Path of Dragons

Book 5: Chapter 62: The Tragedy of War

Book 5: Chapter 62: The Tragedy of War

In a daze, Elijah left the ruins behind. He still paid attention to his surroundings, but he struggled to pull his thoughts away from contemplation of his recent experiences. The puzzle itself hadn’t been terribly complex. However, his ability to solve it had been compromised by external factors – like the fact that he’d been on the verge of death almost from the very beginning.

But now that he was safe, Elijah could look at it more objectively. And when he did, he couldn’t deny the fear creeping up his spine. For so long, he’d gone through life believing that he was invincible. Certainly, he’d had plenty of close calls. Only recently, he’d very nearly been melted by one of the mechanical wasps. Yet, each time, he’d pulled through by virtue of his many advantages.

This time was different.

His spells had been inaccessible. His cultivation and attributes hadn’t been enough to save him. And even his Mind had very nearly failed.

That was terrifying.

The only saving grace was that Elijah was almost certain that the system had set the puzzle up. But given that that system had, in turn, been created by people – powerful though they were – it suggested his place in the multi-verse in a way that mere stories and guides couldn’t.

So, as he trekked back to the camp, he felt smaller and more inconsequential than ever before. However, with every step, he also felt a sense of purpose. If those people could reach a point where they could do such incredible things, then Elijah could as well. It would obviously take an eternity, but the possibility was there all the same. That was comforting enough to calm his nerves.

Soon enough, Elijah reached the camp and settled down next to the embers of the fire. Just looking at it reminded him of the first piece of the puzzle he’d just solved, and a shiver ran up his spine. By that point, Sadie had taken over for Dat, and after a moment, she sat next to him and asked, “What did you find?”

“Context,” he said.

“What does that mean?”

He shrugged, then answered, “It means that we’re tiny, little specks of dust in a universe bigger than any of us can comprehend. There are people out there so powerful that they can crush us with a stray thought.”

He’d known that almost from the very beginning, but it had always felt so far away. Now, after having his power blocked or completely overwhelmed, it was closer than ever before.

“That’s the way it’s always been, Elijah,” Sadie said. “Even before all of this, the universe was infinite.”

“It’s one thing to know that – from an intellectual standpoint – and something altogether different to have it hammered into you by circumstances beyond your control,” he said.

“What happened?”

Elijah sighed, then ran his hand over his bald head. The barest hint of stubble had returned, but it would be some time before he once again had a full head of hair. Even his eyebrows were gone, which made him feel like he hadn’t come so far since the worst parts of chemotherapy. He still remembered the looks he’d gotten back then. Disgust. Pity. Compassion. Anger. Nobody liked being reminded that, but for a twist of fate, they could have been in his place.

He explained what had happened, starting with finding the pyramid. Then, he went on to describe the frescoes and, finally, the puzzle he’d struggled to solve. “If I’d been playing a game or something, I could’ve done it easily. But with that poison inside me, I couldn’t think straight. Add the rising water and the –”

“I get it,” Sadie said, putting her hand on his shoulder. She gave it a squeeze. “Anybody would have reacted similarly.”

“Would you?” he asked. He’d seen Sadie in battle. For all that her single-minded, black-and-white views of the world were frustrating to deal with, that mindset also gave her a clarity in battle that he envied. If she felt doubts, she never showed them.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” she said with a shrug. She still wore her beaten and battered armor.

“She was betrayed by a man she thought was her friend,” Elijah answered. “And that man built a city, corrupting everything he touched until they were beyond all hope of redemption. I killed...a lot of people. Most of them attacked me first. They were soldiers. But I killed others, too. They deserved it. I know that. But if you think I’m walking around without any guilt, then you’re grossly mistaken.”

Elijah hadn’t intended to tell the whole story, but in the end, he hadn’t been able to hold back. As he stared at the fire, tears trickled down his cheeks. He didn’t regret his actions, but regret and guilt were two very different things.

“I’m sorry,” Sadie said.

“For what? You didn’t kill her.”

“For the way I judged you.”

Elijah shook his head. “It’s not your fault. You’re dealing with an ability, right? Those can be powerful,” he said.

She ran a hand through her black hair, then sighed. “I wish that was the only reason,” she said. “Truth is that I’ve always been like this. I’ve worked on it, but...”

“I get it,” Elijah said. Then, he glanced around, saying, “If you want to get some rest, I’m going to be up for a while. I can take watch.”

Thankfully, Sadie could recognize the situation for what it was. Sharing was all well and good, but Elijah had a limit to what he could handle in any given day. So, she took the hint and headed to her own tent, where she settled in to sleep. Pointedly, she didn’t even remove her armor.

For his part, Elijah dipped his hand into the Ghoul-Hide Satchel and wrapped his fingers around the crystalline leaf he’d gotten as a reward for solving the puzzle. It was a guide just like any other he’d gotten from a Branch of the World Tree, but what made it intriguing was the contents:

The Tragedy of War

For eons, the planet of Ka’arath was no different than any other. Powerful entities rose and fell, civilizations prospered and were wiped out, and their people progressed to the brink of establishing themselves as a true power within the multi-verse.

One ka’alaki aimed to push them over the edge...

As Elijah read on, he discovered that Ka’arath – the name of the excised world on which the Trial was held – had established itself as a powerful C-Grade planet. Yet, that wasn’t enough for Yloa K’hnam, the would-be Lightning Emperor. He knew that if they were going to push to a higher realm, they would need to do two things. First, the planet itself would need to take a leap into the B-Grade, which was no small feat. Second, he would need to take control of his entire world.

The first was all but out of his grasp for the time being, but the second – well, that was within reach. So, he built the power of his sect, and when he judged that they were strong enough, went to war against the ta’alaki. At first, his enemies fell easily, but they quickly regrouped and banded together to form a potent opposition that stymied his progress.

The war went on for centuries as the two sides – which had predictably been drawn along racial lines between the ta’alaki and the ka’alaki – clashed in one battle after another. Yloa and his forces won as often as they lost, and the death toll mounted into the millions. However, war was a great catalyst for growth, and the survivors made great strides in their levels and cultivation.

Eventually, the progressively destructive battles left whole swaths of the planet unlivable. But over time, Yloa and his forces won, enslaving the bulk of the ta’alaki. There were still pockets of resistance, but their impact was extremely limited. That allowed Yloa to establish his planet-wide empire and declare himself the Lightning Emperor.

That was where the guide ended, leaving Elijah to wonder about two things. First, how did the planet – which had just been consolidated under one rule – end up getting excised from the World Tree? And second, how did Yloa mean to address the other issue and push the grade of the planet higher?

The guide had no more answers, leaving Elijah with more questions than when he’d begun reading.