Path of Dragons-Chapter 47Book 7: : The Team

“I do not like him,” said Song Tianwei. For a long moment, he stared at the door, through which Elijah had just exited before adding, “He is…impertinent.”

“He’s not that bad,” Sadie said, glad that the meeting was over. Only she and her grandfather remained in the conference room. All the others – including Gideon and her brother – had gone to prepare for the upcoming expedition. “He also provided us with vital intelligence. Without his input, it would have taken much sacrifice to discover the nature and location of the Primal Realm or the shrines.”

“True. Do you trust him?” the older man queried. Not that long ago, Song Tianwei had been on his death bed. At almost ninety years old, he had been nearing the end of his life, and he’d looked it. However, just as the apocalypse took almost everything from humanity, it granted a few boons as well. Sadie’s grandfather now looked like a man in his mid-fifties, and one who’d focused on keeping himself healthy. He was strong and vital, and he owed it all to the touch of the World Tree that had killed so many others.

It wasn’t so different for Sadie herself. She’d been strong enough before the apocalypse, and by any measure, she had been among the elites of the world, both in terms of ability and wealth. However, after, she had quickly established herself as one of the most influential people on the planet. Certainly, in terms of raw power, she was stronger than all but a handful of people.

And as anyone would, she reveled in that strength. She enjoyed it for the freedom it represented. With her power, no one could control her life. No one would dream of telling her what she could and could not do.

Yet, she still bowed to her grandfather’s wishes, even when they ran counter to her own. It had gotten worse after Lisa had died. Even as Sadie lost herself in a quagmire of grief and guilt, Song Tianwei had remained a stoic, never-changing presence. An anchor that kept her from doing something stupid. A motivator that prevented her from simply giving up.

“I do,” she answered. “He is a good man. Flighty and distractable, at times, but he is honest, powerful, and dedicated to doing what’s right.”

“And his judgement?”

“Flawed,” she admitted after a moment. “His moral compass does not always point in the right direction, but he does try. He is also loyal and compassionate. Vengeful, as well. Protective.”

“A dragon in truth, then,” her grandfather stated.

Sadie shrugged. She didn’t like equating anyone to their core, and for obvious reasons. She was no angel, even if she shared some of their power. So, she preferred to see Elijah as a human first and a dragon a distant second.

But she couldn’t deny that he had certain draconic tendencies, as noticed by Tianwei. Elijah might not have a hoard of gold to guard, but from what she understood, he certainly treated his grove like a treasure he needed to protect at all costs.

“What of the team?” the older man asked. “Do you have any objections?”

“Only one, and you are well aware of my problems concerning that man,” Sadie stated evenly.

“Gideon is a good man.”

“He is a snake who seeks only power,” she argued. “He latched onto you like a leech and has been drinking your blood for decades. You must see that.”

“I do. His limited ambition is a tool. He knows his place, which makes him a good underling.”

“Until he decides that he doesn’t need you anymore,” she pointed out. “What happens when he sees another opportunity? What will he do when he identifies another patron ripe for exploitation?”

“Is that what you think of me? That I am an old man being exploited?” Tianwei asked, his voice low but dangerous. He was a prideful man, even more so since he’d regained his health.

“I think that Sir Gideon St. Clair will bleed you dry if given the chance.”

“Of course he will,” her grandfather agreed, pushing himself to his feet. Once, that would have been quite a struggle, but now, he didn’t even need his decoratively carved cane. In retrospect, the dragon head was likely a bad choice, given Elijah’s core, but that was probably intentional. Very little that Tianwei did was by chance. “That is the entire point. It is why we must continue to grow stronger, lest his greed outweighs his fear of the consequences of betrayal.”

Leaning forward, his hands on the sculpted table, he said, “That is what you must remember when dealing with colonizers, Little Star. They are weak. They cannot survive on their own. They cannot cultivate their own advantages, so they must take from others.”

“Then why do you keep him around?” she asked, inwardly cringing at the nickname her grandfather had given her as a child. Little Star had originated when she’d won her first martial arts competition, and it had stuck long after she’d abandoned those tournaments. She’d hated it from the very first time she’d heard it, which only prompted her grandfather to use it more often. Eventually, she had simply accepted it as one of the many things about her life she could not change.

“I keep him around because he is useful,” Tianwei stated. “He is not weak, and so long as I keep him fed, he will remain loyal.”

