The rest of the trip back to Stillstone was representative of what they’d come to expect from the desolate landscape. Elijah wasn’t certain if they’d killed all the native beasts in the area or if they’d simply fled the destruction. But the end result was that the eerie emptiness continued. Because of that, they made good time, though the raiders were uninterested in camaraderie. In fact, they remained a few hundred yards behind Elijah and the pack, eyeing them with unabashed fear, ambition, and some degree of anger.

That left him with mixed feelings about Earth’s future.

Would the strong always look at those at the top with greed in their eyes? Or would it turn to aspiration? Either way, the presence of their betters would drive them forward, but what happened when they got there was still a mystery.

What was not a mystery was what the raiders would have done if Elijah hadn’t been head-and-shoulders stronger than them. The only reason they’d offered a truce was because they knew the truth of the matter. If Elijah wanted to do so, he could slaughter them where they stood.

So could Oscar, though they’d coexisted with him for a while before Elijah ever stepped onto the stage. Meanwhile, Elijah had a history of killing those who stood against him. If he was even a little weaker – or if they saw an opportunity – they would turn on him. He knew that down to his bones. And what’s more, he couldn’t really blame them, either.

Elijah was a dangerous man. Perhaps the deadliest in the world. He’d shown what he could – and would – do, given half a chance. Thousands had died to show that to the world.

And when they returned to Earth, a new tale would circulate. One that saw Elijah slaughtering thousands of giants and other beasts with a single spell. More than once, he’d hinted at his ability to kill a whole city with Eternal Plague, but now that he’d seen it in action, he knew it was possible.

And that wasn’t even considering his new abilities like Nature’s Claim.

No one except Oscar had seen that work its magic. No one living, at least.

It seemed that the system was hellbent on turning him into a weapon of mass destruction, and he’d embraced that role at every turn. So, maybe it was his fault. At every juncture, he could have chosen the less violent path. Even going back to his class evolution, he could have chosen Bloomwarden. Most people would have, considering it was undoubtedly his most powerful option. That would have seen him tending his grove and only killing when people attacked.

But he’d chosen a different road, and for a reason. His world was brutal and violent, and the only way for him to survive was to become powerful enough to impose his own savagery on those who might attack him. It was necessary, but he did worry about what it might do to him going forward.

However, nothing had changed about his situation. Nor had he discarded the personality that drove him forward. He was okay with his choices, even if he sometimes regretted their necessity.

The issue came from the problems they caused, which he’d resolved to deal with as they came. More than anything, he just wished people would leave him, his family and friends, and his grove out of global politics.

“Freedom,” he said under his breath. It was what he wanted more than anything, but every time he made a decision, that freedom was further restricted. Responsibilities. Consequences. Relationships. They all came with binds that served to tie him down and keep him in place. Even the grove, which he loved as much as any family member, was an anchor on his soul.

“Freedom is an illusion,” said Oscar.

“What? Why do you say that?” asked Elijah, surprised his friend had even heard the single word.

“Survival comes with responsibilities. You must eat. You must sleep in safety. That ties you down, restricts what you can do,” he said. “Every relationship comes with shackles, as well. They empower us, but they also restrict us. No man is an island. No man can exist without responsibility. Embrace it, or it will drive you mad.”

Elijah frowned. Oscar was often frustratingly insightful. It was sometimes easy to forget that beneath the wild man exterior was a thoughtful person who had more than just wild savagery to offer the world. In fact, on the subject of freedom, he was uniquely knowledgeable. He had no home. His only relationships were with his dogs. Maybe the friendship with Elijah counted, but that was new.

Regardless, he was as free a person as anyone in the world, so his perspective was valuable.

“You’re saying to embrace the responsibility?”

“To the extent you can, yes. The pack is my family. So, I willingly embrace the need to protect them. It is a rewarding relationship, reciprocal and loving,” Oscar explained. “I have to eat, so I’ve forced myself to enjoy parts of the hunt. Not the killing. The stalking. The tracking. The fighting. And the meat.”

Elijah understood what Oscar was saying. Everything had a cost. Relationships and responsibilities meant less freedom, but so long as he understood that, he could find the silver linings in satisfying those responsibilities.

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Still, there was a thread of thought that told him just how freeing it would be to just disappear, to embark on his own journey alone. No ties. No dependencies. Just him and the open wilderness.

He knew he’d never willingly go down that route. He cared about his grove, friends, and family too much. Earth’s fate was high on his list as well. But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t deny how attractive the idea of discarding everything and heading off into the wilderness sounded.

“Yeah. You’re right. I just need to focus on enjoying the things I enjoy,” he said. He looked around, then added, “I mean, look at this place. How many people get to say they’ve seen anything like this? There’s a floating mountain over there the size of Everest. We were fighting giants not that long ago. We should all just take a step back and acknowledge the wonder of it all.”

“Wonder?”

Elijah nodded. “Yeah. I decided a while back that it’s not enough to just experience all these magical things. You have to appreciate the wonder of it. Take a second and just look around. It’s like when you’re in the forest, thousands of miles away from another human being. You know that feeling you get when you look up at the sky, or you see a waterfall that you know nobody else has ever seen? That’s the wonder. And it’s all around us. We just have to let ourselves appreciate it.”

