is the strongest man on Earth," she explained. "He would not have reached that status if he'd remained in the grove. He is not the sort of Druid we're accustomed to seeing. His class is mobile. His abilities are combat-focused. He is a fighter, and with the threats facing this world, he cannot afford to remain in place for long."

"You say that like there are more important matters to attend to," Vesk stated. "A Druid's purpose is –"

"There are, Vesk," she interrupted. "We are but one factor, and a relatively small one. I believe we have a lot to offer him. Every grove should have an entire community supporting it. We can fill that void."

"Then why won't he let us?" asked another member of the group. Keo was one of only two combatants in the group. A Ranger by archetype, his Sea Hunter class was focused on stalking marine game. However, some of his abilities were transferrable to land-based prey. Even other people. He'd actually killed a couple of pirates when they'd destroyed their settlement, but he had lost his wife and child in the attack. Since then, he had become devoted to the community, largely because he had nothing else left to live for. "We are willing. He needs us. The grove will be stronger with our help."

"That is true," Nara agreed. "But as I said, he is otherwise occupied."

"With what?"

"I don't know, Vesk," she snapped. "He does not share his comings and goings with me."

"Perhaps you should work harder at befriending him," Vesk stated.

"What are you suggesting?" she demanded.

"You know very well what I'm saying," he insisted. "These humans, they find elves quite attractive. Especially women like you. Maybe you can use that to your advantage instead of cavorting with the dog man."

Her jaw dropped.

She hadn't thought anyone knew about her friendship with Oscar. "Have you been following me?"

Vesk shrugged. "I see things. I hear things," he said. "That's what makes for a good Merchant."

That's when the conversation caught up to her. Anger blossomed in her heart as she said, "That…dog man, as you call him, is likely the second most powerful person on this planet. You should show him respect."

"Ah, I see. He is your backup plan. Smart. For you, at least. You coupling with a vagabond won't do anything for us, though. Remember that," Vesk said, his tone almost nonchalant. "Just pointing out the obvious. You make decisions for all of us. Make certain that you remember that."

She pointed at him. "I don't like your tone or the insinuation that I'm…that I'm doing what you say I'm doing," she said. "If you persist in making those nefarious claims, I…I don't know what I'll do. But it won't be good. Do you understand?"

Vesk shrugged. "I'm happy to be wrong," he said. Then with a smile and a completely reasonable tone, he added, "I only want what's best for our people."

Nara frowned, ready to lash out. But she chose not to. Instead, she took a deep breath. "When he returns, I will once again broach the subject of bonding to the grove. With any luck, we will complete the ceremony soon."

With that, the meeting ended, and after only a little more conversation, everyone went about their own business. Even if they hadn't attained true membership in the grove, everyone's lives had improved in Ironshore. That was a comfort, at least.

"You do believe me, don't you?" Vesk asked when everyone else was gone.

"I believe you believe what you say," she answered.

"I want what's best for you, too. You can do better than that…human."

"My relationships are none of your business."

"They could be," he said. "You remember when we were young? Everyone thought we would marry. That always made sense to me."

Nara looked away. "We left that world – and those expectations – behind. We must focus on the future."

Vesk nodded, but he didn't verbalize an agreement.

Some day soon, he might become a problem. She knew that he'd always admired her, even going so far as to insert himself into expedition to Earth. But she had made it clear on numerous occasions that they were only friends. She wanted nothing else from him, and what's more, she'd thought he was past what she considered a youthful infatuation.

Clearly, that was not the case.

But she had more important problems than an unwanted suitor. She needed to find a way to convince an absentee Druid that she and her people needed to join his grove, and sooner rather than later.

So, as she left the conference room behind, she threw the entirety of her mind behind answering that conundrum.