Path of Dragons - A LitRPG Apocalypse (BOOK TWO ON KINDLE SEPT. 2)

Elijah stood apart from the Spires, his arms crossed in annoyance. He hadn’t been there long, and according to the space mage – someone he didn’t know – it would be more than twenty minutes before he could depart. His irritation had nothing to do with the passing time, though. Instead, his problems came from his recent exchange with the space mage.

Eryka had been reassigned.

That was all he could get from her replacement, though the implication was clear. She was terrified. Or traumatized, maybe. And she didn’t want anything to do with him. He didn’t blame her – not really – but he couldn’t deny that the development saddened him greatly. His conversations with the woman had always been a highlight, and he knew he’d miss them.

Maybe she’d return one day, and he could explain himself. He wouldn’t exactly categorize her as a friend, but she wasn’t a stranger, either. She deserved to hear his side of the story, and he hoped that if he ever got the chance to offer an explanation, she would understand why he’d made his choices.

But for now, he was annoyed.

So, when it finally came his turn to step into the circle, he didn’t hesitate. After only a few more moments, during which the attendant counted down, the spires activated with a rush of ethera that sent him across the world.

According to the maps he’d seen during the Summit, Bogotá was even further away than it had been before the world had changed. Tens of thousands of miles, at the very least. Maybe even more. Elijah had difficulty understanding the scale of the distances at play, but he suspected that if he’d tried to cover that distance on foot, it would have taken a year or more. Even if he took to the skies, the duration of the trip would be counted in weeks, rather than hours – especially if he was forced to stop to rest along the way.

And that wasn’t even counting any hostile wildlife he might encounter. Most of the time, he could pass through forests without issue, but he knew it was a mistake to take that for granted.

In any case, the advent of the Conclave’s Teleportation Network had truly shrunk the world, and he appeared at his destination after only an instant. The first thing he noticed was the change in temperature, which was slightly warmer – but no less humid than the area surrounding Ironshore.

As he stepped out of the circle, he looked around. He’d left Ironshore in the early morning, and as a result, it was still dark in Bogotá. That told him that the area was far to the west of his island. He glanced to the east and saw the glint of water below, establishing that he’d arrived atop a steep cliff.

“Is there somewhere I can get some information about the area?” he asked the Conclave mage.

The short, narrow-shouldered man brushed his hair behind his ears and answered, “Are you here with the others?”

“What others?” Elijah asked.

“The people gathering to attack the Primal Realm. They confirmed its location a few weeks ago, and people have been arriving since,” the man said. “I just thought that since you’re pretty strong, you were probably with them.”

“I’m not.”

“Oh. Then maybe you should visit the Comisario’s headquarters. He likes to meet…ah…people like you.”

“Is that a requirement?”

“Not exactly, but it will save you some trouble. The Comisario isn’t someone you want to anger.”

Elijah resisted the urge to let out a tired sigh. He’d only been in town for a couple of minutes, and already, he was tired of it. However, in the interests of keeping the peace, he agreed to meet the Comisario. Hopefully, the man would be more reasonable than Elijah’s instincts told him to suspect.

After receiving appropriate directions, he left the Spires behind and soon found himself descending the cliff via a wide, winding path that cut back and forth down a fairly steep slope. From his high school geography lessons, Elijah had a rough idea of Bogotá’s orientation. Before the world had transformed, the central Colombian city had been located atop a plateau that was part of the Andes mountains. And it seemed that hadn’t changed, given the mountainous terrain.

In every direction rose densely forested mountains that would have dwarfed anything from pre-World Tree Earth. The shortest of them were at least as tall as Everest, and many rose to much greater heights. In the new world, everything was just bigger. The city below featured a handful of modern-looking skyscrapers, but there were quite a few gaps in the skyline that suggested the absence of many other buildings.

Still, even when Elijah used Eyes of the Eagle, he didn’t see any major damage or debris, so the city’s management – whatever form it had taken – was obviously doing its job.

As Elijah continued his descent, the sun rose and a dense fog settled into the valleys between mountains. That included the city itself. Elijah could see through it well enough, but that was likely due to the improved senses that came with his combination of body cultivation and attributes.

Soon enough, he found himself among the buildings. There were cars here and there that reminded Elijah of Seattle, largely because they ran off of ethera rather than electricity or gasoline, but for the most part, the early morning traffic was on foot. Once or twice, he caught sight of a few trolleys that acted as public transportation, but even those were sparsely populated.

Stolen story; please report.

Then he saw something that brought a slight smile to his face.

Down one street was a rainbow of color. The buildings on either side of the narrow avenue were painted in bright colors. Pinks and blues, yellows and greens – the sight immediately buoyed Elijah’s spirit, and he couldn’t stop himself from wandering off the prescribed path. After only a few steps, he felt immersed in the color in a way he couldn’t quite describe.

He was staring at a mural when he realized something that should have been obvious. He sensed a swirl of ethera. Not from a person, but rather from the paintings themselves.

“An art aficionado, huh?” came a feminine voice. “This piece is meant to represent the struggles we faced in the wake of a changing world.”

Elijah glanced to his right to see a slight woman with black hair streaked with blonde. She was middle-aged, with shallow wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but she still radiated a warmth and vitality that would make anyone look twice. She wore a simple smock trimmed in multi-colored bands along the sleeves. A pair of capri pants and sandals completed the look.

