Path of Dragons

Book 4: Chapter 38: An Issue of Transportation

For the first time since completing the Temple of Virtue in Argos, Elijah awoke with a sense of purpose. Nearly dying to a few overgrown birds was enough to cement his need to grow stronger. After all, if he couldn’t protect his family and his grove – or guide Miguel – then what did his position atop the power rankings really mean? It was just a number on a list. Power was meaningless if it didn’t have a purpose.

So, Elijah pushed himself out of his mossy bed and thrust his arms toward the flowery ceiling as he stretched. He didn’t really need it. His Regeneration was so high that his every muscle was in peak condition at all times. Yet, old habits tended to a die a slow death, and he’d yet to move so far from his humanity that he could neglect something as simple loosening tight muscles.

Nor could he neglect his bladder, so after he took care of that, he headed to his kitchen and gathered the ingredients for tea. As he did, he turned his attention to the coffee trees within his grove. They were finally ready for harvest, but there were many steps he needed to take before he could enjoy the fruits of their growth. At the same time, he was aware that Carmen had risen as well, so he gathered enough ingredients for a second mug of tea. By the time it was ready, Carmen had descended from her own treehouse and was crossing the grove.

That’s where Elijah met her. As he offered her the steaming mug, he said, “Good morning.”

She let out a sigh, then shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder how we made it,” she admitted. “It wasn’t so long ago that we were being picked off, one by one, by those sidhe monsters. And now I’m in paradise enjoying a cup of tea that has no business being this good. I have friends again. A job. It almost feels like all that horribleness never even happened.”

She took a sip, then continued, “But I know better. Just because this place is safe, it doesn’t mean everywhere is.”

Elijah didn’t know how to respond to that, save to assure her that he would do everything he could to protect her. That just elicited a small smile as she said, “You’re a lot like Alyssa. She wanted to protect everyone, too.”

“I don’t care about everyone. I care about you and Miggy. A few others, too. But everybody else can –”

“That’s a lie, and you know it,” Carmen definitively stated. “From everything you’ve said, and based on what I saw in Argos, you care as much as anyone can. You’re pathologically incapable of not helping people. Like I said – just like Alyssa. The difference is that you don’t trust as easily as she did.”

Elijah didn’t bother disputing that assertion. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, “I’m going to investigate ways to get the Dragonstone you need back here. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I intend to ask Ramik. If he doesn’t know – or if there’s no easy way to do it – I’ll just tote it myself. It’ll take a few trips, but I’ll do what needs to be done.”

“You don’t have to do that. There’s some decent stone nearby. I can make do.”

“It’s not as good as Dragonstone, though.”

“It’s not.”

“Then it’s settled. Like you just said, I’m incapable of not helping, right? You and Miggy deserve the best. Otherwise, what’s the point of having the most powerful person in the world as your patron?” he asked.

“Patron? Ugh. Don’t ever refer to yourself that way again.”

“Sponsor?”

“No.”

“Benefactor?”

“Still no,” she said with a tight smile.

“Well, there’s just no pleasing you,” he replied with a grin of his own. After that, the pair drank their tea and discussed less serious things. Carmen spoke of her plans for her forge, while Elijah talked about his coffee. It was a decidedly normal conversation, given the circumstances, and as such, Elijah found it extremely comforting.

Still, all good things inevitably come to an end, and so it was with his pleasant conversation with Carmen. She needed to get to Ironshore for work, while Elijah needed to speak to Ramik. The only difference was that Carmen had a bit of a commute ahead of her, while Elijah simply had to shift into Shape of the Sky and launch himself into the air. Only a couple of minutes later, he landed just outside of town and strode past the wall. As he did so, he gave the guards a small wave, which they nervously returned.

Upon entering the city, it became immediately apparent that Ironshore was growing. He’d been back a few times in the previous few months, but he’d not paid much attention to the state of the city. Now, though, he let himself take it all in, and he was incredibly impressed by the progress on display. The overall tone of the architecture remained the same as always, reminding Elijah of Victorian London, but everything was bigger, grander, and more solid. In addition, Elijah saw a few humans here and there, none of which he recognized. Clearly, the trade alliance with Norcastle had continued to bear fruit.

A good thing, so long as Ramik and his people kept an eye on the newcomers. Elijah was well-acquainted with human curiosity, and ignorance was no excuse for anyone trespassing on his island.

He took his time as he strode through the city, greeting those he knew while politely nodding at those he didn’t. The residents of the city seemed a lot less overtly hostile, but there were still plenty of nervous glances following him around. Perhaps that was a good thing, though. After all, if they were frightened, then they wouldn’t dare invade his grove.

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Soon, Elijah reached his destination, which had received quite an upgrade over the past few months. The government building had been completely overhauled, and it looked more like a palace than it resembled the old, mostly unadorned building that had been its previous incarnation. Looking upon it, Elijah got the impression of wealth, power, and, most of all, authority. Hopefully, that would keep any newcomers under control.

Elijah climbed the steps that ran along the entire front of the building, entering through a pair of enormous, brass double doors. The two guards – a goblin and a dwarf – watched him, but they didn’t even considering barring his way. Upon entering the building, Elijah was confronted with a huge lobby that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Imperium. In the center was a massive desk manned by a trio of figures. A goblin, a gnome, and a dwarf – each one wore the sort of clothes Elijah usually associated with Ramik, which meant that they were dressed in dark, tailored suits.

