BOOK 9: CHAPTER 47: STILLSTONE

Elijah laid his hand on the rune-inscribed stone gate, his eyes closed as he felt the currents of ethera rushing along his fingertips. As his senses had sharpened and his cultivation had improved, he’d developed the ability to distinguish between different types of ethera. Whether it was the vitality-infused energy of his grove or the mutability of the Chimeric Forge, every occurrence of ethera possessed a distinct flavor.

And the energy coursing through the gate was no different.

“What are you doing?” asked Oscar.

“Getting a feel for what we should expect,” Elijah answered. He’d already received the notification prompting entry into the Primal Realm, but he hadn’t accepted. Instead, he wanted to taste the ethera so he could prepare himself for what they might find on the other side.

“And what do you sense?”

“It feels like a snow-capped volcano in the middle of a raging blizzard,” Elijah answered. “But there’s a note of something else. Something steadier.”

“Steadier than a mountain?”

Elijah nodded. Then, he understood what he felt. It was the system itself. That underlying force suffused everything about their world, giving it structure and guiding the energy along predefined routes. He’d felt it before, though it was so ubiquitous that he rarely noticed it. Yet, Primal Realms – and towers, he suspected – were far more constrained by the system. They were artificial creations rather than a gentle guide.

And it was fascinating.

Idly, Elijah wondered what might happen if he extended his soul into the gate. Would it be like what had happened when he did the same thing to the tree in the center of Druid’s Park? That had been an overwhelming experience, and he knew that if the system hadn’t stepped in, he might have gone insane.

Something told him that trying something similar with a Primal Realm would push him much further, though in an entirely different but no less overwhelming direction.

“Let’s go in,” he said. “I’ll go first. Then the dogs. You bring up the rear.”

Oscar nodded in agreement. A couple of the dogs let out barks of consent. Then, Elijah acknowledged the notification and accepted entry. Instantly, he disappeared, and only a second later, he reappeared in a wholly different – but oddly familiar – location. He stepped away, his legs staggering as the weight of the local ethera crashed into him.

It wasn’t the most powerful atmosphere he’d ever felt, but it certainly wasn’t weak. More troubling was the overbearing feel of it. The notes of fire and ice were still there, but he was more concerned with the feeling of weakness that overcame him.

It was like he’d lost hundreds of attribute points all at once. Not enough to make him feel wholly human again, but enough that he knew it would take him a few minutes to adjust.

He tried to focus on Soul of the Wild, only for it to feel like he was looking through dirty glass. Certainly, he could still sense the things around him, but the results were vague.

And he didn’t like that one little bit.

After a few seconds, the dogs, then Oscar appeared. He was clearly affected by the suppression as well.

“What is this?” he grunted, glancing around.

“I don’t know,” Elijah said. “But he looks like he might know the answer.”

As he spoke, Elijah pointed across what appeared to be a wide plaza. Next to a huge pair of double doors stood a single fire giant. However, this one looked far more refined – or evolved, perhaps – than the creatures outside the Primal Realm. He wore an intricately decorated white robe and had arranged his fiery beard into a series of intricate braids.

He was still enormous, though – at least twenty feet tall, but probably more.

The giant was unarmed, but that didn’t negate the sense of power he radiated. With his senses muted, Elijah had trouble nailing down the giant’s level, but he knew the creature was powerful enough to cause plenty of problems.

“He doesn’t seem aggressive.”

“No. Do you feel weaker as well?” asked Oscar.

Elijah nodded. “It feels like a domain, but far more powerful.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Me neither, but there’s nothing either of us can do about it right now,” Elijah said. Then, he finally acknowledged the notification that appeared upon entry into the Primal Realm:

You have entered the Elemental Maelstrom. To conquer this Primal Realm, you must undergo the four ancestral challenges and prove yourself worthy of the Titans’ Legacy.

“The Elemental Maelstrom,” Elijah read.

“Fire, earth, air, and water,” Oscar added.

“What?”

