Path of Dragons

On the surface, there were only two choices that mattered. Both the Primal Lord and the Bloomwarden lived up to their Mythic rarities, offering far more power than their Legendary counterparts. Objectively, they were just better, so it was easy to discard the other three options.

Fortunately, now that he had unlocked his choices, he didn't need to maintain contact with the Branch of the World Tree. So, he pulled away, thanked the Envoy of the World Tree, then left the building behind. For a while, he just wandered Ironshore's streets, lost in thought as he considered the implications of the choice before him.

By any metric, Primal Lord and Bloomwarden were the only viable options, but he couldn't help but consider the Legendary evolutions available to him. If nothing else, they gave him some insight into what kinds of things were possible, which left him awestruck at the potential. Certainly, his options were likely far more powerful than most, but it seemed obvious that becoming an Ascendent would be a game-changer. Even if he chose one of the lower-rarity class evolutions, like the Uncommon variants, his attribute gains would be double what they currently were.

In short, as more people reached that level, the world would irreversibly change. People would grow more powerful, and the gap between the elites and the rest of humanity would become even wider. Clearly, there would need to be some safeguards to prevent exploitation.

But Elijah had no interest in filling that role. Sure, he would fight against oppression whenever he encountered it, but he had no intention of making that his primary goal. He wasn't quite that selfless.

Eventually, Elijah found himself standing outside a small tea shop that had popped up sometime while he was in the Trial of Primacy. It was a quaint place with plenty of outdoor seating where a few people were taking advantage of the nice weather. With autumn having taken hold, there was a slight chill in the air, but most people who lived in Ironshore had enough Constitution to withstand it. After only a moment, Elijah saw Ramik sitting alone and enjoying a cup of tea.

The goblin mayor was dressed much as usual, in his crisp suit and bowler hat, but he seemed to have added a decorative cane to his accoutrements. Sensing that someone was looking his way, Ramik glanced up, and when he saw Elijah, he smiled fondly and gestured for him to join. Elijah still hadn't made a decision on his evolution, so he saw no reason to refuse. A moment later, he'd covered the ground between them, and he asked, "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course! I always have time for Ironshore's savior," Ramik answered. As Elijah sat in the wrought iron chair across from the goblin, Ramik went on to ask, "What brings you to the city? We haven't seen you around here much since you returned from the Trial of Primacy."

"I've been working on some things," Elijah admitted. He trusted Ramik, but not so much that he wanted the goblin to know the extent of his cultivation efforts. Still, much like Kurik, Ramik had lived in the multi-verse his whole life, and he could prove to be a valuable resource. Especially since the town's only Librarian was only capable of so much, and Elijah had yet to schedule an appointment.

A bit of an oversight, but one that could easily be explained by the number of things on Elijah's plate. With everything else going on – and all the other demands on his time – some things were bound to be lost in the shuffle.

Regardless, as a gnomish server took his tea order, Elijah asked, "Do you know anything about class evolutions? Specifically, rarities? How much difference is there between each one? In terms of power, I mean."

Ramik's sizable eyes narrowed slightly. "You are on the verge of ascendence, aren't you?"

Elijah shrugged. "More or less," he admitted. Then, he decided to reveal a bit more. "Well, I've got the choices in front of me right now. I just need to decide."

"Choices? Plural?"

"Yeah. Is that not normal?"

"Ah…most people only have one option. A few at most," Ramik answered. He nodded, continuing, "I suppose it makes sense that you would have more. People on newly touched worlds generally have an advantage there. May I ask how many choices you have?"

"A few," Elijah lied. If he told the goblin that he'd been given nearly eight hundred choices, it might give him a heart attack. "What about rarities? Relatively speaking, what's the power difference between them?"

Ramik responded, "It's hard to quantify. There are some general guides regarding attribute bonuses, but that's only one factor. About half of the people that reach ascendence will get at least one Uncommon class. Few are afforded the opportunity to choose higher rarities like Exotic."

"What about the higher rarities?"

"Nearly unheard-of," Ramik answered without hesitation. "Even then, the first evolution is cut off at Mythic. It is impossible to go higher until the next evolution. I don't know anything else about that, though."

"But each rarity means more power, right?" Elijah asked.

Ramik nodded. "Yes. There is some overlap, but in general, that's the accepted rule."

"And when an option grants more attribute points, it's generally stronger?"

"There are exceptions, but yes."

"I see," Elijah said as his tea arrived. He transferred the payment to the server, thanked her, then asked Ramik, "So, what about you? How is the city recovering?"

Apparently, the answer to that question was quite a bright spot for Ramik. They'd repaired most of the damage done to the city, and they'd even begun a few expansion projects. Already, Kurik and a few others – including Miguel – were hard at work setting up defenses in the mines, where work had already resumed.

"You know, I've been holding onto something for a couple of years now," Elijah said. "And it's just occurred to me that you might be able to use it."

Reaching into his Ghoul-Hide Satchel, Elijah retrieved something he'd very nearly forgotten about – at least until he'd spent some time cataloguing his loot from the Trial of Primacy. He set it down on the table, which elicited quite a reaction from Ramik.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

Elijah shrugged. "It's called a Seal of Authority," he answered, removing his hand from the coin-shaped object. It didn't look like much, but he knew it was quite powerful – at least to some people. It was basically worthless for him, considering he had no interest in ruling a city, but for someone like Ramik, it could change everything.