Elijah approached. “Looks like you’ve done some renovations,” he remarked. “Is Ramik around?”

“Do you have an appointment?” asked the goblin, her voice conveying both boredom and annoyance.

“Nope!” Elijah said cheerfully.

“Then the mayor is unavailable.”

“It’s fine. I’ll find him myself,” Elijah said, still smiling as he walked past the kiosk. The goblin tried to object, but her coworkers quickly stepped in, whispering his identity. Her green skin went pale, but by that point, Elijah was already a few feet away. He wasn’t sure where Ramik’s office was, but given the layout of the building, he expected that the huge set of stairs in the center of the lobby probably led in the right direction. So, that’s where he went, his bare feet slapping against the cold tile of the floor.

Upon mounting the steps, Elijah became aware of a panting figure running in his direction. At first, he thought the little gnome meant to attack, but his true intention became apparent as he slowed to a stop. “Let me lead you to the mayor’s office, honored Druid,” he said, still trying to catch his breath.

Elijah glanced at him, taking in his appearance in the space of an instant. And he was more than a little unimpressed. The gnome was a little taller than normal – almost dwarf-sized – but he had quite a paunch around his middle. More importantly, he looked incredibly young.

“Alright,” Elijah said.

Then, the young gnome led him up the stairs – laboring the whole way – before circling along a balcony toward what looked like a normal and nondescript office door. He knocked, and Ramik’s familiar voice bade him enter. The office on the other side was neither opulent nor unadorned, though there were a few nods to Ramik’s tastes. A few tasteful paintings decorated the walls, and the same monstrosity of a desk dominated the room. A few leather chairs completed the décor.

“Hey, Ramik,” Elijah said. “What’s new?”

Ramik smiled, saying, “Good to see you, Elijah. The city is booming, just like I predicted.”

After that, he dismissed the young gnome before excitedly detailing Ironshore’s progress. The trade alliance with Norcastle had brought in a nice trickle of wealth, and there were even plans to branch out to other cities like Argos. More importantly, the increased ethera density had given his people quite a boon in terms of cultivation, which allowed them to take advantage of Biggle’s powerful potions. That, combined with the influx of levels they’d received after the failed orc invasion, and they were in much better shape than they could have reasonable expected.

“And Carissa’s people are strong enough to push deeper into the earth,” he finished. “That mine could be our ticket to true prosperity.”

“That’s awesome, Ramik. I’m glad everything is going well,” he said. “But there are two things I wanted to discuss. The first is just that I feel the need to reiterate that no one should set foot on my island without my permission. I know there are some new people here. I trust that you’ve let them all know the rules.”

“It is part of our orientation,” Ramik stated. “Combined with the stories of what happened to the Cabbot and his people, that’s enough to keep them all away. Most people aren’t terribly brave when certain death is on offer.”

“Good,” Elijah said. “Now – the real issue is that I need a way to transport a few dozen tons of rock.”

Then, he described his issue, letting Ramik know that the stone was intended for Carmen’s forge. “Do you know a way around the problem?” he asked.

Ramik tapped this pointed chin. After a moment, he answered, “There are two options. The first is to commission one of our Carpenters – we have three that could manage the job – to create a series of crates. So long as they are limited to stone, they will accommodate up to five times their normal volume. However, weight would only be cut in half, which could prove to be an issue, even with your Strength.”

Elijah had tested it extensively, and he was only capable of carrying two blocks at a time. That meant that, regardless of the crates’ capacity, his limitations would dictate that he could only carry four. In turn, that would necessitate multiple trips, so that was not an ideal solution.

“What’s the other option?”

“It is extremely expensive.”

“I have money,” Elijah said. Indeed, he barely used his funds anyway, so he’d amassed a small fortune in coins. He knew that wouldn’t count much in the wider multi-verse, but on Earth, he was considered quite wealthy, even after the expenditure with the Temple of Virtue.

After that, Ramik explained the other solution. It was actually a system that, due to its cost, was not very popular except in very specific circumstances. The first part was a ring that acted as a key to an interdimensional space that could hold a vast volume of goods. However, the only way to withdraw those goods was to combine the ring with the second part, which was a stationary anchor.

“So, what makes it so expensive?”

“The rings are single-use,” Ramik explained. “They become useless after that. Even the materials are impossible to recycle. But the ring-storage system can hold more than ten times what the crates can hold.”

He went on to explain that even the anchor had limitations – chiefly that it could only be used once a month.

“It’s almost as expensive as transporting goods via the Branch,” Ramik said. “Most people just use one of the Teamster’s guilds. That is not an option here, though.”

In the end, Elijah’s decision was an easy one. After all, what was money for if not to be spent? So, armed with Ramik’s explanation, he headed to the Branch and bought the system for fifteen gold ethereum, which was nearly three-quarters of his total wealth. The only solace to such an expenditure was that if he wanted to purchase another ring, he could do so for a little less than five gold.

However, even then, he could easily see why it wasn’t a popular method of transporting goods.

Still, he felt good about the purchase. Before he teleported to the Dragon Circle, though, he had a couple more tasks to complete.