bookpower Book 2: Chapter 45: Consequences
Book 2: Chapter 45: Consequences
Book 2: Chapter 45: Consequences
A blanket of snow covered the roofs and collected in the shadowy alleys of Norcastle as Elijah was escorted through the town. From most of the eaves hung garlands and flickering lights, and evergreen wreaths festooned most of the doors. Red and green ribbons and streamers abounded, lending the city a festive spirit that felt infectious, even after the encounter with the thugs at the gate.
“I didn’t realize it was Christmas,” Elijah said softly as he took in the festive decorations. Indeed, his sense of time still hadn’t recovered after his trips into towers and his long isolation. At one point, he’d tried to keep up with the passing months, but it had quickly grown impossible. Now, he usually only paid attention to the seasons, and that only for practical reasons. The idea of celebrating holidays – especially ones with religious connotations – hadn’t even crossed his mind since the world had been transformed.
Still, he wasn’t immune to the Christmas spirit. Growing up, the holidays had always been a source of warm and comforting memories, and even the end of the world as he’d always known it hadn’t changed that fact.
“The mayor thinks it’s important to celebrate the holidays. He thinks we’d lose sight of our past if we forget the things that used to be important,” Essex said.
Jess pointed out, “Plus, everyone likes Christmas.”
“That as well,” Essex stated.
“Neat,” was Elijah’s response. He immediately regretted the word choice, but it was too late to change it, so he just let himself fall silent. Soon enough, they reached a large square, at the center of which was an enormous spruce tree that was at least forty feet tall and decorated with twinkling lights as well as red and green ornaments. “Went all out, huh?”
“I love it,” Jess said, her bright smile showing off a pair of dimples Elijah hadn’t noticed before. “My favorite time of year.”
After that, they left the square behind and headed in the direction of the guards’ headquarters. Now that they’d left the main thoroughfare behind, the decorations became less prominent, but they were still there, just more subdued. Even the building that was their destination bore a festive wreath on the door.
They passed inside, then headed to the captain’s office. Once the door was shut, Elijah leaned his massive ogre staff against the wall and let out a sigh. “That thing is just too big,” he said. “So, what’s up? Who were those guys out front? And am I going to have to kill them?”
“Please don’t,” Essex said.
“I mean, I don’t want to, but...”
“They’re the mayor’s men,” Jess said, flopping down in one of the chairs. “Do you really think you could? Kill them, I mean.”
Elijah shrugged. “Probably. If they come at me all at once, I might have to reveal some of my secrets, but...yeah,” he said. “I think I could do it. Why? You need some bullies killed?”
“What? No!” she said. “Of course not!”
“It probably wouldn’t be much trouble. I could just nip on over, and –”
Essex interrupted, “Please do not kill anyone in my city. It’s going to be difficult enough explaining what you just did as it is.”
“I was just kidding.”
“About murder,” Essex pointed out.
“Yeah. Probably bad taste,” Elijah admitted. “Won’t happen again, cap’n.”
“We won’t. But I can’t control everyone,” Essex stated.
Elijah nodded. “Alright. So, if there’s nothing else?” There wasn’t, so he grabbed both of his staves and said, “I’m going to get a shower and some rest. When can I visit the Branch of the World Tree?”
“I’ll set it up. Just come back here when you’re ready,” Essex said.
With that, Elijah said goodbye to Jess, then headed back outside. By that point, the sun had begun to set, which made the holiday decorations that much more expressive. The sight brought with it a wave of nostalgia. In Hawaii, he hadn’t been especially interested in Christmas. Certainly, he’d celebrated – everyone did – but it didn’t carry the same cachet that it had back home.
But the holidays he’d shared with his family before his parents had died were some of his best memories. Those memories came with a certain sadness, though. Not only were they a grim reminder of his parents’ untimely deaths, but it also brought his separation from his sister and her family into focus. Before the world had transformed, he’d always assumed he’d have plenty of time to reconnect, and there was always technology to fill the gap left by physical distance. After nearly dying to cancer, though, he’d been forced to confront the realities of his choice to move so far away from home.
The isolation was especially difficult when his illness had forced him to abandon work. His coworkers had tried to keep in touch, but they were always just that – coworkers. Without the connective tissue of a shared career, they inevitably drifted away. He’d even lost his girlfriend’s support, though that was more his fault than hers.
In any case, seeing the Christmas decorations of Norcastle brought with it a mixture of pain, nostalgia, and a little comfort. So, when he arrived at the hotel – or inn, really – Elijah wore a subdued smile. The innkeeper was just as brusque as before, but she remembered him, which made his renting a room a little easier. Soon enough, he found his way upstairs where he took a long shower before going to bed.
He slept like a log, and when he awoke, he set about the task of emptying his pack and cataloguing his loot. The two most important pieces were the staff and the Claws of Gluttony, though the sword he’d taken from the Warden was probably quite valuable as well. Beyond that, he’d taken a few smaller weapons from the elves he’d set against one another. Finally, he had a large pile of loose copper coins as well as a few silver Ethereum.
He still wasn’t certain what the sword or staff did, and he felt sure that he was missing something with the Claws of Gluttony as well. However, as he’d told Essex, he had no way of figuring any of that out. So, that was at the top of his list regarding what to do for the rest of the day. After that, he needed to access the Branch and deposit his Ethereum as well as try to find out if there were any other towns nearby.
Because his resolution to find his sister hadn’t faded. Sure, he’d been derailed a bit by his recent tower excursion, but now that Norcastle was safe, he was even more dedicated to hunting her down than ever.
So, after dressing in his cleanest clothes, he headed downstairs and settled in at the bar. The same cook greeted him, and he ordered a breakfast of sausage and oatmeal. While he waited for his food, Elijah glanced around the room and, to his frustration, found that quite a few of the patrons were watching him.
Sure, they tried to look like they weren’t, but with his multi-faceted Mind as well as One with Nature, Elijah could see through their thin subterfuge.
So, as he ate, he kept an eye on everyone. Most of the inn’s diners were just normal people, but six people stood out. Elijah couldn’t quite put his finger on what made them different, but he suspected that each one had a few levels under their belt. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out why they were there, especially after his actions the day before.
It seemed that, despite his efforts to help the city’s people, his peaceful stay in Norcastle had come to an end. But Elijah had no interest in going on a rampage, so even though he could tell that none of the watchers had good intentions, he still took the time to enjoy his breakfast before heading back upstairs.
The moment he was in his room, he threw open the window, checked to make certain that he hadn’t left anything behind, then shifted into his draconid form. Then, he embraced Guise of the Unseen before leaping through the window and landing in the alley beside the building. There, he settled into the shadows to wait.
Only ten minutes later, he heard a ruckus before the heavy tromp of boots announced that someone had entered his room up above. A few seconds after that, he saw one of the men from the inn’s common room poke his head out the window and let out a curse.
Elijah only had to wait a little longer before the hostile men and women stormed out of the inn and spread out, presumably to look for him. But he knew they wouldn’t find him. So, he waited until their search took them down the street before he set off across the city.
He didn’t intend to stick around Norcastle for much longer, but he still needed some information before he set off back into the wilderness. More, he intended to check on Jess and Essex to make sure they were okay.
Because if they weren’t, bad things were going to happen to whoever had hurt them.