“Those are the four elements,” Oscar said. “I have a few related abilities, so I read some guides.”

“Oh.”

Elijah wasn’t certain why that surprised him. He knew that Oscar had access to Branches, so it made sense that the man had made use of the Knowledge Base. However, the idea of Oscar studying anything just felt odd. Perhaps he’d formed the wrong impression concerning his friend.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I guess we need to talk to that guy over there,” Elijah said. “The last Primal Realm was a little like this.”

Oscar nodded, then warily followed Elijah as they set off across the plaza. That gave Elijah a chance to study his surroundings in more detail. The plaza itself was entirely open and paved with red tiles covered by engravings that seemed to dance in the light. Above was a clear sky, though instead of the deep blue of Earth’s atmosphere, it was almost entirely white. The twin suns were similarly colorless, which seemed to mute the colors of the environment.

Forty foot walls of white stone surrounded the circular plaza, with only a single set of double doors offering an exit. And that, as he’d previously noted, was guarded by a single, white-clad fire giant, his coal-black skin standing in stark contrast to his fiery red hair and the desaturated atmosphere.

The plaza itself was quite a lot wider than it appeared at first glance, so it took them a few moments to cover the hundred yards to the fire giant.

“Ah, new challengers!” the giant bellowed. “Good, good. The Titan’s Legacy shall be uncovered at last. Proceed into Stillstone, follow the laws, and prosper. Break our customs, and you shall be utterly destroyed.”

“Uh…what laws?” Elijah asked.

The giant narrowed his eyes as he looked down on them. “You come here in ignorance?”

“I guess so,” Elijah said. “Mind giving us the rundown?”

“What is a rundown?” the giant asked, obviously confused by the terminology.

Elijah elaborated, “Just an explanation of the laws. Specifically the ones that will get us utterly destroyed if we break them.”

“Ah. Yes. Within Stillstone, thievery will not be tolerated. Inciting violence will result in obliteration. You have been warned, and so, you shall be held to the same standards as all others.”

“I am looking for a small dog,” Oscar stated, holding his hands apart. “About this size. He has brown fur and bulging eyes.” One of the other dogs barked. “He does, even if he won’t admit it. He answers to Escobar. Have you seen him?”

The giant shook his head. “I have not, but this is not the only entry point,” he admitted. “I do not see all who enter Stillstone.”

Oscar frowned, but Elijah kept the questions going by asking, “Is there anything else we need to know before we leave?”

“If you wish to leave the city, you must prove your might by enduring the Ring of Elements,” the giant stated. “There, you will face many of the same creatures you would see outside the city. It is a deadly challenge, but a necessary one. Better to die here than in the wilderness.”

“Why?” Elijah asked.

“You do not need to know this,” the giant said. Then, he looked past them, and Elijah turned to see a trio of giants – these were of a type he’d not seen before, and they radiated sturdiness – that had appeared in the center of the plaza. “Please proceed into the city.”

Elijah and Oscar did just that, pushing through the doors, which swung easily on their hinges despite their massive weight. That was when Elijah caught sight of the city of Stillstone.

And it was magnificent.

The first thing Elijah noticed were the domes. Thousands of them, each radiating visible ethera. The city itself was roughly divided into four quadrants dedicated to different elements. The nearest quarter featured domes of swirling flame, while the others were represented by their respective elemental forces. It created a clear line of demarcation between each quadrant and filled the atmosphere with whirling energy that felt like it would erupt into battle at any given moment.

The areas at the borders of each quarter mixed and intertwined in a way that Elijah found both aesthetically pleasing as well as distressing in the power they represented.

He and Oscar stood there, staring in awe for a few moments before they remembered the presence of the other giants. Neither wanted to be standing in the way when those enormous creatures decided to exit the plaza.

So, with some difficulty, Elijah broke his gaze and descended the steps before him. They stretched for more than a hundred yards and into the vast basin holding the city, which gave Elijah plenty of opportunity to study the architecture. It was an odd mixture that reminded him of brutalist concepts – the huge, hulking, and imposing nature of the structures – and more decorative features that could have been influenced by baroque ideas.