“Unless you show weakness.”

“Then that is something we will never do,” he countered. “You know this.”

She resisted the urge to sigh – her grandfather wouldn’t take that display of emotion kindly – and turned away. Sadie did not agree with Tianwei’s view of the world, but then again, he’d lived through tumultuous times of which she had only heard stories. So, perhaps he had good reason to feel the way he did. In any case, he was far too old to have his opinions changed, so Sadie knew that arguing with him would be pointless.

With that in mind, she turned back to him and said, “Very well, grandfather. Aside from Gideon, I have no issues with the other members of the team.”

“Good. Then, we will proceed according to plan,” Tianwei ordered. “You have my leave to complete your preparations.”

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She nodded in deference, then left the conference room behind. As she did so, Sadie barely paid any attention to the pretentious decorations her grandfather had commissioned. She had no issue with paying homage to their heritage, but the whole floor reminded her of a tacky Chinese restaurant she’d frequented during university. To say it was overdone would have been a vast understatement, but Tianwei felt that acknowledgement of their past was even more important than ever before. So much had already been lost, and he felt a drive to preserve as much as possible.

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Sadie couldn’t argue with that sentiment, but she definitely believed it could have been more tasteful.

Ironically, before the World Tree had laid its influence upon Earth, her grandfather had preferred a subdued and modern style. That he’d changed his tune was a calculated play, rather than an expression of his taste, and it was just further evidence that the Tianwei was thinking two steps ahead on everyone else.

Thankfully, the elevator wasn’t far, so she soon left the garish décor behind. At first, she didn’t have any destination in mind. Her preparations had already long been completed, so she had nothing to do on that side of things. Almost inevitably, she found her way to the quarters given to Elijah for the night.

The apartment was one of the nicer ones in the entire settlement – what her grandfather deemed appropriate for such a powerful man – but the moment she’d been told of it, she knew it would be wasted on Elijah. After all, she’d heard plenty of stories about his treehouse, so she knew that anything they could offer would pale in comparison. But it was a matter of respect, and one on which her grandfather would not be dissuaded.

She hesitated in front of the door, which had been engraved by the local crafters with noise-cancelling runes. It was a gross luxury, having those Tradesmen work on something so inconsequential, but her grandfather had insisted. And as always, Sadie had accepted it, largely because she couldn’t imagine going against his wishes.

But there was also a thread of apathy there, at least towards the management of the settlement. She would do anything for the people she’d been charged to protect, but she disdained the notion of actually governing them. Other people were better suited to that particular endeavor.

Sadie took a deep breath, then raised her hand to knock. The door opened just before her knuckles descended, revealing a grinning Elijah. He’d removed his armor and the rest of his gear, so he only wore a simple shirt and a pair of loose pants that ended at mid-calf. “You’ve been standing out here for a while. You want to come in?” he asked. “I was just brewing a cup of coffee. I still can’t believe you guys have actual coffee makers. I love my French press, but there’s something to be said about brewing an entire pot at once. And keeping it warm. Anyway, come on in.”

She accepted his invitation, and when she stepped inside the apartment, she was immediately appalled by the mess. “How did this happen? You’ve been here for like thirty minutes,” she said, taking in the disaster. In the foyer alone was muddy armor, two staves, and his bearskin cloak that, even from five feet away, smelled awful. And the next room was somehow worse. Elijah had shoved the furniture to the edges of the room, where he’d piled a bunch of clothes and what looked like a bunch of garbage.

“Sorry. I was about to do some yoga,” he answered with a sheepish grin. “And I haven’t had a chance to douse my stuff in cleansing powder. This place doesn’t have a laundry service, does it? I wouldn’t mind saving my supply. It’s not cheap, and the gnome who makes it for me is brutal when he thinks he has me at a disadvantage. Which he does, because he knows I can’t get it anywhere else. I suppose I could take a sample to an Alchemist in Argos or Seattle or something, but that seems like a lot of work. And kind of wrong. Like copying the Coca Cola recipe or something. It makes me wonder if there are trademark laws in the multi-verse, you know? It seems like, if there isn’t, there should be.”

After he finished, he just stared at Sadie, who wore a slight smile. “What?” he asked.

“I didn’t think I would, but I missed you,” she answered.

“I knew my charm would rub off on you. Well, I call it charm. Most people just call it rambling annoyance. I’m an optimist, though.”

