BOOK 9: CHAPTER 23: A TOUCHING GIFT

“This place is a marvel,” Atticus said, sitting on the treehouse’s deck and sipping a cup of coffee. “You truly know how to live, my friend.”

Elijah couldn’t deny the truth of Atticus’ statement. The grove truly was a wondrous place, and it was important to be reminded not to take it for granted. But more than that, it was home. Of everywhere he’d lived, he’d never felt more connected than he did while in the grove.

That was the point, of course. It was almost a part of him, and in a way he didn’t fully understand. Not quite like an extra limb – he couldn’t control it – but more like an extra organ. Even that was insufficient to describe his relationship with his home, but he struggled to properly characterize it.

“Are you going back to Argos today?” asked Elijah as he sipped his own coffee. It was even more energetic than it had been before, and that was when he’d brewed it himself. His French press could only contain so much ethera, though, and he knew a Cook would likely find much better results.

Atticus nodded. “I have been away long enough,” he said. “I can still communicate with my people via the Branch’s messaging system, but that costs money. It also lacks that personal touch. I need to be there to run things properly.”

“How far is your reach these days?”

Atticus shrugged. “We have full stores in more than twenty cities,” he said. “Almost a hundred smaller installments in the less populous settlements as well. The goal is to have a presence in every city with Teleportation Spires nearby. But there will only ever be three luxury stores. One in Argos, one in Seattle, and another in an undecided location. I want it to be on the other side of the world, though. Extend the reach a bit.”

“What about other worlds?” Elijah asked.

“That is a goal for another day. We have neither the capability nor the money to expand that much. Perhaps in a few decades,” he mused. “I have read about huge corporations that span galaxies.”

“You think you can get there?”

“Do you think you can reach the pinnacle of martial power? The means may be different, but the goal remains the same. Progression. You measure your success in conquered Primal Realms. For me, it’s money,” he said. “The more I get, the more tangible my success.”

“But you get experience too, right?”

“I do. Mostly trickles, but when a big event like the auction comes up, I make more progress,” Atticus answered.

“What are you going to do with all that money?” Elijah asked. Before the apocalypse, the ultra-wealthy hadn’t had the best reputation. Sure, some of them strove to do good, dedicating themselves to noble projects like preventing disease and hunger. However, the majority of them tended to hoard their wealth. He hoped his friend wasn’t like that.

“Most of it goes to Argos,” Atticus stated. “After we recover our costs and set aside enough for expansion, the rest is allocated toward making my city better.”

“Like feeding the hungry?”

“More like giving people the means to feed themselves. We sponsor programs meant to educate and empower the people,” he explained. “We also invest quite a lot into the city’s infrastructure. I know it looks like a quiet town, but beneath the surface – not literally, of course – our foundations are being constantly strengthened. For instance, we recently partnered with your friend in Seattle to purchase some of their farming methods. Our olive production has increased by more than thirty percent, and we believe that trend will continue.”

“If you need any help –”

Atticus raised his hand. “You have already done enough for us,” he said. “But if we need it, we know who our friends are. You are one of us, even if you are neither Greek nor a resident of the city.”

Elijah felt his chest tighten. “Thanks.”

He’d known that the people of Argos had accepted him in a way no one else – even in Ironshore – had. But it was still nice to hear it out loud.

Part of that was simple human nature. No one wanted to be an outcast, after all. However, it also came from the fact that, of late, he’d begun to feel a little isolated. Certainly, he had acquaintances in Ironshore. He had friends like Kurik, Ron, Nerthus, and Atticus. And Carmen was there as well. However, without Sadie around, he was lonely, which led him to dwell on the isolation that came with how far ahead of the rest of humanity he’d progressed.

Elijah wasn’t so arrogant to assume that he was head and shoulders above everyone else, but he was enough of a realist to understand that his power was light years ahead of the average person. That came with a burden of responsibility he wasn’t entirely ready to accept, but it also set him apart in a way that made connection with normal people that much more difficult.

After all, how could they relate to the things he’d been forced to endure? At best, they would stare at him in awe. Or think he was lying. At worst, they’d pity him. But few people could truly understand what he’d been through. And that left him feeling even more lonely, which prompted more introspection and began the cycle anew.

If he let himself dwell on it, he knew he’d spiral.