Otherwise, the city was one characterized by the aforementioned domes – of all shapes and sizes – sturdy bridges, and magnificent size. In retrospect, the latter made sense, given that the city was populated entirely by giants. Even from so far away, Elijah could see the huge creatures going about their lives. Some were clearly fighters, as denoted by their heavy armor and the prevalence of weapons at their hips. But others were just as obviously noncombatants.

And then there were the ones in the white robes.

They stood sentry over it all, watching everything as the others went about their business. Were they the rulers, then? Or merely caretakers?

Elijah and his companions had arrived at the edge of the fiery quarter, but there were three other platforms associated with the other quadrants. However, they were too far away for Elijah to make any judgement as to their characteristics. Though he did suspect that he would find other sorts of giants manning each one.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they joined the flow of pedestrians. As they did, they received more than a few curious glances. No one accosted them, though, which was quite a relief.

With so many giants, even Elijah felt pressured. Even if he’d been at full power – which he most definitely was not – he’d have had trouble escaping such a hostile environment. Even survival would have been difficult, and winning any fight that might break out was entirely out of the question. There were just too many, and each one was strong enough to put at least a little pressure on him.

“Do you know which way to go?” Elijah asked.

He knew Oscar could sense Escobar, but beyond that, he had no idea of his friend’s capabilities. More, he wasn’t certain how to approach the Primal Realm. To date, his experiences hadn’t included being thrust into what appeared to be a working city. The closest was Vey’thaal, but even that had been a city under siege, and he’d had a guide to show him the ropes.

Now, he only had a few vague remarks by the white-robed plaza attendant and a notification to go on.

Thankfully, Oscar replied, “I feel him. Still a mile or two away, but he’s closer than ever. I will lead.”

With that, he picked up the pace. Elijah had no trouble keeping up, but they were forced to dodge between giants along the way. It was incredibly disconcerting, being among such enormous creatures, and at times, it made Elijah feel like a child.

Thankfully, they covered the ground quickly enough, and soon, they found themselves standing outside a sprawling palace that played host to one of the largest domes in the quadrant. Even from outside the grounds, Elijah could feel the heat.

Otherwise, the palace followed the same architectural pattern characterized by the rest of the city. Elaborate pillars abounded, with intricately detailed carvings decorating most of the surfaces. They radiated heat as well, though it was subtle enough that it was lost amidst the dome’s fiery issue.

“State your business,” growled the guard as he looked down on them.

“I was wondering if the prohibition on violence extends to guards,” Elijah blurted. “I mean, if I just walked in there – casually – could you stop me without breaking the rules?”

“This is a sovereign palace. Entering is a violation of the law.”

“Is it? So, why are you here?” Elijah asked.

The giant’s brow scrunched. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t fight, right? So, even if you wanted to stop someone, you’re prohibited from doing so. That means you’re not really a guard. More like an actor,” Elijah reasoned. “The real guard is the law. Or I guess the obliteration that comes from breaking it. Am I wrong?”

The giant glared at him. “What do you want?”

That’s when Oscar spoke up. “You have a member of my pack. Either give him back, or I will take him by force,” he said.

“You will die in the attempt.”

“Not before I take a few with me. You before all others. Return Escobar, and I will let you live.”

“Escobar?”

Elijah answered, “That’s his name. A small dog. Brown coat. Bulging eyes.” Sophie barked at him. “What? Oscar said it first!”

The guard’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “The Chosen One!”

“Huh?” Elijah blurted. Then, he glanced at Oscar who seemed just as baffled by the change in the guard’s demeanor.

“The Chosen One. Please, come with me. If you are the Chosen One’s allies, then you are an ally of the Cinderpeak Clan.”

Elijah and Oscar exchanged confused expressions before they shrugged in unison and followed the guard into the compound.