She laughed, glad that she’d managed to quarantine Sense of Sin in its own facet of her mind. She couldn’t ignore it entirely, but keeping it locked away definitely helped her see Elijah’s better nature.

“You want some coffee? I know you don’t normally drink it, but this is a new batch.”

Sadie sighed. She’d always hated coffee, and she couldn’t count the number of times her friends – especially back in her school days – had tried to convince her to drink it. But no matter how many different varieties she’d tasted, it was always awful. Even when she doused it in sugar and milk, the beverage just wasn’t to her taste.

However, just as had so often happened with her friends – classmates and acquaintances, really – she conceded and said, “Fine. But I know I’ll hate it.”

“Really?” he asked, incredulous. He’d offered dozens of times back in the Trial, and she’d always refused. “What changed?”

She shrugged. “You just wore me down, I suppose.”

“Sounds like my dating life, honestly,” he joked with another grin.

After that, Sadie took a seat on the only couch that wasn’t covered in various items while Elijah headed to the kitchen to prepare the coffee. A moment later, he asked if she wanted honey, which she did, and it wasn’t long before he returned with two steaming cups. Both were crudely shaped, and from what she understood, he’d made them himself from clay he’d found on his island. Sadie took the cup, muttering, “Thanks.”

“So, what is going on with all this junk?” she asked, gesturing to the piles of items on the other couches. And the floor.

“I pick up a lot of stuff when I’m traveling. Most of it’s useless,” he admitted. “But I’m hoping that some of it will be worthwhile. I also have a hunk of super radioactive stuff I need to pick up after this is all done. I couldn’t carry it around because it’d probably kill everyone within like ten feet, but I think it might prove useful to the right crafter. Maybe Carmen can make weapons out of it or something.”

“I can’t believe there was a meltdown so close,” she said, still cradling her cup of coffee. She really didn’t want to drink it, but she did enjoy the warmth on her hands. “I’m surprised we weren’t affected.”

Elijah nodded, sipping his own coffee, which elicited a sigh of contentment. “So good. But yeah,” he agreed. “I think the local flora served to smother it. Or absorb it. I found some really well-adapted plants out there, and I’m pretty sure they kept the radiation from spreading too much. I believe I’ve got it contained for now, but I won’t know for sure until I go back there in a month or so.”

Sadie nodded. Then, at last, she decided to take the plunge and sip her coffee. She brought the homemade mug to her lips, then tilted it back. And when the hot liquid hit her tongue, she almost choked.

“That good?” Elijah asked.

“So gross,” she managed.

“Well, nobody’s perfect, I suppose,” he said. “Appreciate you at least trying it. More for me, though.”

“You’re welcome to it,” she responded with a weak smile of her own as she handed the mug back to Elijah. Only then did she realize just how close he was sitting. To distract herself from that fact, she asked, “What do you think about the team?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, I would have preferred if it was just you, Dat, your brother, and me. The others seem like they’ll just get in the way,” he admitted. “Not to undersell their abilities, but unless they’re higher leveled than I was led to believe…”

“They’re not.”

Indeed, the other three party members – Lin Tao, Zhang Yue, and Gideon St. Clair – were no higher than level eighty, and only Gideon had reached that point. That meant they were decently strong, but they certainly weren’t on the level of people like Dat or Sadie, much less Elijah.

“Then my point stands.”

“They have their uses,” she insisted. Lin Tao was a powerful Summoner, Zhang Yue was a great Explorer who’d taken a hybrid Thief class, and Gideon was…well, Gideon was the odd one out. The only reason he was going along was because her grandfather had insisted. Otherwise, as a Warrior of middling level, he just didn’t belong. However, Sadie wasn’t about to disagree with Tianwei, especially not publicly. “You’ll see.”

“I hope so,” Elijah allowed.

“So, you ascended, right?” she asked, tucking her feet under her as she changed the subject. “How was it? What kind of options for evolutions did you have available?”

After that, Elijah excitedly went on to tell her everything he’d been up to since they’d parted ways after the Trial. They’d spoken briefly when he’d first arrived, but there hadn’t been a chance to truly catch up. And now that they were, Sadie couldn’t deny that she’d missed talking to someone who didn’t put her on a pedestal. Elijah respected her, but he didn’t hold her up as something akin to a mythological figure.

Given her station, that was rare.