Path of Dragons

Book 6: Chapter 1: Reciprocal

Miguel let out a long sigh as Ironshore came into view. It was still miles away, but the sight definitely elicited a wave of relief. The city wasn’t as large or developed as Easton had been. Nor had he lived there for as long. But even so, it felt like home in a way he hadn’t experienced since his mother had died. His eyes flicked to the west, where he saw the island. Surrounded by ethereal fog, the details of its landscape were hidden, but he could practically feel the grove within.

And more importantly, a sense of anticipation came alongside the proximity to his ultimate destination, all because of a skill he’d received at level twenty:

He’d gained an additional level on the way back from Norcastle, but it was difficult to get excited about a few extra attribute points when what felt like his class’s defining skill had yet to be realized. Now that he was so close to his uncle’s grove, Miguel’s anticipation had reached new heights.

“So, this is where they build monsters,” came Meredith’s rough voice from where she was sitting atop one of the wagons in the caravan. “Doesn’t look all that impressive.”

Miguel glanced back at the older woman. She was just as grizzled as ever, with her gray-streaked brown hair tied back in a tail. Along the way back from Norcastle, she’d picked up a few scrapes, just like everyone else, but none were serious. Not surprising, considering that she was the highest-level guard in the caravan.

“What do you mean?” he asked, slowing a little to walk beside the wagon. As he did so, he kept his eyes trained on the wilderness on his side of the trail. An attack wasn’t likely so close to Ironshore, but it wouldn’t have been unheard-of, either. And Miguel knew the cost of letting his attention lapse.

Miguel shook his head. “I’m not saying that I won’t go,” he lied. He didn’t intend to run a tower with the woman, no matter what she offered. The fact was that there was something about her he didn’t altogether trust. Maybe it was that she was alone. There was something to be said for survival, but when you’re the last member of your group left alive, it raised a few questions. Plus, he didn’t like the way she looked at him – a mixture of anticipation, eagerness, and predation. He’d seen similar expressions on other faces, but it still put him on edge. “I’m just saying that I need to check in with my mentor.”

“And your mom.”

Miguel shrugged. “She deserves a say.”

“You want my advice, kid?” Meredith asked, though Miguel knew it was a rhetorical question. Predictably, the woman went on before Miguel had a chance to answer. “Be your own man. Nobody likes a momma’s boy. You’ve got some power right now, but it won’t ever amount to anything if you keep asking for permission.”

Miguel didn’t respond, though he very much wanted to. If he’d been on the fence about whether or not to join Meredith’s team, that comment would have pushed him into a firmly negative position. He refused to be derided because he loved his mother and respected her opinion.

Besides, as much as he wanted to think of himself as an adult – by multi-versal standards, he was – he knew, at least in the back of his mind, that he was still barely a teenager. And the notion of going it completely alone was daunting in a way he didn’t want to consider.

“I’ll keep your advice in mind,” he said tersely, then pushed forward a little. Meredith knew she’d overstepped, and she tried to get his attention to apologize – in her laconic sort of way. However, Miguel simply ignored her and focused on the task at hand. Soon enough, the wagon train dipped below the tree line and made its way through the surrounding forest.

The local wilderness wasn’t particularly dangerous – not with how thorough the hunters were in culling powerful beasts. Yet, every now and again, something strong would slip through the cracks, and now that they were so close to their destination, Miguel refused to let his guard down.

In the end, his diligence was unnecessary, and after an additional day’s worth of travel, they reached the gate. It was an impressive thing, nearly thirty feet tall and built right into the wall surrounding the city. More, Miguel was familiar enough with crafting and enchantment to recognize that it was more than a mere physical barrier. From a structural standpoint, the wall was far sturdier than even its stone construction would suggest, and it had a variety of enchantments meant to dissuade any potential invaders.

After the orcish invasion, the people of Ironshore refused to be caught off-guard again. In the years since that battle, they’d worked tirelessly to prepare themselves to repel any intruders, and all of that effort had borne impressive results.

That was clear when Meredith let out a gasp from where she sat atop the wagon. “These people don’t mess around,” she said almost under her breath. Miguel felt a bit of satisfaction at the grizzled woman’s response.

Perhaps she wasn’t quite as worldly as she put on.

After checking in with the two guards at the gate, the caravan progressed into the town and made its way to the warehouse belonging to the merchant guild that had financed the whole thing. It was partially paid for by the city itself, but Ironshore’s treasury was insufficient to pay for everything. So, they’d turned to private interests, of which there were plenty of takers.

Not that Miguel cared overmuch about that. He only wanted to collect his pay, then leave the wagons behind. The experience had been interesting, and he’d gained a few levels along the way, but he was eager to reunite with his mother.

And to finally use his class’s defining skill.

So, after being given a pouch of ethereum, Miguel headed to his mother’s forge. Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t there, so he traveled a couple of blocks to the site dedicated to her special project. When he reached it, he saw that the foundation for the building had been laid, but the frame of the structure was still a work in progress. Doubtless, if she’d turned to one of the town’s Builders, the project would have already been done. Yet, she insisted on doing everything herself.

Miguel understood his mother’s reasoning, but still, he worried about her obsessive nature. When she latched onto something – especially since his other mother had been killed – Carmen had a tendency toward mania. In a lot of situations, that was a good thing. A crafter needed dedication, or she would never progress. But even a fourteen-year-old could recognize the dangers inherent in that sort of obsessiveness.