“Do you ever think about where our world is going?” Elijah asked. “Not physically. I think most of the guides are clear on what’ll happen going forward once we’re fully integrated. I’m talking about culturally. Most of the civilized world has been built on the notion of equality. Maybe not in result, but at least in terms of origin. But now, the gap between the haves and the have-nots isn’t going to be based only on wealth or some ephemeral social power. It’s going to be something far more substantial.

“Take Miguel for instance. He’s been through a lot, and he’s earned his power. But he’s set up to eventually become a world leader, mostly because of his connection to this grove. And I’m sure if either of us has children, we’ll do whatever we can to set them up for success,” Elijah explained. “We have access to resources that will put them on that track in a way that most people can’t imagine.”

“It’s always been like that, though. Rich people don’t usually raise poor children.”

“No, I know. My point is that it’s not just money now. It’s real power. And I’m not even mentioning longevity, either. From what I understand, I could live thousands of years, and that’s just at my current level and cultivation,” Elijah went on. “It used to be that we could just outlast dictators or tyrants. Now, that’s not really an option, is it? The warlords of today are the emperors of tomorrow, and they’ll remain in power for hundreds of years at the least.”

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“Unless someone deposes them,” Atticus suggested.

“Yeah. But there’s a problem there as well. Who makes the choice of who deserves to remain in power?” he asked. He knew that was precisely the sort of judgement Sadie’s class was meant to make. But even though he trusted her, he wasn’t certain that kind of power belonged in her hands. She tended to see the world in black and white, and that lack of nuance could turn her into a tyrant.

“I don’t know the answer to that question.”

“Me neither, and it bugs me.”

“I can’t say I’m all that comfortable with it, either,” Atticus agreed. “The best we can do is be wary. Once everything gets settled, we’ll figure it out.”

Elijah knew that was probably the best course of action – after all, saving the world took precedence over making sure it was an equitable environment – but he also knew just how easily that kind of thing could be swept under the rug. Humanity had always been good at ignoring injustice, and Elijah didn’t believe the touch of the World Tree would change that basic trait.

He wasn’t immune to it, either. Often, if a problem wasn’t staring him in the face, he would focus on his own goals. Was it wrong? Maybe. But he couldn’t really change who he was. The best he could do was mitigate the degree to which it affected his actions.

Sighing, he finished the last sip of his coffee.

“The wedding is tomorrow,” he said. “Are you going?”

“No invitation. I only met Lamar and Helen a couple of times,” Atticus answered.

“Ah. That makes sense.”

For his part, Elijah didn’t really want to go alone, but he’d never forgive himself for missing it. Plus, he wanted to check Philadelphia out while he was there. It had once been a great American city, so he was very interested to find out how it had fared.

Atticus had only stayed in the grove sparingly, instead spending most of the past couple of weeks taking care of his business in Ironshore. He also tended to make a production out of every meal, and most ended up turning into a party to one degree or another. So, Elijah had to admit that, while he enjoyed hanging out with his friend, he couldn’t take that kind of life for much longer.

Thankfully, Atticus soon announced that he was heading home after his working vacation. That morning, they shared a breakfast at Mama Lou’s before Elijah saw the Merchant on his way. That gave him the opportunity to finish his preparations for the wedding.

It was only on his way back into the city that he ran into a breathless Hope.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him down the street. The scene definitely caught the attention of the passersby, who hurried along, not wanting to get caught up in whatever was going on.

“Uh…where are we going?” he asked.

“You’ll see.”

“Not even a hint?”

“My lips are sealed!” she said.

Elijah allowed himself to be guided through the city until they finally reached Mari’s shop. When they went inside, the Tailor herself was nowhere to be found. But in the center of the room was a mannequin. Not that out of place, given the location. There were a dozen other similar mannequins throughout the store. However, what made it unique was the outfit it displayed.

The first thing Elijah noticed was the subtle glow of ethera. It wasn’t overbearing. In fact, it felt almost gentle and welcoming. It wasn’t until he looked a little closer via Soul of the Wild that he realized why – it was attuned to nature.

“Do you like it?” Hope asked, biting her lip.

“You made it?”

She nodded.

“Using materials from the grove, right?”

Again, she nodded. “Mostly. Some of the thread in the embroidery was made from the silk from some spider monster in the mountains,” Hope answered. “But mostly, I used flax from the island to make linen. Nerthus helped me grow it.”