“You’re the artist.”

“I am,” she said. “This entire place is my work.”

Elijah frowned. “I thought this existed before the world’s transformation.”

Indeed, Elijah had seen photos of La Candelaria, which was what he thought he’d found.

She shook her head. “It was lost. I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since things settled. As an artist, I won’t be out there fighting monsters with the Warriors. I can’t heal people. And I don’t really build things. But I think my work helps people, though most don’t even realize it.”

“You use abilities?”

“Of course.”

That’s when Elijah realized that she wasn’t just an artist by trade. Rather, that was her class. “You have an Entertainer archetype.”

She smiled broadly. “I do. Most people don’t even know it exists, much to their detriment. We might not be able to fight – not like others, at least – but we can contribute in other ways,” she explained. “Sometimes I wonder what my path would have looked like if I’d chosen the Dancer class. Artist seemed better, even if it had a broader focus.”

“Can you show me around?” he asked. “And I’m Elijah.”

“Gabriella. And sure. I love showing off!”

With that, she gave him the tour, and as it turned out, her work extended beyond a single street and encompassed an entire neighborhood. In addition to the murals, there were even a few relief sculptures, a couple of fountains, and a small statue of a shaggy dog.

“What’s this one?” he asked.

“A hero. That dog saved three small children just after the world changed. Sadly, he didn’t survive, but when I heard the story, I was inspired to create a monument. From what the kids said, he was just a stray they’d fed a few times over the years,” Gabriella explained. “I like to think of it as a monument to not only that dog’s courage but also to the power of a little kindness and a sense of community. They helped the dog when he was in need, and he returned the favor.”

“That’s a nice sentiment. I wish everyone thought like that.”

Her face darkened slightly. “So do I.”

“Is there a story there?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No different than anywhere else, I guess. Some people see chaos and want to use it to their personal advantage. Colombia has never had a shortage of people like that.”

“I don’t think there’s a shortage of those sorts of people anywhere.”

She nodded.

After that, they continued the tour, but it only took a few more minutes before Elijah had seen everything there was to see. Even so, he wished he could turn back and experience it all again. Gabriella’s work wasn’t just beautiful to look at. It was that, but it also carried with it a subtle flow of ethera that actually increased Elijah’s Regeneration attribute by ten points.

Even more importantly, he could feel there was a power there he couldn’t quite identify. It helped untangle his thoughts and fostered a sense of calm.

“Thank you for showing me around, but I think it’s time I get to the Comisario’s office. I’m told that people are supposed to check in there.”

“Oh, you’re one of those.”

“One of who?” Elijah asked.

“The raiders. The ones who are here to fight the giants.”

“Not really. I’m just here looking for my friend. You might be able to help me, actually.”

“Bogotá is a huge place. There are more than two-hundred thousand people living here. And more come very day. I won’t know everyone.”

Elijah shrugged. “That’s true, but Oscar kind of stands out,” he stated. “He has a pack of dogs following him around, for one. He’s also pretty strong.”

“I…I think I’ve seen him. Not for a long time, and only from a distance. Most people give him a wide berth.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Mostly the smell,” she answered. Then, her eyes widened as she realized what she’d said.

Before she could continue, Elijah raised his hand, saying, “It’s fine. He probably wouldn’t be offended.”

Oscar clearly spent most of his time out in the wilderness, and his odor reflected that choice.

“It’s also because he’s not very friendly. He’s never hurt anyone, but…”

“Yeah. He’s a little standoff-ish.”

“The kids love his dogs, though. They’re much friendlier.”

“I can’t deny that,” Elijah admitted. “Has he been here lately? He sent me a message sometime in the past few days.”

Elijah had originally intended to come sooner, but he’d needed to take the time to ensure that his grove would be protected in his absence. In the end, he’d entrusted Kurik with that task, and the dwarf hadn’t even complained about it.

In any case, the delay had cost Elijah a little more than a day.

Gabriella answered, “I don’t know. I didn’t see him, but that’s not saying much. Like I said, it’s a big city. Not as big as it used to be, but…”

“I get it. Well, I need to go see the Comisario, then. Thanks for showing me around, Gabriella. I hope to come back sometime and see what else you’ve done,” he said. Then, he grabbed one of his grove fruits from his ring and handed it to the Artist. “Here. It’s the least I can do.”

She took it, but before she could react, Elijah was off. Though with Soul of the Wild, he sensed her taking a bite of the fruit. Her eyes widened, and she looked woozy for a moment. When she recovered, she just stared after him with a perplexed look on her face.

That brought another smile to Elijah’s face, though as he progressed through the city, it faded. Traffic picked up the closer he drew to the few skyscrapers, and he started to see people that were very clearly powerful combatants. Some he even recognized from his time in Seattle, though he couldn’t put a name or origin to any of them.

Finally, he reached a broad square characterized by stone slabs separated by lines of bricks. The structure on the other side of the plaza was an imposing compound that blended brutalist and neoclassical traits into a collection of right angles. The result was a fortress-like building that loomed over everything like a concrete monster.

Standing in stark contrast was the building to Elijah’s right, which appeared to be a cathedral with twin towers and an ornate design. The top of one of the towers had been destroyed, leaving a jagged crown and ruining the structure’s symmetry.

Elijah strode forward, ready to meet the Comisario and hopefully get some answers as to his friend’s whereabouts.