And Elijah hoped it would help solve his problems concerning the security of the grove.

"Where did you get it?" asked Ramik, his large ears twitching in excitement.

"Killed the owner and destroyed his city."

"W-what? How?"

"Honestly, I don't remember the mechanics of it," Elijah admitted. He'd been in a grief-fueled rage when he'd killed Roman, which meant that the memory was a little hazy.

"You shouldn't have been able to kill someone with this. Not in their city," Ramik stated. "Either the owner was stupid or…but no, the system wouldn't give this out to an idiot. It's a reward for people that display the characteristics necessary to lead a city. On established worlds, Seals of Authority would be passed down across generations. On my home planet, they are tied to elections, but it is not unheard-of for them to remain in the same families for eons."

"So, it's a pretty good item?" Elijah asked.

"That is an understatement. No city can ever reach its potential without it. With something like this, the possibilities for growth are endless. Not only would defending Ironshore become far easier, but our people would be much more productive. More experience for the same actions, less failures from our Tradesmen, and better results from training our fighters," Ramik explained, excitement evident in his voice. "It would change everything."

"Oh. So, I guess you want it, huh?" Elijah asked.

"I…I…"

"Relax, Ramik. I'm going to give it to you. I wouldn't have revealed it otherwise," Elijah said. "But I want some assurances, mostly concerning my ongoing privacy. If you can swear to me that you'll keep people away from my island, I'll hand it over." He thought about it for a moment more. "Oh, and I want you to help Carmen as much as possible with her project."

"I can do that," Ramik agreed. "In fact, those are things I'm already doing. The last thing we want is another incident like what happened with Eason Cabbot, and Carmen's Great Forge is instrumental in our plans to set Ironshore apart from every other city on Earth." He took a deep breath, then gulped his tea. "But this is too much. You could sell that Seal of Authority on the Branch Marketplace for a hundred platinum ethereum. Maybe more, if you don't sell it immediately. It would make you rich beyond measure."

"Is that what you would do? I know you have money problems," Elijah said. "That would be enough to get you out debt. Ironshore could have its independence."

"No. It is far more valuable than simple ethereum. I could use it to improve the lives of everyone in Ironshore," Ramik stated. "But as I said, I can't take it without paying you. It wouldn't be fair, and I fear you would resent me for my greed."

Elijah took a sip of his tea, then nearly spit it out. He definitely preferred coffee. Still, he schooled his reaction, then tapped his chin. "How about this? I get five percent of the city's revenue over the next…I don't know…twenty years."

"Two percent over ten," Ramik countered immediately.

"Four percent over fifteen."

Back and forth they went for the next few minutes until they came to an agreement. Elijah would get three-and-a-half percent of Ironshore's revenue over the next twelve years, and Ramik would get the Seal of Authority. As they shook, Elijah reminded Ramik, "Obviously, this is in addition to the other two conditions. I'm serious about this, Ramik. I've seen some of those newcomers eyeing my island. If they come over there, bad things are going to happen. Even if I'm not around, there are defenses in place. This is about public safety."

"I'll take every precaution," Ramik stated. "Deal?"

"Deal."

Ramik took the Seal of Authority, saying, "I'll have a contract prepared officializing the agreement. Will you be around tomorrow?"

"I'll stop by," Elijah said. "I hope you use that Seal of Authority better than the last owner."

"I will."

After that, Elijah nodded at the goblin, then strode away. Eventually, he decided to stop stalling and return to his grove. He always thought better in familiar places, and there was nowhere more attuned to him than his island. So, he shifted into the Shape of Sky, leaped into the air, and flew across the strait.

Once he was back on his island, he planted himself at the center of his grove, settled into the lotus position, then turned his mind to the choice before him.

The Bloomwarden was obviously more powerful than the Primal Lord, but that strength came with significant limitations. If he was reading the description right, that class was geared toward keeping him in his grove. For someone like Nerthus, it would have been perfect. But for Elijah and his undeniable sense of adventure, it seemed like an ill fit.

With that in mind, his decision seemed clear.

He chose Primal Lord.

No sooner had Elijah read that notification than he felt something stirring with him. It wasn't located in his core, but rather, it emanated from his chest. After only a moment, that feeling morphed into an uncomfortable burning sensation, which soon spread across his entire body. Moment by moment, the potency of that burn increased until he felt like his every cell had been set aflame.

He bore it stoically at first, but soon enough, he couldn't contain himself. He let out a slight grunt that soon became a scream. As that sound erupted from his throat, the ethera in the area went wild, fluctuating with every pulse of his heart. Vitality came next, riding the wave of the rippling ethera and soothing his burning body. That relief only lasted for a second before another wave of fire and ethera swept through him.

Elijah had known it was coming. He thought he was prepared for what the guides had described. Yet, it was more pain than he'd ever experienced, which, considering everything he'd been through, was saying quite a lot.

Still, he took it as best he could. Time lost meaning. He might've been there for a few seconds, or days could have passed. He had no context by which to measure it. What he did know was that everything about him was being broken down and remade. He just had to endure it.

Gradually, he lost himself in the agony, so when it finally began to wane, he barely even noticed it. By the time it ceased entirely, Elijah was still forced to endure the echoes for what felt like an eternity. Then, they faded as well, leaving him entirely remade.