“It’s difficult to do when things are trying to kill you,” Oscar remarked.

“Maybe,” Elijah acknowledged. “But it’s important, I think. It’s not enough to just survive, man. You need to find joy. Like you said with the hunt.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I think we’re talking about two sides of the same thing here.”

“That…makes sense. I will try to see the wonder.”

Elijah reached out and gripped his friend’s shoulder, countering with, “And I’ll try to enjoy the hunt.”

For the next few hours, they remained silent. For his part, Elijah pondered his approach to the necessities of life, looking for a way to enjoy the restrictions on his freedom. Presumably, Oscar focused on appreciating the world for what the infinite possibilities it represented. For the beauty all around them.

On and on it went until, a day later, they finally reached Stillstone.

“Eerie,” Elijah said as they entered the gate.

The restrictions on their attributes and skills were gone. Discarded when the giants had abandoned the city. Moreover, the once bustling hub was entirely empty. Shops had been abandoned, their goods still on display. Most of the food was rotted, but Elijah still pocketed a few odd fruits.

Meanwhile, the raiders lived up to the label they’d taken upon themselves, sweeping across the city in an effort to take anything valuable that wasn’t nailed down. It only took a little concentration for Elijah to discern that most of it wasn’t worth the effort. There were some low-grade weapons, but even they were sized for giants. The only thing interesting came when they stumbled upon a supply depot which held a few thousand square feet of raw resources.

Elijah grabbed a hunk of metal he thought Carmen might like, but otherwise restricted his own looting to seeds he found. Like the other plants he’d gathered in the wilderness, they didn’t seem particularly powerful. What they lacked in potency, they made up for in elemental attunement, though. So, he figured Nerthus would find them interesting, and at the very least, they would make for good subjects for study.

Maybe Lucy might like a few pouches for the Silo.

Though after what he’d done during his last visit, Elijah doubted if he’d be welcome in Seattle. More likely, they would attack him on sight, and this time, they might bring some weapons – or people – that could hurt him. After all, Elijah knew Isaiah was not the sort of man to be underestimated. Sure, he was behind right now, but he’d been shown just how powerless he was. That kind of person didn’t just rest after something like that. Doubtless, Isaiah had spent the intervening time working on a way to counter Elijah.

If he thought the leader of Seattle was overtly hostile, Elijah would have already killed him. He was dangerous. But he was also useful. Without him, hundreds of thousands of people would die. There was no doubt about that. And he served as a decent hub for information concerning the Primal Realms as well. If Elijah killed him – which part of him very much wanted to do – then Earth’s chances of surviving their current ordeal would become much, much lower.

And even worse, Elijah would have to shoulder much of that burden himself. He had no interest in taking that responsibility for himself. What’s more, he didn’t think it would be beneficial for Earth in the long run. The world needed to solve its own problems, not lean on a couple of powerful people to do it for them. Certainly, he intended to participate. But he would not forge ahead and throw himself into one Primal Realm after another unless it was absolutely necessary.

To do so seemed counterproductive and, in the end, unnecessary. There were plenty of other strong people out there. The formation of the guilds and working together with their Four Corners Accord was proof enough that they would make the effort. Even if Elijah died, they would handle it.

Probably.

Still, the pressure was palpable. There were a handful of other Primal Realms out there. Some of them hadn’t even been found yet – at least last time Elijah had checked. So, it was clear that humanity - and the settlers - had their work cut out for them. There was reason for optimism, though.

In any case, Elijah restricted his looting to a minimum. Oscar and the dogs sat it out entirely, save to stock up on whatever food that wasn’t rotted. Giants had weird tastes, but most of what Oscar and the dogs gathered was still edible.

Finally, after nearly two days, the raiders had finished their self-imposed task, and the group moved on to the location of the portals. They were located in the same circles where everyone had entered, so they’d been easy enough to find.

“Is there anything else left to do here?” asked Elijah, glancing at Oscar, then Chelsea. His gaze swept over the gathered raiders. Each one wore an enormous pack filled with their looted items. “Last call before we head out.”

Chelsea nodded, saying, “We’re done here. Let me go first.”

He gestured toward the open portal, which shimmered with power. They’d already discussed it, and they’d come to a consensus that she should lead the way. Largely, that was to avoid any misunderstandings that might result in Elijah slaughtering everyone outside.

It was an aim he could get behind.

So, Chelsea went first, followed by one of her lieutenants – a big, solid man who spoke mostly in grunts. Oscar and the pack went next, with the bulk of the raiders following. Elijah was the last person through, and before he did, he glanced back at the Primal Realm known as the Elemental Maelstrom. Conquering it hadn’t been as debilitatingly brutal as the Chimeric Forge, but he’d nearly killed himself a dozen times over.

He had survived, though. He’d seen some wondrous things as well. And, most of all, he’d established what he hoped would be a lasting friendship with Oscar and the dogs. That made it all worth it.

So, with a sigh of exhaustion, he stepped through the portal and returned to Earth.