Never was that clearer than when Miguel saw his mother painstakingly running a lathe over a brick. The act itself wasn’t unusual, though from what he understood, it wasn’t the preferred method of shaping normal bricks. That wasn’t what caught his eye, though. Instead, the thing he noticed more than anything was that his mother had lost weight and looked as if she hadn’t bathed in at least a few days.

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“Hey mom,” he said when he drew close enough.

At first, she didn’t react. Then, as if coming out of a daze, she looked up, blinking before her eyes widened. Then, she threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around him. After that heartfelt reunion, she insisted on hearing the tale of his journey. He told her the story, leaving out the more harrowing battles he’d experienced and ending with, “I got level twenty-one, though. I have this new ability that I can only use on the island.”

“What is it?”

Miguel explained what he knew, which wasn’t much, and when he finished, she said, “Well, then you need to do that as soon as possible. I’ll cut my day short, then get something special for dinner so we can celebrate once you’re done with whatever it is you’ve got to do. I also have some presents I’ve been working on that might help you going forward.”

He nodded, and as he followed his mother’s directions and took one of their boats back to the island, he took a few minutes to consider his mother’s perspective. She didn’t like that he’d taken a combat class, and she was even more disappointed when that class prevented him from using the armor and weapons she could create. So, it left him to wonder what she’d been working on.

Regardless of his mother’s state, Miguel couldn’t contain his excitement, and when he finally reached the island, he tied the boat off before racing toward the grove. Upon reaching the circle of trees, he felt himself relax as the thick ethera washed over him.

“Welcome back,” said Nerthus, suddenly stepping out of a tree beside him. “You have grown stronger.”

“I…I have,” Miguel said. He’d felt a connection with Nerthus from the very first time they’d met, and that bond had grown much stronger during his training. “And I got a new ability…”

As he explained it, the spryggent’s expression remained placid, but Miguel could feel Nerthus’ ethera roiling in excitement.

“I had hoped you would get such an ability. I am not familiar with the Green Warden class, but it clearly has elements of the Grove Guardian class. This is similar to one of their abilities.”

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“What will it do?” Miguel asked. “It says it grants power, but it’s not very specific.”

“It will assuredly give you attributes as well as some measure of authority within the grove. Beyond that, I cannot say. The only way to discover its nature with any certainty is to use the ability.”

“Now?”

“I see no reason not to. Fortunately for you, I have the authority to approve the bond. Otherwise, you would have been forced to await your uncle’s return,” Nerthus explained. “But if I may make a suggestion? Place your hand on the ancestral tree when you use your ability. It will facilitate the process.”

With that, Miguel approached the obviously magical tree. Not only was the ethera surrounding it much more potent than anywhere else on the island, but its coloring – white with blue leaves – marked it as entirely unique. Still, Miguel almost flinched away when he felt a jolt of power as he laid his palm on the rough bark. He maintained his discipline, though, and remembering his cultivation exercises, he took a deep breath and focused on the sensation itself.

There was a connection there, and one that seemed filled with a promise of power. But there was obligation, too. A mandate to dedicate himself to a life as a guardian. He took another breath, then used Pledge of the Green Warden.

Immediately, power rushed into him – enough that he felt on the verge of exploding. His attributes swelled, and ethera enveloped him in a nearly solid cocoon of energy. Then, he opened his mouth and words spilled out.

“I pledge to defend this hallowed ground with every breath, to protect against every threat, be it the Abyss or greedy mortals,” he intoned. “My sacrifice is my honor. My duty, my life. As long as I draw breath, no harm shall befall this Grove. I will uphold this code, conducting myself with honor until the end of my days or such time as my service is no longer required. This is my solemn pledge, sworn before the World Tree, to honor, serve, protect, and preserve this sacred Grove.”

As soon as the last word passed between Miguel’s lips, the ethera that had coalesced around him rushed into his body, suffusing him with power. He collapsed to his knees, his heart racing out of control as he warred with the sheer magnitude of the energy crashing into him.

It enveloped every cell in his body until everything felt on the verge of exploding. Then, slowly, that wave of power receded, leaving him fundamentally changed. When he finally pushed himself back to his feet, Miguel knew that he’d grown taller, his muscles denser. But even more importantly, he sensed that his cultivation had been enhanced as well. Specifically, that energy had bolstered his Core, increasing its potency by a significant degree.

At last, a notification appeared before his inner eye:

Miguel read the notification a few times, but it wasn’t difficult to understand the meaning. He’d known that, by using Pledge of the Green Warden, he’d tied his fate to the grove. He accepted what that meant. Otherwise, he didn’t think his vow would have been accepted.

After that, he looked at his status:

He gasped in shock.

His attributes had nearly doubled, and in every category. The largest increase came in the Regeneration category, which had been bolstered by forty points. Strength and Dexterity had seen an increase of thirty points, while Constitution was twenty points higher than it had been before he’d used Pledge of the Green Warden. Ethera had seen the smallest increase at only ten points, but even that was an incredible boon.

But there was more to it than that.

Elijah had once explained how his domain worked. With it, Miguel’s uncle could sense everything on the island, right down to the smallest detail. What Miguel now felt was similar, but instead of knowing everything about the island, he only had a vague idea of where everything was. If he’d had to describe it, he would have said that it felt like a watered-down version of Elijah’s sense.

Which was still a little overwhelming, but not quite as taxing on his Mind as what Elijah had once described.

It made sense, though. How was he meant to protect the grove if he didn’t know what was going on within its borders? Still, he knew he needed to test things out so he could discover the extent of the enhancement he’d received upon making his vow. He looked forward to seeing how everything would work out.