Elijah reached out to run his hand along the fabric. “It feels more like silk.”

“It’s really special linen,” she said. “Miss Mari says this would probably sell for hundreds of gold ethereum if it hit the open market. It’s complex-grade!”

“Wow.”

Elijah was far more impressed than that simple word could convey. As far as he knew, Hope hadn’t leveled very much since arriving in Ironshore, so he certainly hadn’t expected her to be able to craft something at complex-grade. Yet, he supposed that she might have made more progress than he thought. Plus, he knew from personal experience that the grove tended to inflate the grade of crafted items.

“This is amazing, Hope. It really is. Who is it for?”

“You, obviously.”

“What? Why? I don’t –”

“You’ve done so much for us,” she said. “You let me visit the grove and learn from Nerthus. Plus, that soap you made for me is really helping with my body cultivation. Nerthus says that I might be able to progress to wood in a year at this rate. What better way to say thank you than by using my skills to give you something fun? But you didn’t answer my question. Do you like it? It’s a little flashier than what you usually wear, but…well, you can’t go to a wedding looking like that.”

“Huh?”

“You’re barefoot.”

“I know that.”

“You think that’s acceptable for a wedding?”

“No. I was going to wear the suit I bought in Seattle. And those shoes…”

He really didn’t want to do that. The suit itself wasn’t so bad, but the shoes were torture implements.

“Well, now you don’t need to!” she said cheerfully. “This suit is much better. I promise. And I even had some shoes made for you from leviathan skin. Well, Nerthus helped with that part. I didn’t have any money to commission the Cobbler, so he took care of it.”

“Nerthus has money?”

“Of course. He sells fruits and vegetables to the local restaurants.”

“What? Since when?”

“Uh…”

“No. Never mind. Not important.”

“You still haven’t answered the question,” she reminded him, her voice wavering with anxiety.

“Oh. Right. I love it!” was his enthusiastic response.

The truth was, he would have said the same thing even if it was the most hideous thing he’d ever seen. He would have gladly donned it and acted like it was the most luxurious outfit he’d ever worn. However, that thankfully was not a requirement.

The suit itself was off-white, slightly lighter than unfinished linen but not enough to be blinding in the sunlight. The embroidery glistened dark green, forming what looked like vines that flowed from the cuff of the jacket up the right arm and ending just below the shoulder. There was more subtle embroidery on the lapels, though most of the jacket relied on texture for embellishment.

The shirt was perfectly white, while the tie matched the embroidery. At the foot of the mannequin were a pair of earthy brown loafers that had been polished to a glistening shine. Elijah recognized the feel of the ethera as coming from the whale leviathan.

“How long did this take you?” he asked, reaching out to run his hand along the cloth. The texture was even more prominent than he’d first expected. Normally, he tended to wear much simpler clothes – and he’d felt entirely uncomfortable in the suit he’d gotten back in Seattle – but this…this he could appreciate.

“Um…a while. I’ve been…never mind that. Do you really like it?” she asked.

“It’s the best suit I’ve ever seen. You are so much more talented than that Tailor back in Seattle. Like, it’s not even close. Did your dad see it? Wait – did you make a suit for him, too? He’s going to the wedding as well, isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I made one for Miggy too, but he hasn’t made it back yet…”

“He’s okay. I’d know if anything happened to him.”

“Really?”

Elijah nodded. It was a subtle feeling he’d only noticed recently – and it reminded him of what he felt from the trees he’d planted in Argos, Ironshore, and on Chimera Island. They weren’t part of the grove, but they kind of were as well. Like islands in his awareness. He didn’t know much more than that Miguel was alive, but that – combined with the fact that he’d chosen to stay in Eldrathûn of his own accord – was enough.

Besides, he intended to go check things out soon.

“He’s doing well, and I’m sure he’ll be back as soon as he finishes what he’s doing there. I trust him, and so should you.”

“I…I do. I just miss him.”

“Me too,” Elijah said. Then, he added, “Thank you for this, Hope. Really. This is probably the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

She grinned, then threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He didn’t think they had reached the hugging stage of their relationship, but Elijah couldn’t deny her unrestrained show of affection felt good. She wasn’t family – not yet, but it seemed that she and Miguel were deadset on changing that – but in that moment, she definitely felt like it.

And that was something Elijah sorely needed at the moment.